NEW Greg Black model-Premru inspired

[RustBeltBass]

Hi everyone,

Some exciting news from Greg Black, published on his Facebook page.

He is in the process of manufacturing his first batch of the new 2GP model. This model is based on the copies he made of Raymond Premru’s modified Bach 2G (Mount Vernon). He worked with Mr. Premru in the 90s. Pictures look amazing and I am really excited for these and reserved one already. He should be ready to ship within about 4 weeks according to direct conversation with his shop.

If you are interested, shoot him an email trying to reserve one. That’s what I did.

[GabrielRice]

I thought Greg's standard 2G was a copy of Ray's mouthpiece. I guess I was wrong...

Ray played that Mount Vernon 2G all the time I studied with him. It had been bored out a bit - which was a very standard practice for Bach mouthpieces and still is for trumpet players - and someone in England had added metal to the rim to widen the surface. The work was beautifully done, so that you really couldn't tell from looking at it.

Sometime after I finished school, Ray went to New York for a couple of months to play in the NY Phil while Don Harwood was out (I think on a medical leave). While he was there he visited Greg's New Jersey shop and had a copy made of his mouthpiece, in Greg's slightly heavier standard blank. He told me the copy worked better for the volume of sound he needed to produce in the Philharmonic, and he kept playing it afterwards.

I heard him around 1995 when I visited for some lessons, playing the Greg Black copy and the Edwards bass trombone he had put together with Steve Shires' help. He sounded marvelous, of course, though quite different from the Bach mouthpiece/Holton 169 combination I was used to hearing. Darker, thicker, if not quite as colorful and textured. To be fair, he was also a little out of shape, as I was catching him at the tail end of a family visit in which he wasn't playing.

[CBW]

This is great news. About 10 years ago I read on the old Forum that sometime in the early 90’s Greg had made a mouthpiece for Ray (based on his modified 2G).Though it is probably much more than just a copy. At the time I was playing on a Bach MV 2G. Greg agreed to build me one for me. Like all of his mouthpieces it is a beautiful build. Significant differences than the MV 2G, much wider cup, much heavier, and I think a larger back bore. I think it gives a darker sound also. The wide rim is similar to the Wick- Premru inspired mouthpiece (2AL).
Based on my experience with the early version this is a great addition to the “ 2 sized” family. The wide rim took a while to get used to, but is very comfortable.

[RustBeltBass]

I thought Greg's standard 2G was a copy of Ray's mouthpiece. I guess I was wrong...

Ray played that Mount Vernon 2G all the time I studied with him. It had been bored out a bit - which was a very standard practice for Bach mouthpieces and still is for trumpet players - and someone in England had added metal to the rim to widen the surface. The work was beautifully done, so that you really couldn't tell from looking at it.

Sometime after I finished school, Ray went to New York for a couple of months to play in the NY Phil while Don Harwood was out (I think on a medical leave). While he was there he visited Greg's New Jersey shop and had a copy made of his mouthpiece, in Greg's slightly heavier standard blank. He told me the copy worked better for the volume of sound he needed to produce in the Philharmonic, and he kept playing it afterwards.

I heard him around 1995 when I visited for some lessons, playing the Greg Black copy and the Edwards bass trombone he had put together with Steve Shires' help. He sounded marvelous, of course, though quite different from the Bach mouthpiece/Holton 169 combination I was used to hearing. Darker, thicker, if not quite as colorful and textured. To be fair, he was also a little out of shape, as I was catching him at the tail end of a family visit in which he wasn't playing.

Very interesting, I had no idea he subbed with NY.
Excited for this mouthpiece to arrive within two weeks according to Greg.

Coming from very big mouthpieces I started to like these smaller ones, even though the adjustment period is a challenge, good thing we have a pandemic and I don’t have to play concerts.


I think/hope this mp will keep the colorful compact and focused sound of a 2G while feeling a bit bigger and more familiar on the face. Fingers crossed.