Soprano Cornet Test Kits

SOPRANO CORNET - TEST KITS

Available standard in two standard sizes: 66 & 69.

66 Diameter is Similar To:

Yamaha 9C4, Yamaha 11A5, Pickett 6C, Lotus 3M2, Yamaha 7A4, Bach 8C, Pickett 6CD, Bach 10 3/4, ACB Lead 1.25, Yamaha 11A5

69 Diameter is Similar To:

Lewington-McCann, Bach 5C-Artisan, Schilke 14A4X, Bob Reeves 42, ACB 3, GR 65, ACB 7, Warburton 5, Pickett Jens “Wingman”, Monette, B6LD

They are available by order in custom sizes at no additional cost.

Talk to us about how we can help you find the right fit.

PLUS vs STANDARD

When it comes to V cups, people either love them or hate them because of the way the lips interact with the top of the cup. The standard series have a slightly higher cup entry angle which offers additional lip support, however, this is very dependant on how one's emobuchure interacts with the top of the cup.

Some players will do better with more lip room / lower cup entry angle. This provides less support, but allows the lips to focus forward into the cup more before creating problems. Essentially the PLUS options will work better for those who use more forward-pucker as they ascend, and the standard series will work better for people who use a fairly "flat" or lip-buzzing style embouchure.

For our V cups, we therefore offer the Plus series which adds more room at the top of the cup for the lips.

If you aren't sure which will suit you better, just reach out to us, we're happy to help you work it out.

As a guideline:

• If you find that as you ascend, the feeling of resistance or "blowing against something" increases and the sound shuts off, then you would benefit from the PLUS cups.

• If as you ascend you are prone to losing the note and ending up with just air, then you would benefit from the STANDARD cups.

ABOUT OUR SOPRANO SERIES

Soprano Cornet playing presents the modern player significant and varied challenges. Versatility, control and finesse are as essential as power, and projection.

Our Soprano mouthpieces have been carefully designed to make the upper register easier and dynamic extremes less work, without sacrificing a sound that can be sweet in all registers.
Because every player’s lips take up a different amount of cup volume, we offer four different cup depths so that every player can find the sweet spot for them personally where they are getting the amount of sound and ease they need.

* The PLUS versions of these cups will have a little more cup volume but will be otherwise the same.

** For comparison only. These measurements are taken from a single specimen and may not be consistent or representative across all examples.

Cup Shape

Our soprano cups offer options well beyond what any other cornet mouthpiece maker offers. This is because physiology, playing approach and the sound you are trying to achieve ALL matter, and players require more than one or two options in order to find what works for their physiology and to find the right balance of ease, power and sound color that ticks all the boxes. Our mouthpiece designs are about dealing with the player as an "small muscle athelete" with difference that need to be accounted for, AND as an artist who is trying to produce something glorious.

One important aspect of our cornet series designs is that the six standard cups (non-plus options) all share that same rim shape, diameter and cup entry angle. This removes a lot of the disorientation one experience when switching between mouthpieces. If you are someone who likes to use something a bit deeper for a Hymn and then move to something that offers a bit more support when strong, assertive upper register playing is required, then the ease of switching between cup options is something you will appreciate hugely!

The M cup started out life as a piccolo trumpet mouthpiece that offered great support in the top end while maintain a nice sound. Through dozens of modifications and repeated and extensive play testing, the bottom of the cup and throat entrance was made more V shaped, and the top of the cup was deepend, until a sweet spot was achieved where one maintains the support to soar in the top end while getting a sound that is sweet when not being pushed, and can blend with the front row. This is a mouthpiece that lets you do everything you need to as a Soprano Cornet player without breaking a sweat. It favours an approach that backs off and lets the mouthpiece do the work. It can be turned into a weapon when pushed but if one doesn't push it, then they are rewarded with a very efficient, easy playing experience and a pleasant sound.

The MD Cup is a deeper version of the M cup which will suit players who find that the M cup is too brilliant when combined with their physiology and playing approach. The MD cup will fill the same role as the M cup for players who have more lip-intrusion when they play.

The MDV cup adds additional V to the lower cup and throat entrance of the M cup, adding a little more depth to the sound without significantly losing the efficiency of the M cup. This is for those naturally brighter-sounding players who like the ease of the the M and MD cup but find it is a little too bright for the blend they are looking for.

The V-S cup is deeper and more V shaped but with an efficient curve to the cup that makes it play much more efficiently than a straight V cup. Comparatively, this cup is technically about the same depth as the Wick S cup, but has quite a bit less cup volume. This allows for a full sound but makes the dynamics extremes easier, especially noticeable when chasing volume above the stave.

The V-M cup is a bit deeper than the Wick S cup but still has a little less cup volume thanks to the efficient shape of the cup. The added cup volume makes this one the “darkest” sounding of our Soprano Cornet line, but as with all our Soprano cups, it is designed to make your job easier, whether it is playing softly and sweetly on a hymn, or soaring up to those High Ds.

The V-D cup is deeper than the Wick S with considerably more cup volume. This mouthpiece when combined with the X1L or one of our Bb Cornet backbores will produce a rich, dark, and inviting sound that is beautiful for hymn playing and those occasions where fireworks aren't required. It is likely to be too much cup volume for all around use, but it is a color you will want to have in your arsenal when the occassion calls for it. Because the rim and cup entry are consistent across the entire line, it makes it very easy to switch between the different models without disorientation. So, you can pull this out for hymn playing, and then switch to a shallow cup when you need more support and brilliance, and it wont mess with your chops.

Rim
The standard rim on our cornet series is our “A-Rim” which offers wonderful support and comfort while keeping a traditional feel. It is a rim that is wider than standard but does not limit flexibility or compromise on articulation.

It’s just a fantastic rim shape that aids endurance without compromising finesse and  control.

Throat

All our Soprano Cornet mouthpieces come with a #22 throat EXCEPT THE M CUP. The M cup  is reccomended with a #27 throat although if you would prefer it with a #22 as well, that is no problem. We determined the #22 to be the sweet spot in terms of getting a beautiful, sweet, sound and comfortable blow without losing support and ease. The M cup is designed to be extremely efficient, however, and so that #27 throat is a better balance for that mouthpiece.

Backbores

Our backbores are the heart of what makes our designs play as well as the do.

The backbore’s primary job is acoustical — it must compensate for the cup volume by stretching the octaves into alignment. In our play testing of cornet mouthpieces, very few mouthpieces achieved what we considered to be a good acoustical match between cup and backbore. We were forced to throw everything out and start from scratch, and what resulted are backbore designs that push the limits of what is possible in improving the playing experience.

Our Soprano Cornet backbores have gone through many, many prototypes to try and find the optimal tapers and length for the cup volume.

Every mouthpiece features tapers, a backbore length and a throat length carefully designed to balance the cup volume in an optimal way.

X1L - For cups with larger cup volumes such as V-M and the V-D. #22 throat standard.

X1 XL - For medium deep cups such as the V-S and MDV. #22 throat standard.

X1 XXL - For shallower cups such as the MD. #22 throat standard.

X1 XXL-27 - A #27 throat version which works best with the M cup. #27 throat

X1 XXL-27 Threaded Backbore

The X1 XXL Backbore is available with a #27 throat and the length and tapers make balance well when paired with most trumpet tops. This opens up a world of possibilities for players beyond the limited mouthpieces available for Soprano Cornet players. 

We use industry standard threads for our tops and backbores, making them compatible with Warburton, Pickett, Frost, ACB and many other makes of trumpet mouthpiece tops.