Courtois 6 1/2M might be too small

[WilleronCoda]

Hello everyone

I’m a French trombonist planning to make my life out of my trombone playing.
I’m still studying and I facing an issue with the mouthpiece I had always played.
I’m playing a Courtois 6 1/2M Michel Becquet on my AC400 and I fill like my lips don’t have much room to vibrate correctly.
My range is good but I’m struggling with the medium register. From middle Eb to B my sound often « roll » and I’m never really confident.
My teacher doesn’t recommend a change and I think that in France everyone plays pretty much on 6 1/2AL mouthpieces.

I tried a Bach 5GS and the feeling was better overall but I lost the tone that I liked with the 6 1/2M.
What should I try ? I don’t know much about the size of the courtois 6 1/2M but I’d like to play something just a bit more wide without being deeper.
What European brand could I contact ? (I can’t find any place in France to try American mouthpieces like Greg Black or Doug Eliott’s)

I’m a bit lost and I don’t feel secure playing because of that

[Doug Elliott]

I know that feeling. It took me many years to discover that I play much better and easier on larger inside diameters.
In my mouthpieces, as a starting point I'd recommend LT series 102 rim, D+ cup with D+8 shank. That's about the same depth as a Bach 6-1/2AL. I don't know about the Courtois 6-1/2M but it's probably close.
I can mail to France, that's not a problem.

[WilleronCoda]

Thank you for the reply.

I think the 6-1/2M is a bit deeper with a wide rim but I’m not sure.

Is there a possibility to try more size and send them back to you when I make a choice ?

Thank you

[Vegasbound]

IMHO, have a Skype thing with Doug, and go from there…but his advice above will be a great starting point either way!

[harrisonreed]

The "downstream" embouchure seems to be most common in trombone players, and it seems like that type does best with a larger rim inner diameter. 1.02 to 1.04 inch inner diameter seems to really be what works for most people. Some players do well even going as wide as 1.06 inches (almost 27mm).

Not too many mouthpiece makers are making mouthpieces with that style cup but offered in a variety of rim diameters, especially for large bore tenor. Doug Elliott definitely does. I've recommended his mouthpieces with the 103 rim to more than a few people over the last ten years or so and generally within a few seconds of them trying it the relief on their face is clearly visible.

I make a large shank mouthpiece with a 6 1/2 sized cup, called the L1, and it can be made in basically any rim width or style you want. This mouthpiece would likely be different in the backbore from the 6 1/2M you are currently playing. I made design choices to allow it to play as open as possible with as much core as possible, but with that efficient cup. It's certainly not like a 5G or a deep mouthpiece like that, though.

I think it's really important to separate, to the extent that it is possible because they are related a bit, the rim shape and diameter from the design of the rest of the mouthpiece. You can create a really good design of cup, throat, and backbore and that base design can work with a wide variety of different rims.

Is there a different mouthpiece you play already that feels better?

[WilleronCoda]

I do feel more confident with the 5GS but I get tired really fast and my sound feels more empty.
I also like my laskey 55 solo but it’s even more hard to play.
I have a Milischer mouthpiece that I found not deep enough

[claf]

I'm in France and can make you try some mouthpieces.
I will send you an email this evening.