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Thread: DC2 Mouthpiece

  1. DC2 Mouthpiece

    Hello All,
    I am thinking about purchasing a DC2 mouthpiece in order to replace my SM3, can anyone give me their impressions of the mouthpiece and give some advantages and/or disadvantages that you have found? just wanted some opinions to help me with my decision.

    I play in a Brass Band (in the UK) as principal Euphonium so im regularly playing solos in contests and concerts so Im looking for a mouthpiece that helps with stamina, 'extreme' registers, good articulation and most of important of all a good, big, warm sound (I prefer the 'British' sound as I have grown up with it and play with this sound myself,but that's just personal preference) .I also play and practise through advanced repertoire for Euphonium in preparation for auditioning for a place to study at a music conservatoire in 2 years time (Im 16). I've heard (mainly from reviews) that this mouthpiece ticks all these boxes however, these opinions may be down to trying to advertise and increase sales of the mouthpiece.

    I am fully aware that mouthpieces do not fully affect the playing qualities mentioned above and it is mostly down to my own practise to improve these aspects of which players strive for, I know that I won't play like David Childs just because the mouthpiece bears his name , however a mouthpiece can help to reduce difficulties and the right mouthpiece enable a player to play with more ease so they can focus on the Music rather than technique. I am also aware of the fact that the 'Perfect' mouthpiece does not exist, Im just trying to find the best mouthpiece for me and I am always willing to try new ones. As one famous Brass player said "all the magic happens in the mouthpiece, the instrument is just an amplifier", can't remember who!

    I play on a Sterling Virtuoso Euphonium and also have the SM3U-X , 3AL but find that the SM3 has the most benefits for me out of this group, i've always found myself coming back to this mouthpiece after switching. I have always given myself at least 2 months to adjust.

    Thanks in advance for any replies.

    Kindest Regards,

    Bradley Barnes

  2. #2
    The last paragraph you wrote answered a lot for me. That is what happens when I try to pull myself away from my 4AL. I've tried several others and gave them a couple months, only to go back to the 4AL. In my case, I could sometimes realize certain improvements, such as articulation or endurance. But I could not get the free, singing sound I have with the 4AL. By the way, I have tried the SM series and found them to also not offer quite the sound I want.

    Having said that, I have not tried the DC mouthpieces, so I can't offer specific en/dis-couragement about them. You may find a better choice if you look around.

    For my money, my next step will be to work with Doug Elliott. He's very smart about mouthpieces and makes a good product. Then I can also have the advantages of swap-able cups & shanks for my different horns.
    Dave Werden (ASCAP)
    Euphonium Soloist, U.S. Coast Guard Band, retired
    Adams Artist (Adams E3)
    Alliance Mouthpiece (DC3)
    YouTube: dwerden
    Facebook: davewerden
    Twitter: davewerden
    Instagram: davewerdeneuphonium

  3. #3
    Mouthpieces are so individual that I hate to write my impressions anymore. But, with that warning, I have found the DC2 to be a little brighter than the SM3 (the overtone mix shifted towards higher frequencies). I lost some of the round fullness of the SM3 sound, but gained crisper articulations and a easier super high range. The DC2 will continue to give you the British sound you like, just a different flavor of that sound.

    (As an aside, I have been thinking about this British/American split on sound. I think Americans are more concerned bout the "core" sound because trombone players & trombone mouthpieces so influenced the early thinking about the sound; and, goodness, they are obsessed with "core." While the British found a slightly different sound, less core, but a beautiful mix of the core plus overtones, which may have been because that is what the classic Besson does best).
    Last edited by JTJ; 07-15-2013 at 10:29 AM.

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