Bach Mouthpiece Historical FAQ
These are some of the most common questions on various aspects of Vincent Bach Corporation’s (New York / Mt. Vernon) brass instrument mouthpieces. While we might not have all the perfect answers, these are compiled from various experts on historical (pre-1965) bach mouthpieces.
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Why is there the tradition of starting on a 7C?
” Because that’s the size that Vincent Bach himself played and what he recommended as a starting point. If you buy a new Bach trumpet with a standard case and mouthpiece, you get a 7C. (If you already have a different preference, most dealers will allow you to swap the 7C for the size you want–inquire at the time of purchase.)
Proportions of the 7C? Given the medium-small rim diameter, the cup is very deep. Why does the shape and volume of the C cup seem different with almost every rim of the different models? Because there is no standard C cup.
When Bach began to make mouthpieces, he was a section player in the Boston Symphony. The scale was very low in those days, so he started a one-man mouthpiece-making business. Mouthpieces were turned out one at a time, usually made according to the requests of a specific player. (An old friend of mine has a set of Bach mouthpieces. From Bach’s earliest days, there are no numbers, but they were assigned names, i.e., the “Crackerjack” model, etc.
Eventually, when he had established quite a few models, he needed to assign permanent numbers that suggested their relative sizes. The numbers he chose seem to identify an orderly progression in cup diameters, but the letters describing cups are incredibly arbitrary. For example, compare a 2.75C to a 3C–despite the similarity of diameter, their cup shape and depth are vastly different, the 2.75C being one of the deepest C cup eras in the entire line.
The RELATIVE proportions of each variable in a given mouthpiece are critical: cup diameter, cup shape, cup volume, throat size, backbore shape, length, and contour, and the amount of gap between the end of the mpc and the start of the tapered lead pipe. If you change one of these variables, even minutely, you have changed its relationship to each of the other variables, thereby having a dramatic effect on how that particular mouthpiece plays.
This explains why several “identical” mouthpieces, produced in series by the same crafts persons with the same tools, will each seem to play differently when tested by an experienced player.
Why do so many of the Bach rims have that sharp inside edge?
” In his own writing about his mpc. design, Bach said that this is a deliberate feature. He intended that any improper forcing of the tone would be punished by pain (!). Many players also feel that this well-defined inner edge helps slurred notes to “slot in” more precisely than than they do on a more comfortable, rounded rim. (“Shaped like a toilet seat” is how one of my great teachers, William Vacchiano, memorably described the latter type rim.)
Beware of the relationship between mouthpieces of the Mt.Vernon era to mouthpieces manufactured by Bach before and after that period. For some unknown reason, Mt.Vernon mouthpieces got smaller. Compare virtually any mouthpiece of the Mt. Vernon years to recent ones bearing the same model designation. Typically, they are dramatically different. Tool wear?
Read the story behind the creation of the 1X as published by Bach/Selmer. When Selmer bought Bach, to their credit, they went back to Vincent Bach’s original specs.”
Did Bach 7C mouthpieces changed from Mt. Vernon to Elkhart?
“
The original Mount Vernon Bach 7C mouthpieces (the recommended student model at the time) had a smaller inside diameter than current 7C mouthpieces, had a more comfortable rim than current (Conn Selmer) 7C mouthpieces, and functioned well as a student model. They most likely devolved into what they are today because of the need to mass produce these mouthpieces. The original outside diameter was once 1.055 inches, but is now 1.080 inches, which is a huge difference in terms of how much rim is contacting the lips. This affects the comfort of the mouthpiece.”
source: from TPIN archives (Louis Ranger)
source: Erik Veldkamp's Original Bach Fan Page
source: BachLoyalist research from historical documents
source: MODERN INNOVATIONS IN AMERICAN TRUMPET MOUTHPIECE DESIGN, Katherine L. Klinefelter, 2014.
