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I have been playing in symphony orchestras for nearly 40 years. As each year of my career unfolds, it becomes a matter of math, meaning that a greater and greater percentage of my playing life is accomplished through the use of symphonic mouthpieces with very low alpha angles. When called upon to sit in a lead trumpet chair, this has made my transition to traditional-design, shallower lead-type mouthpieces a challenge as of late, as lead-type mouthpieces with high alpha angles that once worked well for me, are no longer as reliable nor predictable on such occasions.

I have recently been blessed with the discovery of the Northern Brass line of mouthpieces. While selecting suitable alpha angles and rim contours seems to be a fairly confusing science, Northern Brass has made it all very easy in a design that plays well, sounds great in all registers and for me at least, works great in the upper registers of the horn without shutting down on me unexpectedly. What I like most about these designs is that I can play them without having to alter the way I perform on my larger, B-type-cup symphony mouthpiece. Though considerably smaller, the Northern Brass mouthpieces don’t feel small, nor constricting nor appreciably different than what I play in the orchestra, until of course I aim for things well above the staff when they do what they do and sizzle and shine!

These are great mouthpieces and I highly recommend them. Thank you Northern Brass for a great design!

Bill Lucas

Trumpet, Detroit Symphony Orchestra

Orchestral: Schilke M2* #22 throat