How do I pick a cup size and shape?
After settling on an initial rim diameter when trying a new mouthpiece, the next aspect to experiment with the cup volume and shape itself.
The cup volume, usually evaluated in overall volume, can affect the overall fullness of the resulting sound. Large, symphonic cups that have a large volume can afford a very large sound, full of color and richness.
One should remember though that each player's embouchure encroaches on the cup itself differently. Therefore, what one players finds to be a very large volume type mouthpiece, another may find that it's not large at all as their embouchure protrudes into the mouthpiece substantially more.
The cup shape greatly affects the color or timbre of the sound. Prior to cup depth, one should consider the cup shape. The shape affects the brightness of the resulting sound. A straight V-shaped mouthpiece will have very warm tones, with little to no brightness. Whereas cups with shapes more like a cup, or ever more severe square shapes results in a brighter and brighter sound.
Pickett offers a variety of shapes and volumes to meet players demands and desires for particular sounds when coupled with individual instruments.
Trumpet cups consist of:
SO: The symphony orchestra cup: Very large volume C cup that lets you play as large as you want without limit.
A: Very deep, slight bit of cup shape. Produces a large, warm sound, with little resistance.
B: A slightly V shaped deep cup. Warm, responsive, but won't light up quickly when pushed.
BC: A blend of the B and C cups, which offers aspects of both the B and C cups. Dropped down C cup feel.
C: A standard bowl shaped cup that offers some resistance, brightness, and is able to be controlled through out it's dynamic range.
CD: A blend of the C and D cups: Brighter than the C cup, but doesn't go as far as the D cup in brightness.
D: An excellent shallow mouthpiece that brings some flatness to the bottom of the cup so to add brillance to the sound.
DE: An intermediary between the D and E cups: Easier to produce a large sound with some embouchure protrusion
E: A shallow cup, producing a brilliant sound, with solid support.
F: An extremely shallow cup, requiring a very flat embouchure, but that produces a scintillating sound
Vm: A medium deep V shaped mouthpiece that allows great compression while not peaking the scale on brillance.
ShV: A shallow V shaped mouthpiece: much more compression than the Vm and produces a brighter sound.