As a professional you want for the best equipment to help you do the best job possible. For a trumpet player that means having the right instruments and mouthpieces. Here are my choices:
Asymmetric Mouthpieces Phaeton FX1100 FH700 Flugelhorn
Mitch’s Trumpet: I play a Phaeton FX1100 trumpet. This is the big boy of the Phaeton range. Its antique brush brass finish, body braces and HEX shape heavy weight caps and finger buttons give it a distinctive look that turns heads while the large 128mm bell and ML bore provide a rich, powerful sound that is usually synonymous with heavier instruments. The 3 custom bracing sets, machined from Stainless Steel, Bronze and Brass, allow for a personalised set-up and can change the sound from a dark, jazzy set up to a bright, lead instrument in minutes.
The Phaeton FX1100 has a big, dark sound; capable of tremendous volume and extreme subtlety as well. Blow it hard and the sound just gets bigger and bigger, never really introducing much cut. It just gets louder and louder. There is no shut off point either. It will just keep increasing in volume 'til you physically can't give it any more air, but it also has a softer side; a warmth of sound at lower volumes that other trumpets rarely possess. This makes it one of the most expressive and lyrical trumpets you could ever play.
Mitch's Flugelhorn: I play the fabulous Thomann FH700 Vintage Flugelhorn. This instrument also, as the name suggests, has a vintage look and arrives with no lacquer. As a result it ‘ages’ quickly. Its large 150mm bell ensures the mellow sound remains full and clear throughout the range of the instrument and the design of the elongated valve caps provides both buzz and balance. The valves are fantastically responsive and the tone and intonation are equal to any other professional horn I’ve played and the bottom line is, in my opinion, it sounds every bit as good as it looks.
Mitch’s Mouthpieces: Several years ago a colleague & friend, Peter Taylor, suggested I try one of the John Lynch Asymmetric mouthpieces. I’ve never looked back!
In the course of one’s career as a professional trumpet player you embark upon the search for the ‘one size fits all’ mouthpiece, the holy grail that will allow you to play clear, ‘true-tone’ solos as well as allowing you to use the full range of your instrument. The Asymmetric range of mouthpieces provides all that and more. They not only allow the player to explore the upper register but allow you to do it with such comfort that stamina and range are both improved almost immediately. My own range was extended to ‘Eb’ above double high ‘C ‘(on a good day) with the ‘G’s and ‘A’s below being a regular occurrence during performances. OK, they take a bit of getting used to, but John’s website provides plenty of great instructional material and tips on how to get the most out of them, the physics and engineering behind the designs (there is a range of mouthpieces to suit different needs) and a complete approach to altissimo playing using the mouthpieces.
I use the ‘Lead 342’ for lead playing (unsurprisingly!), the ‘Opera’ for orchestral work or jazz soloing and the ‘Poet’ is the flugelhorn mouthpiece in the range.
The thing about these mouthpieces is that, despite the differing cup depths on each model, they all give the same improved range and comfort. Even with the ‘Poet’ flugelhorn mouthpiece you lose none of the darkness that you look for when playing flugelhorn in the lower end despite having the ability to use the upper register of the horn with clarity and ease. I hope to be hearing from John himself soon but, till then, thanks John, for all your designs.
Please take a look at the gallery for an up-close view of my instruments.