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Thread: Wedge Mouthpiece - I play a Yamaha 621s baritone and today at a band

  1. Wedge Mouthpiece - I play a Yamaha 621s baritone and today at a band

    rehearsal a euphonium player raved about his Wedge mouthpiece. I'd appreciate comments, feedback, and anecdotes. I'm curious and could sure play better up there.

    LittlerJimmy

  2. #2
    I changed the thread title slightly so people would know what the topic is.
    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
    Join Date
    Jul 2019
    Location
    New Jersey, U.S.A.
    Posts
    155
    Quote Originally Posted by LittleJimmy View Post
    rehearsal a euphonium player raved about his Wedge mouthpiece. I'd appreciate comments, feedback, and anecdotes. I'm curious and could sure play better up there.

    LittlerJimmy
    What mouthpiece are you currently using? Do you know which wedge mouthpiece the Euphonium player was using?

    I tried one a while back, and it didn't give me magical powers of high range. Regardless of the shape of the rim or mouthpiece, you still need the strength to maintain that embouchure with a lot more pressure behind it. From what I have read, it takes some time to get used to, as the design has a lot less side support, and is wider top to bottom than it is side to side.

    I think they have a return policy, so you can always send one back if it ends up not working for you. The only real way to find out is to try it. If it works for you, then it's good!
    Sterling / Perantucci 1065HGS Euphonium, 1952 B&H Imperial Eb Tuba, and a bunch of trombones.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Mar 2007
    Location
    Indianapolis area
    Posts
    1,003
    I am a recent convert to the Wedge, having bought a 103 for my Neo euphonium.
    If you do decide to buy, DO NOT BUY ONE THAT IS TOO BIG. You are playing a BARITONE.
    I'm not sure if there is a Wedge small enough for Baritone. I also think the small shank is
    a special order and possibly MAY NOT be returnable. Please do not trust my memory, however--check the
    Wedge website for appropriate size of cup, small shank, and return policy.
    No, the wedge is not magic; nothing is. I am finding after three weeks or so, however, that the
    Wedge allows me to do what I can do with some more efficiency. I also find that it matches my Neo euph
    quite well. I also might stink a bit less due to the Wedge/Neo at the aspects of playing at which
    I've traditionally stunk .
    Last edited by Snorlax; 08-08-2019 at 11:37 AM.
    Jim Williams N9EJR (love 10 meter CW)
    Formerly Principal Euphonium in a whole
    bunch of groups, now just a schlub.
    Shires Q41, Yamaha 321, 621 Baritone
    Wick 4AL, Wessex 4Y, or whatever I grab.
    Conn 50H trombone, Blue P-bone
    www.soundcloud.com/jweuph

  5. #5
    Quote Originally Posted by LittleJimmy View Post
    rehearsal a euphonium player raved about his Wedge mouthpiece. I'd appreciate comments, feedback, and anecdotes. I'm curious and could sure play better up there.

    LittlerJimmy
    Wedge sells a variety of trombone mouthpieces that may work for baritone. I do caution that the rim of a Wedge mouthpiece is smaller than that of a conventional mouthpiece of the same size.

    https://store.wedgemouthpiece.com/lo...parison-table/

    Mike
    Last edited by mbrooke; 08-08-2019 at 01:25 PM.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Aug 2019
    Location
    United Kingdom
    Posts
    1
    I’ve played a wedge for about 6 months. As has been said it’s no magic cure but I noticed a slight improvement in both range and stamina more or less immediately. I had expected to bed it in over a period of weeks but in reality I used it the following band practice and never went back. I was playing an SM3 ultra previously. Recently, out of curiosity, I dug the SM out. I have to admit that, while the wedge is a slight compromise on size (the 3 is notably bigger) the wedge still gives me a combination of both more range and better endurance.
    When I returned to playing 3 years ago I briefly played an SM4 ultra - that was definitely too small (when I played as a teenager I played a 3AL - guess I’ve just got a big mouth!��)

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Feb 2016
    Location
    The Netherlands
    Posts
    191
    I recently bought a Wedge 102E per dr. Dave's reccomendation after filling in the survey on their website, as a replacement for my DW SM4U.

    Yesterday at band practice was the first time I used it in a real acoustic setting (as opposed to my Yamaha Silent Brass I use at home). Unfortunately, I was 'stupid' enough to use my Hirsbrunner 378 instead of my Wessex Festivo I have played for the past year and a half, so I can not truly make any observations about the difference.
    BUT, I remember the Hirsbrunner to be a little stuffy, and yesterday it wasn't. It had a great sound, and response was better than I remembered. After the practice session, I cooled off with some pedals and I was just stunned by the quality of sound and ease I could play all the way down to the "all valves down" pedal (is that a B?).

    I unfortunately did remember one of the reasons why I had replaced the Hirsbrunner with the Festivo, as my neck started to hurt a little...but while two years ago that was one of several reasons (like the perceived stuffiness mentioned earlier)...with the wedge now I expect it would be just the only reason.

    But I'll have to try the wedge mouthpiece with my Festivo next week to see wich I like best, but for now I am very pleased with the results.
    Last edited by MarChant; 02-13-2020 at 02:34 PM.

  8. I perform regularly on euphonium, large bore trombone, small bore trombone, alto trombone and, since last year, sackbut. It's been an ongoing challenge to reduce the number of mouthpieces I have to use as well as to maximize the personal practice and rehearsal time I have to devote to wind ensemble, orchestra, big band, and early music. I opted to try the Wedge simply to try and increase my endurance as I was noticing that after particularly strenuous rehearsal or practice session, my recovery time was not what it used to be. I currently use a Wedge 102 rim (about a Bach 4G size) on a Doug Elliot setup where I switch out the cups and shanks for euphonium and trombone and a Wedge 11C for big band. The Wedge is not a panacea for whatever aspects of your playing you might like to improve, but, I felt it did improve my endurance and let me to play with a more consistent setup on my two principal instruments. Perhaps it's nothing more than lining up the two dots every time you play that brings a more reliable "seat" to the mouthpiece, and with that consistency various aspects of your playing with start to get better. There are plenty of testimonials on the Wedge website if you want more opinions.

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