@administrator said in Jens Lindemann about mouthpieces:
Thanks @Shifty. If anybody knows Mr. Lindemann personally, please tell him we would love to have his thoughts on TB!
I don't know him personally, but I used the contact form on his website to invite him to join us. Fingers crossed. 
@Dirk020 said in Jens Lindemann about mouthpieces:
Jens Lindemann about mouthpieces
From the oTHer forum. Is this the one?
https://www.trumpetherald.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=26763
Date: Mon, 16 Jun 2003 23
:41:49 EDT
From: JLindem96@aol.com
Subject: [TPIN] Jens Lindemann mouthpiece
I have received many e-mails from TPIN members who were at the ITG conference asking the classic "what-mouthpiece-do-you-use" question. I thought I would take this opportunity to give you my personal theory on mouthpieces.
I believe that far too many trumpet players use mouthpieces that are basically too big. IMHO, going larger than a Bach 3C or the Yamaha/Schilke equivalent 14c4 or smaller than a Bach 7C or Yamaha/Schilke 11 should be considered 'specialized' equipment.
We seem to have no shortage of trumpet players out there who would say that very small mouthpieces are considered 'cheaters'. Have you ever seen a Bill Chase mouthpiece? It is about as small as you can possibly get and it served him very well for the type of playing he did. Could he have done that on a larger mouthpiece? Of course, but specialized lead players are artists in their own right. Those who do it for a living are very cognizant of what they are hired to do in the most efficient manner possible so that they can continue to do it for as long possible!
True lead players are also extremely rare. Think about how many people in your own community would be considered monster lead players...specifically the so-called 'screech' players. You would probably come up with a relatively small number in any given city. I can also virtually guarantee you that those inviduals play on more 'specialized' equipment that probably falls out of a standard industry medium. In my opinion, you should only mess around with their type of equipment if you were interested in the type of air velocity that they themselves use for their specific job. Remember though that everything comes with a price. Extremely small, shallow mouthpieces simply do not resonate that well in a section. They may have good 'cutting' projection but try playing softly with a good attack...very risky. Of course, if you never have to play softly with a good sound then you should consider yourself a true specialist...go for it!
By the same token, the great orchestral players use equipment that would hover around a Bach 1 1/2 or 1C or the Yamaha/Schilke equivalent 16-18C4. These individuals should also be considered 'specialists' because they are. Playing in an orchestra requires the ability to blend first and foremost and occasionally lead the entire brass section. But even then, the best players are simply riding on top of overtones being laid down by the rest of the section. They are not trying to 'cut' through in the way that commercial trumpet players might want to sizzle over a big band or rock group.
I just finished playing with the Summit Brass this week. Allen Vizzutti, Allan Dean and David Hickman were also in the trumpet section. Playing with them was AMAZINGLY easy because everyone blended and played in tune and everyone occasionally had the opportunity to lead the section and lay down a style that the others would follow. When the section is in tune and balanced, it is very simple to play for long periods of time without feeling true fatigue.
It is my understanding that the great Bud Herseth began his career on something like a Bach 7C and only switched to a larger mouthpiece (Bach 1X...made for him) after his car accident so that there was greater sensation in his nerve-damaged lips. Obviously, Bud Herseth is one of the greatest orchestral players ever but his own switch to a large mouthpiece (largest ever at the time) was based on an extreme situation for a highly specialized job. However, since most classical players wanted to sound like him, many made the same switch without thinking of the potential ramifications. Specifically, working too hard to find the sweet spot...more on that later. Bud Herseth is one the most efficient players of all time and he was efficient on a Bach 7C for a long period.
Thus, the point of my ramble (I think I'm jet-lagged). EFFICIENCY!!! After starting on a Bach 7C like many of you out there, I graduated to bigger equipment...all the way to a Bach 1 1/4, 24 throat, Schmidt backbore. I love stats...it clears the room of everyone except trumpet players. So, now that we are alone, I can tell you about my realization. Unless I wanted to be Bill Chase, there was little point in playing through a pin hole. By the same token, it also seemed reasonably logical that unless I was recovering from nerve damage and needed to feel more of my lips so that I could play for Fritz Reiner in Chicago, I probably wouldn't need a 1X either.
Allen Vizzutti and I have discussed this often over the years and the simple fact is this, in order to play efficently you must be in the sweet spot of a mouthpiece. A large mouthpiece has a bigger sweet spot and, as with oversized tennis racquets and golf clubs, it helps compensate for our very human ability to miss the centre of the note more often than not. To accomplish the same goal on a smaller mouthpiece you MUST be more efficient or it will back up on you. I describe backing up as basically trying to overpower the sweet spot.
Currently, I am playing a GR mouthpiece which Gary Radtke made especially for me. This will be available very soon (complete with my website on it...the benefits of customization!). For years before that, my own equipment was made for me by a mouthpiece maker in Japan who worked for Yamaha. I don't know the exact dimensions but they are somewhere between a Bach 5-7 C or a Yamaha/Schilke 11. Never measured the throat or the backbore and I didn't really care because it basically got me to where I needed to be. I could pretty much do everything I needed to do in any register I needed to play in with that mouthpiece. Could it have been a more perfect mouthpiece? Of course! Will I obsess about trying to find an elusive solution? Of course not! The answer is fluid anyway due to the fact that my body, lips, dental structure, and vital capacity will always be changing naturally due to the aging process that everyone of us is undergoing as I write this. Now, if your thing happens to be the quest for the perfect mouthpiece, then at least be honest with yourself, it is the chase that you are into and not the solution.
The bottom line is this (again, IMHO) the name of the game is efficiency and flexibility and the best solution for an all-around game is middle of the road equipment coupled with focused, intelligent practise. Have fun experimenting but don't let it be the answer to your problems!
Jens Lindemann
www.trumpetsolo.com
@Tobylou8 said in Show Us Your Wristwatches!:
@Shifty You need this: It's pricey at $4300, but it's hard to destroy!! Here's the link! https://www.gshock.com/watches/mr-g/mrg2000rj-2a
Or, I could get 20 of these:
And a mint-condition Olds Super Recording...
@Tobylou8 said in Show Us Your Wristwatches!:
@trickg My Citizen broke and the jeweler said, "Oh well... "! It was a chrono from the late 80's. I will see if I can find it and take a pic. It's a beautiful watch. I also have some old Soviet era pieces from after perestroika!
@trickg's observations are correct regarding the Citizens. After I drove a Seiko World Timer into the ground, I bought one of these:
Worked well until I drove it into the ground (I'm very hard on watches). I didn't even consider getting it fixed up. Just tossed it in the trash.
I broke the titanium band on the Citizen I previously bragged about. A replacement band cost nearly as much as the original watch. I kept the spare parts just in case it breaks again.
Considering how hard I am on watches, I'd never consider an investment-level model like a Rolex. I don't deserve one 
Pilots always used to brag about the accuracy of their watches (before the advent of the "atomic" clocks that are corrected by radio signals). I got one of these:
over eight years ago. It was spot on GPS time coming out of the box. It is solar powered, but NOT corrected by any radio signals. I have never adjusted the time. At present, it is 4 seconds slow -- the worst it's ever been. (internet image, easier than taking a picture). Not bad 
@Robrtx said in Happy Birthday Bix !!!!:
116 years young........
At the risk of going way off topic, we adopted a rescue dog (white German Shepherd) back in October. The shelter names didn't fit, and I wanted a short and distinct name so he'd know when I'm talking to him. Plus, he's "really cool" so we named him Bix. And we needed a birth date to license him, so we picked March 10th.
Not only does he not mind my playing, he seems to love it (must have a tin ear and no real taste in music). He lies next to me when I'm playing, and even pesters me if I haven't started practicing at the normal time.
@administrator said in A real OLD comebacker here:
Feel free to join the "old guys club."
Do we have an age criterion to qualify?
@administrator said in Fine Tuning:
@Shifty Could you perhaps post a screenshot? I can't seem to find the issue you are facing. Thanks.
A screenshot from a Blackberry? Let's try photos:
First is the home page, second is after trying to access the menu. At this point, I don't know if the photos are actually loaded?
Edit: I used the "upload picture" but all it shows is the link.
Edit: Looks like you fixed the picture loading. Yeah!
@administrator, congratulations on this amazing new site. It works great on my PC and on my tablet. Yesterday, the mobile version looked great on my Blackberry Q10 as well. I could log in and use the menu to find new posts. Today it appears the menu is broken, referring to the three horizontal bars at the top left of the screen. They're black on a blue background to start with and, when selected, the whole square turns grey and no menu. Can't even tell if I'm logged in. Any suggestions?