Frequently Asked Questions

Improving the Embouchure

Many players have reported that after as little as one practice session on the Wedge they play better and sound better on their usual mouthpiece. This is true of players who eventually convert to the Wedge, and even in cases where they choose to stay with their regular mouthpiece for most of their playing. It seems that the Wedge design promotes a more forward, corner-controlled set up that translates into better performance on both mouthpieces. In this way the Wedge can be used as a teaching tool to improve the player's embouchure.

Is there a honeymoon period?

The honeymoon period refers to a well recognized phenomenon experienced by many players when changing mouthpieces, especially to one that provides an initial improvement in performance. After a period of weeks the initial benefits diminish and the player returns to his or her original baseline range or endurance. It has been suggested that this might result from the chops getting accustomed to the "crutch" provided by the changed characteristic that provided the initial improvement (often a smaller or shallower cup), and becoming weak or "lazy".

The Wedge does not seem to have much of a honeymoon period.

This is because of the unique way in which the Wedge improves performance. The Wedge works by freeing your chops to do what you are already asking them to do, without being restricted by the unnecessary contact between the mouthpiece and lips at the corners. It gets out of the way. This is a fundamental difference between the Wedge and some other "range enhancing" mouthpieces. Because of this the improvement seen with the Wedge is sustained and actually increases over a matter of weeks.

I have had one player report that he actually bruised his lip because he went nuts playing on the Wedge so much when he first got it and then had to back off to recover. Neil Delson, who provides a review in the testimonials section, had a slight speed bump after about a week when his initial dramatic improvement in range and flexibility decreased a bit, but not to "pre-wedge" levels. He got through it in a few days and continued to progress after that.

How long does it takes to acclimatize?

Many players describe an immediate improvement in performance. Increased flexibility is generally recognized immediately, along with a modest improvement in range, which progresses over time. Players have reported progressive improvements over a period of a few weeks.

When do you tire on the Wedge - at the same time as a conventional piece?

Many players report that they have greatly improved endurance on the Wedge. People have also reported one other interesting observation. After playing beyond the point at which they would ordinarily fatigue on a conventional mouthpiece all players will eventually tire. If at this point they switch to a conventional mouthpiece they will regain a few more minutes of playing strength. This should not be confused with the Wedge being more demanding to play than a conventional mouthpiece. This second wind occurs after the player would have ordinarily stopped playing due to fatigue on a conventional mouthpiece. However, the conventional mouthpiece provides enough splinting of the embouchure because of the increased mouthpiece contact to provide a brief second wind.

Do you still do modifications of trumpet mouthpieces?

The Wedge did start as a modification of existing mouthpieces. This served as a convenient source of "blanks", and was a great way to introduce players to the Wedge. It also provided a convenient way to compare a conventional mouthpiece to a Wedge rim based on the same platform.

However, the comparison is not perfect. The lateral dip produced in the modification does reduce cup volume slightly. In performing the modification, especially on shallow pieces, I do sometimes remove a few thousands of an inch of metal from the bottom and sides of the cup to compensate. Depending on how much is removed, the final product might or might not play a shade brighter than the unmodified piece.

A new production Wedge, cut from solid brass or stainless steel blank, is designed to compensate for this effect. For example, the cross sectional contour of a Wedge 3C is actually intermediate in size between a Bach 3C and Bach 1.5C. The Wedge 3C will therefore have a low register performance superior to a Bach 3C, with the upper register performance more similar to a Bach 3E, and a bigger sound than either throughout the range of the instrument.

A new Wedge also differs from a modification in its top/bottom rim profile. The top/bottom rim has a soft bite and gentle slope with a high point displaced to the outside of the rim. You can see the profile here.

This improves comfort and vertical lip compression when the normal amount of mouthpiece pressure is applied. This slope cannot be reproduced in a modification, which is why a modified piece does not seem to me to perform as well as a new Wedge with otherwise similar specifications.

In truth, the base mouthpiece in a modification is so drastically altered that there is little advantage in playing a modification. The rim is unrecognizable. Only the throat and backbore are unchanged. So, although modifications can be done, it is a complex, time consuming, labor intense, multi-step process. There is also a risk of ruining the base mouthpiece if there is a human, software, computer, or machine error.

Rather than milling the rim of the mouthpiece, a better option is to convert the original mouthpiece to accept a screw rim, and then fir it with a new Wedge screw rim designed to compensate for the volume loss caused by the lateral dip. This does produce a very good result when a player wants to play a mouthpiece with a Wedge rim on a special underpart and backore.

Modifications do work well on deeper mouthpieces such as flugelhorn, French horn and trombone. The loss of volume from the lateral dip has relatively less effect on the larger volume of the cup.