Quote from: ali.syme on Oct 28, 2008, 01:39PMHrumm...I started with a tiny Yamaha creation. I got a Bach Bass Trombone, and moved to the 1 1/2G which I don't regret in the slightest - a perfect mouthpiece for learning pedal notes and developing a good range on a larger instrument. "This is a great mouthpiece - I'm learning so much," I thought. "What'll happen if I used a Douglas Yeo creation? He seems to find it useful".
How that man can call his signature mouthpiece a success is beyond me. Luckily, none of my money has ended up in his hands. But he might as well have stolen a tuba mouthpiece and written his name on it for all it's worth. I tried "working in" the Yeo but no - no chance. It's like working a bucket on to your face.
I've decided my next bass will be a Rath - and I'd try keep the Bach mouthpiece. But if I'm moving mouthpiece and want to hold on to the same sound I'm getting from the Bach Bach combo, I'd for for a Model BT-1 (Monette) designed with John Englekist, principal bass trombone of the San Francisco Symphony. It's has all that middle range quality you want in a trombone without too much of a polite orchestral sound when moving to concert band or jazz band.
The rim of any mouthpiece depends on how flexible your lip technique is (in my opinion). Early on, the restrictions of the mouthpiece were clear from the feeling around the lip particularly at the top. In something like the yeo, you can't get comfortable developing flexible lips because the thing starts at your nose and ends at the bottom of your chin.
Simply an opinion - but in conclusion, developing skills on pedal notes demands a mouthpiece like the 1 1/2G.
Ali Syme
He probably thinks it's a success as it was designed for him and he can get exactly what he wants from it.
Doesn't make it great for everybody else though......
Personally I played the Yeo for approx 12 months. At the time I thought it was the dog's wotsits and used it to develop my trigger and pedal register. Then a change in work forced a move smaller as I couldn't play as often and I quickly found out that a mouthpiece like the Yeo requires a lot of face time.
Once I'd got used to the 1.5 size again I found that I could still keep my sound as big providing I thought more about embouchure placement and how I was using my air. My concept of sound and how I wanted to be heard also changed at this time as I stopped chasing the humongous 'sonic bazooka' noise that certain exponents in the UK were getting noted for.
I recently changed instruments to a Duo Gravis. This instrument and a 1.5 sized piece are a match made in heaven. Now all of a sudden I've got much more varied and interesting sounds at my disposal. Our principal cornet player remarked to me that my sound now 'has a more ringing quality to it, reminds me of Ray Premru'.
I'm not stupid enough to think that I now sound like him, but I took it as a big complement all the same
I also tried a couple of 59 sized mouthpieces with it just to see what the result was. To me it didn't work at all well and a big mouthpiece does not suit that horn at all.
. It actually gives a pretty irritating ringing in my ear when I'm using the trigger! And the C with an Eb slide is difficult to judge for me - I've been searching out a D but it's not urgent.
. I have a Chinook that seems to sound good and play easy.... at least for a while.... testing a Mark 1 at the moment.... I was too hasty when I judged it harshly a while back.... It's a good mouthpiece, but very different to anything I've come across in the past. Ivan Giddings knows a thing or two about mouthpieces.... so I'd better take my time trying his stuff..... 
, but these are the kind of gimmicks that get people interested in coming to recitals. If you call it a trombone recital, no one will show 