another mouthpiece question for you brass section peeps!

i so confused i barely know how to ask the question. what i am trying to find out is how does the material that the mouthpiece is made of affect the sound, if any, or is it just about looks? i already know that the metal of the lead pipe and the bell can dramatically affect the sound of the instrument but what about the mouthpiece? if so what metals affect the tone and in what way?

The actual material used in mouthpieces is almost always brass. There is one company doing stainless steel now, but otherwise everyone from Bach to GR uses brass as the base material. There are also plastic Kelly MPs.

What you seem to be referring to is the plating. This is the silver/gold/what have you of the mouthpiece. In general, gold tends to be a littler softer than silver, and warms up faster. Any tonal difference is so small as to be inconsequential, especially in a section. The gold plating is so thin that it has no appreciable effect on the mouthpiece's tone. I only recommend it if you prefer the feel enough to warrant the price difference vs. the same piece in silver. The only other really useful thing about gold is that it doesn't tarnish like silver, if you like that shiny look.

The material can make a difference just as the material of the instrument. Different metals (and platings over said metals) have different resonance values so it can make a difference. As SB said, most mp's are made of brass and then either silver or gold plated so for the most part there is little tonal difference. Some mp makers such as Monette use a heavier plating and that can make a difference (gold vs. silver). Stainless steel is supposed to send more of the vibrations into the horn rather than out through the mp. SS is also good for those that have allergies to brass mp's as they are solid SS instead of plated over brass that will eventually wear off exposing the brass, which can make you sick.

Still with me? To me the things that make the difference are cup shape and size as well as the rim shape. The other biggest difference can come in when you use heavy weight mp's. These again send a more of the vibration/buzz into the horn. I use heavy mp's and will swear by them. Do they make a difference or is it all in my head, who knows, but for me it works.

Hope my ramblings helped answer your question.

that gives me a lot to think about in my quest for a shinier mouthpiece:D

ill probably have to amass a collection to find out my preference but i think that is part of the fun.

ever try one of them parduba double cup things i am almost curious enough to buy one in order to try it. but ill probably end up with a schilke or a bach i think ill get a gold plated piece this time around:thu:

I've heard that they actually are the real deal, easy range and fat tone, but that fat tone isn't the same as a bigger piece. This is from trumpeters though, don't know how a bone piece would be.

curiosity may get the best of me here:o

yeah, I just bought a back 5g gold mouthpiece and I like my silver one, gold it just a little softer and feels better on your lips.