Doug Elliott Experience

[miketeachesclass]

I had the opportunity to visit Doug Elliott's booth at the Midwest Conference on Monday. As a guy that's chased mouthpieces for as long as I can remember, I thought taking a moment to speak with the expert would be helpful.

He had me play for him, did some observations, had me try a couple different options without telling me what he was changing, and I ended up with a very comfortable piece that is definitely NOT what I would have chosen based on seeing the specs on paper.

I will say that his approach felt a little awkward at first, mostly waiting for me to volunteer information. However, it seemed that it encouraged me to volunteer information more fully, and made me think about what I was actually feeling on the piece rather than just waiting for him to have an opinion.

Awesome experience, awesome guy, awesome piece.

Highly recommended.

[mbrooke]

I had the opportunity to visit Doug Elliott's booth at the Midwest Conference on Monday. As a guy that's chased mouthpieces for as long as I can remember, I thought taking a moment to speak with the expert would be helpful.

He had me play for him, did some observations, had me try a couple different options without telling me what he was changing, and I ended up with a very comfortable piece that is definitely NOT what I would have chosen based on seeing the specs on paper.

I will say that his approach felt a little awkward at first, mostly waiting for me to volunteer information. However, it seemed that it encouraged me to volunteer information more fully, and made me think about what I was actually feeling on the piece rather than just waiting for him to have an opinion.

Awesome experience, awesome guy, awesome piece.

Highly recommended.

What did you end up with?

Mike

[miketeachesclass]

Euph 106, J, J9 and an additional 106 narrow rim for comparison.

Bigger than I would have gotten on my own, but it's working very well so far.

[LouieD]

I hope to be able to visit a conference one day!

[daruby]

I have ended up with a EUPH 103/104, J J9. Similar to you but smaller rim.

[tbonesullivan]

Doug Elliott probably knows more about mouthpiece fitting and design than anyone else alive. I know some are all about the "classic designs" but with his modular system, you end up with exactly what you need.

[miketeachesclass]

The thing that strikes me most is that what I thought I needed wasn’t the same as what I actually needed.

He’s also very generous with his return policy.

Hilariously, I ordered two of his trombone pieces almost 20 years ago, and he still had my info!

[MichaelSchott]

I recently bought a mouthpiece from Doug. Mine’s based on a 102 cup that he recommended based on my requirements via email. We also spoke on the phone. He’s a great guy, very friendly and knowledgeable.

[ghmerrill]

If I played euph regularly (and played regular euph parts instead of other stuff I do with it), I'd probably use the 104 rim. I had one for some time, but discovered that I never used it. I might also use a slightly smaller cup. But I find the J/J9/106 setup to be a good all-around solution for me. And you can get Lexan rims from Doug without difficulty.

I would have saved a lot of money over the years just buying from Doug. But I wouldn't have learned as much.

[BrandonJones]

Doug is a great guy and a master of his craft. We're very lucky to have him in the DC area.