Custom Mouthpieces

[WilliamC3553]

Does anyone know how good Doug Elliott mouthpieces are? How reliable, useable, useful.

[BGuttman]

A lot of us play them (including me).

Doug has built a modular system that can tune the mouthpiece to the player (and the instrument). Note that not everyone is playing them. Some folks like other brands as well.

For experienced players this can be a godsend. If you are a beginner they won't really substitute for a good teacher and lots of practice time.

Also, they are not cheap.

[Fidbone]

You can’t go wrong with Doug’s mouthpieces.
As long as you get the correct set ups.

[hyperbolica]

Doug's stuff has eliminated all my tenor mouthpiece safaris. I don't buy any more tenor pieces thinking "I can get something a little better". Doug himself is also a very accessible guy and a great player and embouchure expert. Really can't go wrong with his stuff or his advice. I have 8 or 9 full DE mouthpieces plus some extra pieces for tenor, bass and euph.

[musicofnote]

Does anyone know how good Doug Elliott mouthpieces are? How reliable, useable, useful.

As good, useable and useful as any other mouthpiece. If a particular mouthpiece works for you better than any other, then it's reliable, useable and useful. If a particular mouthpiece doesn't work for you, it's neither reliable, useable nor useful.

Or in short: my Wedge my 110 and my s59, are all reliable, useable and useful. Better than anything else I've bought and tried. An important difference: with Wedge you can return for full refund for up to 90 days if it's not your cup of tea. And if at any time after that you want to trade it in for another Wedge of a different size, you get a 80% credit towards the new size.

[Vegasbound]

Doug is a member of the site, contact him direct.

[UATrombone]

DE mouthpiece system is one of the best in the world, IMO.
With his stuff you can combine things that are almost impossible to find/put together in standard mouthpieces.
For example, if you have an old Conn, King or Olds trombone with a non-standard leadpipe the choice of mouthpieces will be very limited or you will have to put up with timbral and/or intonation issues.
This is also true for non-standard alto trombone/bass trumpet/euphonium bores and tapers.
But, if you are using Doug's system, you can order a suitable shank from him and use it.
The same situation with rims/cups combos. Where can you find alto or small bore mouthpiece with bass size rim?

[Posaunus]

You want - but don't need - a "custom mouthpiece."
What is wrong with your Wick 6BS?
If you are having playing issues, your mouthpiece is unlikely the most important issue or holding you back in any significant way.

That being said, many (most?) of us have gone on a mouthpiece safari, accumulated a collection, and probably found that there is not one true "best."

But - I will confirm that Doug Elliott's mouthpiece system is very "customizable" and that his mouthpieces are usable, useful, and reliable. I am a big fan, and - like many other TromboneChat members, have converted to Doug's "DE" mouthpieces for most of my playing. I am a happy customer!

If you want to get started with this system, your best path is to contact Doug directly - he is very helpful and will do his best to assess your needs and recommend a good initial setup. You will need three components:
• A Shank that fits your trombone
• A Cup that is appropriate for your trombone and your playing
• A Rim that fits the Cup and that is appropriate for your "chops" and embouchure

As Bruce Guttman wrote, a complete 3-piece set from Doug is expensive ($250 including shipping) - but (to me) worth the price. And you can exchange one component at a time to optimize.

Check out his Website for more information before you contact Doug for advice - it's worth the time.
http://www.DougElliottMouthpieces.com/

[JTeagarden]

I only play DE mouthpieces, and while this might seem like a questionable endorsement, considering the source, I can say that a lesson with him, and his corresponding recommendation of what combination would be a good fit considering my natural tendencies, has paid off hamdsomely, and while I occasionally flirt with other mouthpices (generally on small-bore horns, looking for a brighter sound or a bit more high range), the shortcomings of these MPs become obvious within a few days.

I liken the choice of mouthpiece to the choice of shoes, only in the case of a mouthpiece, it's not always immediately obvious when it's just a bad fit, and everyone else's choice of mouthpiece really has little bearing on what might work for you.

No single MP maker has it so dialed in that they have the market cornered: If they did, we'd all know about it. And while I believe it is likely that other makers' pieces could work equally well for me, Doug was able to work out the rough parameters of what works for me, and the fact that he has my embouchure figured out saves me a lot of hassle in picking out new mouthpieces for new horns.

[Trombola2112]

I've been happy with my DE tenor pieces. It's nice having the same rim regardless of the instrument's shank/bore size and being able to match the right cup to get the sound i want. Been slowly switching all my tenor trombones to his system. Haven't tried any bass pieces yet (happy with my current one), but I'm sure they are as good.

He's also a good source of knowledge. Can point you in the right direction, both in your playing and equipment.

[tromboneVan]

Doug's mouthpieces are fantastic. I used to just play everything on the same mouthpiece, no matter what. Now I have one of Doug's mouthpieces for alto, principal, second, and for bass doubling. It's made a huge difference for me personally in dialing things in.

[tbonesullivan]

Doug's mouthpiece system is, IMHO, the best and quickest way to get you the exact mouthpiece you need. Doug has been at this for a long time, and as they say, has probably forgotten more about embouchures than most people ever learn. During the pandemic he revamped his entire line, and pretty much can make a mouthpiece to suit any player and horn from the many options he offers.

[WGWTR180]

Funny questions. Reliable? Useful? Usable? All up to you my friend. Doug makes a great product. He is also very knowledgable. The rest is up to the individual.

[Finetales]

I recently got a DE large tenor setup, and I couldn't be happier. It sounds great, makes everything easy, and has a very comfortable rim.

I'd like to try more of his pieces. The ability to fine tune the mouthpiece to not only your face and playing, but each specific instrument is really nice. I have quite a few oddball instruments that would likely be massively improved with a DE piece tailored to their quirks.

[EriKon]

They are great mouthpieces. Are they the only great mouthpieces out there? Likely not. Would I still recommend them? Yes.

[harrisonreed]

Doug's mouthpieces are very good. His alto and small bore pieces are *exceptional*. Being able to find a room that fits your face and the mouthpiece not changing otherwise is pure genius.

I do wish the throat and backbores could be pushed more on the large bore and bass designs. They feel more in line with traditional offerings and not necessarily the larger throats that we are seeing in "artist" designs now. I had trouble on the low C's on bass on the J shank that I did not have with other pieces with larger throats/backbores.

[Doug Elliott]

I do things differently. And I make a lot of stuff you didn't try.

[harrisonreed]

I do things differently. And I make a lot of stuff you didn't try.

I know you do Doug. Your designs are really fantastic. I know of no one who wants you to change your shanks. I was under the impression that you weren't budging on the throat and backbore designs though. Has that changed?

Specifically, I have the SB J bass piece and I struggle a lot on literature that has a lot of low loud passages (such as Maslanka 4!) playing that piece, but not on bass pieces with the same cup diameter that have throats in the .312" range and backbores balanced for that size throat. It's likely a me problem, but there it is.

[Doug Elliott]

Of course an SB J would be a struggle on low loud stuff - I would totally expect that. Maybe MB series with the same specs and a J10 shank.

There are different routes to get to the same result.

[Posaunus]

Like Harrison, I am not a full-time bass trombonist. I guess I'm merely a doubler (or dabbler?), but I enjoy playing my single-valve bass in big band, orchestra, and other ensembles. My preferred Doug Elliott setup is J8 Shank, MB J Cup, and MB 109 or MB 108 Rim. Throat is (I think) 7.49mm (0.295"). Works well for me, but I seldom play really loud and low.

[JeffBone44]

I've been playing on Doug's XT104.C+.D2 for small bore for the past 20+ years. I think I got it when I was in college. I haven't found the need to change on that horn ever since. Just a fantastic mouthpiece. There's very few other mouthpiece makers that can design a mouthpiece with that large rim on a shallow cup and have it work well.

[harrisonreed]

That's a great setup. C+ cup is dope

[TomInME]

A major benefit to Doug's stuff is the rims, different thicknesses/widths/materials, and you can use exactly the same rim size on two very different cups, which makes switching easier.

As for the backbores, I think they're truly excellent. But for low stuff I get better results with a larger cup / standard backbore (XB L/L8) than with smaller cup / large backbore (LB L/L10).

SB J cup seems too small to expect much from low C without a lot of extra work, regardless of backbore.

[JeffBone44]

Doug, on bass trombone if I’m finding the 8 backbore too tight and the 10 too open, should I get a 9? The reason that I ask is that you list the 9 on your website as being for dual bore slides. I just have a straight .562.

This is for the XB113.K

It also could just be a me issue on the K8, as sometimes I try to push too much air through it, when I should be backing off just a bit.

[Doug Elliott]

I always appreciate feedback like this, so I can fine-tune anything that needs it. The 2024 and 2025 backbores are different from previous versions, and probably feel more open. If your K8 is current, you might like the K9 better. Email me

[JeffBone44]

My K8 is either 2022 or 2023. I'll send you an email for you to send me the K9 because I'd like to try it, Doug. Thanks!

[harrisonreed]

Doug, on bass trombone if I’m finding the 8 backbore too tight and the 10 too open, should I get a 9? The reason that I ask is that you list the 9 on your website as being for dual bore slides. I just have a straight .562.

This is for the XB113.K

It also could just be a me issue on the K8, as sometimes I try to push too much air through it, when I should be backing off just a bit.

I'm pretty sure I tried all the J shanks and feel the same way about them.

I made a 2G sized bass piece with a .312 throat that plays full down in the low C register. It would be a good option to have on that J cup.