Bass trumpet challenges

[Macbone1]

Question for bass trumpet doublers:
I have a fine old Holton bass trumpet. I use the equivalent of a Marcinkewicz 9 with it.
I can't seem to get very loud on the instrument, maybe a bit more than half as loud as a trombone.
Is the mouthpiece too big and overblowing the horn? Holtons have the smallest bell of all the bass trumpets, could that be a consideration?

[Burgerbob]

How are you judging the loudness? The bell is pretty far away compared to trombone.

I can get a serious honk on my Bach, but it really takes care and not trying to blow down the instrument.

[Macbone1]

Thanks. I just got my first audience feedback from my wife. We were in a church auditorium and she couldn't hear me, or much of anything from the others for that matter. I could hear myself okay. And it sounded like a more cutting tone than on a trombone. It definitely is a smaller sound though.

[CalgaryTbone]

One thing that I found with my Bass Trumpet when I owned one, was that the horn played better with a relatively shallow mouthpiece (around a Bach C cup). I ended up using the same mouthpiece(s) that I used on Alto Trombone. Once, I tried using my small bore setup (with approximately a 6.5AL cup) because there were some fairly low passages. I wasn't that happy, and as soon as I put in the shallower cup (same rim) I was instantly more comfortable. Our 1st Trumpet also noticed, and it was a better match with him when we had a couple of exposed parts in octaves.

Jim Scott

[Burgerbob]

Yes, a good match is really important. I use a 15D on my Bach and it makes the instrument just light up, top to bottom.

[Macbone1]

Yes, a good match is really important. I use a 15D on my Bach and it makes the instrument just light up, top to bottom.

15D is tiny! I'll take your advice though. Gotta do something.

[Burgerbob]

Yes, a good match is really important. I use a 15D on my Bach and it makes the instrument just light up, top to bottom.

15D is tiny! I'll take your advice though. Gotta do something.

Yes, and much smaller than I can play on anything else. But on the bass trumpet it feels just right.

[Kdanielsen]

I agree about needing a shallow mouthpiece. I use an XT A cup with an A2 shank and i want a smaller shank! I know people think they are junk but a mouthpiece weight helps too.

[CalgaryTbone]

This may start a bigger discussion, but I think the cup depth is more important in this situation than the rim size. Now, I also recognize that some people also find that a smaller rim is useful for these situations too. I would suggest first trying something shallow, and with a rim that is comfortable for you to play on. If that doesn't work well enough, then see if downsizing the rim size helps. Doug Elliott's mouthpiece offerings are great for seeing exactly which dimensions make the difference for you. There are a lot of great players in different camps - either keeping essentially the same rim size on their various horns, or changing for every different instrument they play. Then you find some who only make an exception of rim size for one or two instruments, or some who play different rims, but with a similar shape to all of them. Anyway, I have always found that a depth similar to a Bach C or D cup worked best for me on both Bass Trumpet and Alto Trombone. Some people even like E cups, but that felt too bright and restricting for my taste. Find what feels and sounds the best for you when all is said and done.

Jim Scott

[Doug Elliott]

A trumpet style instrument needs a different sort of input, with more upper harmonics. A very shallow cup will do it combined with a different approach to accommodate greater resistance. A deeper cup will just sound dead and not project.

[Macbone1]

Wonderful advice from all. Thank you.