Mouthpiece Cups

GR Technologies measures the Cup Diameter at r2. Cup Diameter plays a very important function in the fit between man and metal. The Cup Diameter, Rim, and Alpha angle features work together with the players physical features to create a bond.   All of these parameters are important in determining proper mouthpiece fit.

Cup Diameter

The diameter of the cup is a very important parameter and must match the player precisely for optimum results.  A cup diameter that is too large for a particular player may cause endurance to suffer, articulations to be sluggish, sound to be dull, poor intonation between upper and lower registers, and range may be severely hindered.

A cup diameter that is too small for a particular player may cause sound to be strained and thin, range to suffer, attacks may split, and the blow resistance will feel very high, almost like the player can not get air through the horn.  Intonation may suffer as well.

When the cup diameter matches the player, flexibilities may be more fluid, attacks improved, blow resistance more comfortable, improved endurance and range.  The main improvements to look for are accuracy, articulation, and intonation.

Mouthpiece Cup Volume vs. Depth

 How do we measure cup depth, volume, and shape? Cup Volume is measured in cubic inches and it represents the area from the rim plane to the throat bore including depth and shape. Cup Depth is measured from the rim plane to the point where the throat bore begins.  When using the term Cup Depth we are not taking into consideration the cup shape.  Cup Volume is the only way to describe the cup in 3 dimensions.

Cup Volume is the amount of area inside the cup (GR measures this in cubic inches) minus the amount of lip engagement into the cup.  For instance, if a player has a good amount of chop engagement into the cup and uses a Medium volume, the actual volume left over may be similar to a player that has less chop engagement and uses a small volume cup.

Keeping that in mind, in general terms, larger volume cups have a lower First Natural Harmonic of the mouthpiece and may produce more lower partials in the sound, therefore,  play with less "edge" than smaller volume cups. 

Too large a cup volume for a particular player may cause the sound to be "woofy" not focused, not brilliant, endurance to suffer, and range to be limited. 

Smaller volume cups on the most part are used where more edge is needed in the sound, with emphasis on the upper partials.  These are generally used for commercial Bb trumpet playing and for use with piccolo trumpets.

A cup volume that is too small for a particular player may not offer enough room for efficient lip vibration.  Attacks may suffer, sound may be thin, and bottoming out may occur. 

Articulation and soft breath attacks are keys to determine if the cup volume is too large or too small . 

Cup Shape is defined by our parameters. We do not need terms like "C" or "V" when describing the cup. Lines, arcs, and angles define the shapes. We control these parameters with our Design Program to give the best possible design.  Without these parameters terms like "C" and "V" shaped are very ambiguous and open to interpretation.  If you take a moment to check out the Parameters Drawing below, you will see that by lowering the Beta Angle, a more "V" shaped cup is achieved.

Beta Angle

A Lower Beta Angle and increased cup depth will cause a mouthpiece to have more cup volume and enhance the lower partials in the sound.  Lower beta angles are usually found in the design of  flugelhorn mouthpieces.  This angle of course must match all other aspects of the design to achieve desired results.

A Higher Beta Angle and less cup depth will cause the mouthpiece to have less cup volume and may cause the mouthpiece to speak more quickly due to the sound wave reflection back to the chops.  Once again, this must match other design aspects.

The Cup begins at r2 or r5 depending on the presence of L1.