TromboneChat

I had never heard of Purviance mouthpieces until I saw a recent listing on eBay and followed the bidding - which ended today. They must be something special - or the trombone world is populated with obsessive collectors of exotica!

ebay Item number: 183339012594
Purviance 3 Los Angeles Silver Plated Small Shank Trombone Mouthpiece
Winning bid: $217.49
Shipping: $5.15 Standard Shipping

Bidders: 7
Bids: 13
Time Ended: Aug 2018 at 7:00:01PM PDT

Trumpet players know this brand better than trombone players.

I had one, but it was the wrong size for me and so I didn't like it;

They are no longer being made (I think Purviance died a few years ago).

BGuttman wrote: ↑Thu Aug 02, 2018 5:18 am ...
They are no longer being made (I think Purviance died a few years ago).

Not to be confused with a great bass trombonist - Doug Purviance.

Anyway, the eBay seller (who is a member here) has a few other interesting mouthpieces for sale...

Purviance mouthpieces were very popular with the LA studio trumpet players. I suppose the closest equivalent in the trombone world would be Burt Herrick, but Purviance seems to have been better known outside the studio community.

Purviance trombone mouthpieces have been out of production for quite a while (Carroll Purviance passed away in 1971), but Bob Reeves (who worked for Purviance for several years) still makes Purviance trumpet mouthpieces.

Sometimes I wish I could take a little trip back to the time when the LA studio scene was at its height. Earl Williams, Eldon Benge, Burt Herrick, Carroll Purviance, Irv Bush, Earl Strickler...

greenbean wrote: ↑Thu Aug 02, 2018 7:48 am Not to be confused with a great bass trombonist - Doug Purviance.

not to change the subject but speaking of Doug Purviance:

I have one of his 'bass trombone' mouthpieces the collection.... very different in every way ! very wide rim, inside around 5G size, very very deep and conical with quite a small throat. A tenor doubler's piece,I suspect, made for LA studio players. Very well made. Gives a mellow dark sound in most basses.

Chris

blast wrote: ↑Fri Aug 03, 2018 2:07 am I have one of his 'bass trombone' mouthpieces the collection.... very different in every way ! very wide rim, inside around 5G size, very very deep and conical with quite a small throat. A tenor doubler's piece,I suspect, made for LA studio players. Very well made. Gives a mellow dark sound in most basses.

That description pretty well matches a late '40's Olds (i.e., Roe Plimpton) bass trombone mouthpiece I have. Does the Purviance have a lightweight blank?

JohnL wrote: ↑Fri Aug 03, 2018 8:27 am

blast wrote: ↑Fri Aug 03, 2018 2:07 am I have one of his 'bass trombone' mouthpieces the collection.... very different in every way ! very wide rim, inside around 5G size, very very deep and conical with quite a small throat. A tenor doubler's piece,I suspect, made for LA studio players. Very well made. Gives a mellow dark sound in most basses.

That description pretty well matches a late '40's Olds (i.e., Roe Plimpton) bass trombone mouthpiece I have. Does the Purviance have a lightweight blank?

I wouldn't call it lightweight. It's very long.... like nothing else. I will try to take a picture.

Chris

The Purviance that just sold on eBay was made by Bob Reeves. The 3 is Bob's version of the 4*3 with a very V-shaped cup. The rim is very 12Cish, but flatter.
I've had a few Purviances over the years. I have two now. One is a 3, which I (maybe stupidly) had altered to a 25mm rim. The other is Carl Fontana's 1A. Again - made by Bob Reeves. (not sure what the A means, but it's just like a 4*1 I had) I reached out to Bob to ask if he knew anything about it. He didn't even know Carl had owned one. (Carl almost always played a Bach 11C, but had a massive mouthpiece collection).
I'm pretty sure Purviance died decades ago.
It just occurred to me that I inadvertently "lied" about having two Purviances. I also have a gold plated bass trombone only marked 'S' on the shank. A rarity, to be sure! The one mentioned above is the only other one I've ever heard of.

I bagged a Purviance 5*1 last year. Very similar to a Bach 12C but with a wider, flatter rim and more rounded curve into the throat. Nice fat sound and very agile

I have an original 4*3. It is way shallower than it's beautiful sound would have one believe. It has a great, wide, flat, comfortable rim and amazing transitions between low and high ranges. A true marvel of mid-century American craftsmanship! I'll never sell mine, even though I'm not currently using it as a day-to-day driver.

Allegedly, Reeves is going to start up production again...

I had a 5*3 for a while, sold it to someone in the USA for mucho $$$ .......

Looks like a Bach artisan

I looked up this thread because today I bought a used Getzen Custom 3508R trombone (the dual bore .500-.508 horn), and in the case I found a Purviance mouthpiece, stamped "5*3". I slipped it into the horn and played a few minutes, finding that it works very well! I'm going to have to give it a serious evaluation against my current piece.