Frequently asked questions
XL
Think of this cup as an orchestral performance enhancement drug
(...that’s perfectly legal.)
We’ve redesigned this cup to be particularly useful for orchestral players; especially the 1XL & 2XL. It has the kind of fullness that appeals to folks looking for that extra dimension of sound beyond a 1¼ C, and helps you ace all the articulation qualities the repertoire demands. It’s more closely related to the 1C in terms of breath of sound.
This cup is shockingly easier to play in the upper register compared to traditional options. While other cups with this much volume are notorious for being much more taxing above High C, with our XL you’ll find comfort knowing that challenging phrases like those in the Alpine Symphony will be fatter and more secure with less effort.
What came as a surprise to us is just how wonderfully this mouthpiece works for Jazz players as well. The note targets are enormous, which adds a lot of confidence when improvising. And the huge range of tone colors you can create makes it very easy to express yourself with tons of nuance and character. This mouthpiece can absolutely help you add more personality and depth to your sound.
Classical players and Jazzers alike who enjoy deeper bowl cups will find this mouthpiece a no-questions upgrade.
L
Our newly redesigned L cup completely eviscerates every other brand’s C-cup equivalent.
Classical & Jazz superheroes to novices all agree: For the vast majority of 1¼ to 7C players, this mouthpiece is IDEAL. They’ve all fallen instantly in love with the gorgeous spectrum of tone colors and it’s auto-pilot intonation and slotting, capable of producing the sweetest whisper or most frightening roar; both regal and nasty; with no-brainer targets.
(See our Artists page for an ever-growing “Who’s Who” of Classical and Jazz stars who are in love with this mouthpiece.)
Another huge difference compared to similar cups from other brands is how shockingly open and easy your upper register becomes. For Classical players this means there’s no need to switch to something shallower for more extreme circumstances and/or piccolo playing. For improvisers, you’ll be able to take bigger risks with greater confidence.
Making your life and ours this much easier was a very time-consuming and frankly, a very expensive endeavor, but we’ve succeeded. You’re going to LOVE this mouthpiece, and from the first notes, it’ll be clear you’re never going back to that old C cup again. 🎉 ✨🍾 You’re very welcome.
L2
The L2 is a C-cup equivalent optimized for Jazz & Commercial players willing to trade in a little bit of the warmth & width in their sound in exchange for maximum firepower in the upper register, and a more crisp, punchy playing experience all-around.
Those qualities are especially pronounced in the nickel silver version, which effectively turns this mouthpiece into the L cup’s evil twin; a C cup that can become a flamethrower when you step on the gas.
If you’re the type to play lead on a 3C, or a Jazz soloist who wants some extra help to cut through the band on aggressive solos, you’ll adore this mouthpiece! (Especially in nickel silver.)
If you’re a Classical player looking for the maximum amount of “pop” in your articulations, and super clear, almost percussive note divisions within slurred lines, definitely try this cup.
Choosing brass will help you maintain a perfectly homogenous blend within your section. And with bronze, you can reclaim the bit of warmth and width that’s missing compared to the L cup, while also adding even more note security.
M
There are times when you’d love to have the trumpet player’s equivalent of a “beach body”; to sound like a god playing big, shiny high-note phrases with that “WOW!” factor that C cups just can’t quite produce... while still sounding sufficiently rich and full across your entire range. That’s this mouthpiece.
You’ll appreciate its true value once you get into the upper register and realize just how much easier your job has become.
Perfect for a Classical player who needs some more sizzle when playing things like West Side Story, or for effortless piccolo playing. It lets Jazz players tear through an army of other instruments on stage while maintaining a fat, rich sound; perfect for Trumpet Hero moments or turning heads in a 2nd Line parade on streets of New Orleans.
It can also be used by lead players accustomed to shallower cups who want to add more depth to their sound, both for solos and milder section parts, without loosing that lovely sparkle. The backbore is designed to further fatten up the tone, so while it's roughly the size of a D cup, it sounds as big as a C cup, only brighter.
Because the cup is essentially at a crossroads of functionality, we offer 3 different alloy options: Nickel silver empathizes its brilliance; Bronze adds extra warmth and richness that makes it seem like an even bigger cup; and Brass is right down the middle.
M2
Unlike the multi-purpose M cup, the M2 is a killer. Pure and simple. 🔪💀🎺
This new addition to our menu was designed at the request of players looking for a more fiery, aggressive alternative to the M cup, specifically geared towards lead, studio and commercial playing. It’s just a little bit shallower, has a slightly tighter throat, a different backbore design, and only comes in nickel silver — all of which contribute to this mouthpiece being a deadly weapon.
Much more so than with the M cup, this one really sounds more like a lead mouthpiece — BUT, it’s still got more volume than actual lead cups, so it’s perfect for players who “can’t play lead mouthpieces”. That makes it absolutely perfect for playing all those big band high-note ballads that still require low/middle register playing. It brings more richness and the opportunity for more musical nuance than a categorically "Lead" mouthpiece, but still lights up the sky like New Years Eve! 💥
It’s also an excellent tool for Pop & commercial playing. It gives you articulations like armor-piercing bullets, and laser-guided note targets for sharpshooting the most dangerous phrases. ( I ❤️ metaphors )
If either of those types of playing are in your job description: Try. This. Mouthpiece. 🔥
S
A beastly-sounding Lead mouthpiece.
You know the age-old script: “The ultimate lead mouthpiece! Adds extra notes to your range! Has a great, big sound!” Well, although words like “ultimate” are highly subjective, this might be the closest you’re ever gonna find.
This mouthpiece produces a surprisingly rich tone for such a shallow cup. The sound stays wide open from the highest notes in your range to low F#. This is the kind of lead mouthpiece that other musicians actually like to listen to... Lots of sparkly fireworks shooting out of every note, but the sound also has plenty of meat on its bones.
The real winning element here is it still has a very pretty sound for the mellower moments in lead playing and high-note soloing. That’s until you step on the gas and it turns into a flamethrower, of course, at which point the sheer size of your sound might have colleagues shouting joyful expletives. Be prepared.
XS
A very shallow cup with a laser-beam focus. For players who know how to drive such a zippy little sports car, playing extreme lead doesn’t get any more fun than this!
You can use it for the most insane gigs, like 3+ hours of Salsa playing. (While it may actually feel like you’re cheating, that’s ok. You’re not cheating. You’re just being smart.)
Whereas the S cup still lets you sound beautiful, the XS says, “To hell with beauty! This is war!” And in that battle between normal human limitations and sounding like an immortal high-note machine, this mouthpiece gives you your best shot at victory.
It shoots flames at mezzoforte, which does wonders for your endurance. Just back off and let the microphone do the work. Then when you do get louder, it’s guaranteed to do lasting damage to any poor soul you point your bell towards.
This mouthpiece is the definition of a “guilty pleasure”. 😈
F-XL
(Very deep Flugelhorn cup)
If you’re searching for the absolute thickest, darkest, creamiest flugelhorn sound, look no further. This is a flugel soloist's dream. It unlocks a whole other level of depth and richness in high-end instruments, and breathes new life into that cheap old horn you’ve been neglecting since high school.
Full disclosure: This is a very deep cup. Normally that would imply it gets so flat in the upper register that the “high C” is an entire semi-tone off, leaving you with the unenviable choice of either fighting like hell to make it work above the staff, or simply not going there at all. Well, that’s absolutely not an issue here. High C’s & D’s are still effortlessly in-tune, and the cup also grants access above that to folks with the skill and desire to do so.
This mouthpiece seems like pure magic. Never has there been a cup so deep, with a sound so enormous, that still offers un-compromised intonation. And between brass and bronze, you get the added novelty of choosing your favorite color palate.
F-L
(Standard-depth Flugelhorn cup)
This mouthpiece offers what most people consider the quintessential, classic flugelhorn sound, perfectly suited to any kind of playing, from brass band to Jazz & Classical solos. It’s an optimized version of what will feel like a very familiar style of cup.
The big difference is that it actually stays in-tune in the upper register instead of going terribly flat and making life miserable above the staff. Here you get a rich, buttery tone and shockingly easy intonation all the way to the top of your range.
With the option of brass or bronze, you can choose between a sound that’s more traditional vs. a more modern, denser, darker tone.
F-M
A relatively shallow Flugelhorn cup
This mouthpiece was designed specifically for players who usually only play flugelhorn in a big band. We’ve spoken with a lot of folks who prefer using a trumpet cup on a flugel shank to help them cut through the wall of trombones and saxes without having to play loud and hurt their endurance.
Going with that concept, we’ve created a fairly shallow V cup that gives you a more characteristic flugelhorn tone than simply choosing a small-shank trumpet mouthpiece, while still helping to project your sound forward with greater clarity, making it much easier to hear yourself.
This cup also offers an interesting bonus feature starting at forte: It really stops being mellow at all. Instead it produces an interesting flugel/trumpet hybrid quality, which opens up some very interesting possibilities for soloists searching for new tone colors. In that regard, it’s unlike any flugelhorn mouthpiece we’ve ever heard.