Bach Stradivarius 36 in silver sounds blah - mouthpieces

[berntd]

Hello,

For my ever growing collection, I just acquired an early 1990s Bach Stradivarius 36 trombone in silver finish.
Initially I was surprised that the sound does not seem to pop, compared to my King3B and specifically my 1955 Olds Recording.
I used my Yamaha 48 mouthpiece on it.
Then I had the idea of trying a few different mouthpieces and was surprised how sensitive the sound on this horn is to mouthpiece changes.

The 48 was blah. Hard to explain but the resonance feeling from the horn just not there.
I use the same MP on my Olds Special (yes, another horn) and it sounds great.
I the tried other MPs such a 6/12AL as well as 12C etc. They were ok and I think the 12C was the best.
But, the I tried my Olds no3. This does not really fit too well as it is shorter and goes all the way into the Bach.
But the horn came alive! The resonance sound was there and it was great.

I haver read from others that Olds mouthpieces work really well in Olds hors. But had no idea that this would also work as well in another horn. Pity the fit and tuning is not 100% right.

So what is the secret of the Olds MP or is this all just my imagination?
Why is this Bach so different to the other horns in that is does not like my normal mouthpiece(s)?

Interesting!

Best regards
Bernt

[Matt K]

Probably more like the other pieces work well for you in that horn and this one doesn’t. You put a huge piece on the king 3B and it likewise will be quite sensitive to the change.

Finding the right combination for you and the horn can be tricky. Cup depth, throat size, backbore taper, and leadpipe taper can lead to some wacky results. But if you get a set of those that works, nothing quite like it.

[Posaunus]

Olds mouthpieces do work well in Olds trombones - they perfectly fit the receivers. But for me, their cups/rims are not ideal, so I prefer other small-shank pieces - but they don't fit the trombone as well.

Issue resolved this week - I just received my shiny new Doug Elliott "Olds" set for my 1968 Recording: D3* Olds Shank, ST D Cup, ST 99 Rim. Works great. [Thanks Doug!]

For your Olds Special, Doug would probably recommend a C2 Olds Shank, and perhaps an ST C Cup and the Rim of your choice.

[berntd]

What would be a near Bach equivalent for an Olds 3 MP?

BTW my Olds Recording only works with my Olds 3 MP. It cannot tune with anything else.

[Doug Elliott]

A shank that goes into the receiver farther than normal plays more open, as if it has a larger backbore. That's why it plays better in a .525 bore horn. No because of the specs of that particular Olds mouthpiece.

[harrisonreed]

The topic is discussed in this video, around 10:00. Forget leadpipe mods, Teflon tape is your friend!

[berntd]

A shank that goes into the receiver farther than normal plays more open, as if it has a larger backbore. That's why it plays better in a .525 bore horn. No because of the specs of that particular Olds mouthpiece.

Yea but my Olds Recordings plays superb with said mouthpiece. Superb!
Of course I cannot test it with anything else and I always thought it is the horn that makes it what it is.
Thus after trying the mp in the Bach, I started thinking it is maybe the mp and not the horn.

The Olds is however still substantially nicer in responce than this Bach.
It is a pity that I can't try endless combinations to find the best outcome.

[Doug Elliott]

That is as I would expect.
When a mouthpiece fits in differently, it's a different mouthpiece.

[Posaunus]

Suggestion: Communicate with Doug Elliott and have him spec out and manufacture a mouthpiece set that properly fits your trombone, your playing style, and your face. You'll probably be delighted. If not, you can easily pass the set on to someone else (or back to Doug) without taking a big financial hit.

Good luck!