TromboneChat

Hello everybody,

I've recently moved to a 3.5-size Greg Black mouthpiece for tenor and am curious if anyone else has had much experience playing this " 'tween " size (particularly by GB)?

Thanks!

Jon

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Jonathan Pasternack
Port Angeles, Washington

That's what size I use on small tenor, large tenor, and alto. But of course it's my own N104 rim on my own C+ and G cups.

It's only "tween size" if the cup and backbore are like a 3G - deep/open. There are some people on the forum here playing 1.12" rims (ie, Schilke 59) on alto trombone (with appropriate shallow cup and alto backbore).

The 1.04" size rim is actually way more common than you'd think...

If it works it works!

One of my colleagues I work with most often plays a Greg Black 3.5G-5G in lightweight with a #1 backbore on his primary large bore trombone (an older Conn-style Greenhoe). He sounds great - it fits him and that instrument really well. He is a player who changes rim for different horns.

I guess 104 is that size, oops. I play that and GB 3 rims which I guess are a bit bigger.

Thanks for the replies!

The GB 3.5 series all have 1.034” which is what I was referring to (rightly or wrongly) as a ‘tween size. There is also a GB NY 3.5 model that is 1.040”.

Currently, I have been trying out a GB 3.5 (AL style, also 1.034”) but am feeling that the rim is still a little too small for me. I’ll probably go next for a GB 1.040” of some kind. That said, there appear to be (at least) five choices for cup depth, plus an AL style, plus four choices of weight…. Since I’m interested at this point in staying with Greg Black pieces, I’ll try making a semi-educated decision (guess?), which is a bit daunting. Still, something along the lines of Gabriel Rice’s colleague’s set-up sounds close to what I’m aiming for.

I know several people playing with about that size, and also a few playing on a 3G. If that's the rim size you need, it's the size you need. The more important thing is how the rest of the mouthpiece is set up.

I use DE 104 rims on medium and large tenor.

I'm also on DE 104 rims for all tenors, C-H cups. At one point I used VB 3g on large tenor, but found it lost something in the sound.

Add another one using DE 104 rims with various cup depths on tenor.

I don't play tenor that often, but I use a Curry 3M or 3D when I do; the published diameter is 26.2 mm.

1.034 is my 625 size, which is not exceptionally popular. Mine also feels larger. Most popular in my lines are 25.25mm, 25.50mm, and 25.75mm.

You could check out a Hammond 10 rim.

If I remember correctly, they're somewhat in-between a 'Bach-ish 3 and 4' in feel.

They make large and small shank versions and have different cups and bodies

My tenor came with a King 3. Very funnel shaped, easy to play, but if I want something French horn sounding I’ll just break out my French horn. My favorite trombone mouthpiece is Dad’s old 1940s Bach 12SC. Been using that in baritones in the 60s and baritones and trombones since the 80s.