I guess the mouthpiece is the part with the highest impact on the overall sound of the trombone.
Nut mouthpiece
This mouthpiece is made out of a nut. 18mm – 22mm are good nut sizes. To attach them to the pipe system, a small rest of the pipes can be used. Heat the pipe up, until it’s formable, and then fit it carefully into the nut. After cooling down, close potential gaps with something like clay or chewing gum. This might not work well with thick-walled pipes (> 1 – 2mm).
- Easy to find and indestructible
- It connects well with thin-walled pipes.
- The shape is not that ergonomic.
Original mouth piece
Normally my honour would prevent me from using not self-made mouth pieces, but after realizing the big difference between all mouth pieces I ever made and original ones, I am hooked on the original ones.
I even carry two of them with me, because they drastically change the pitch.
- By far the best sound results
- Heavy
- Not self-made and can be even in used quality pricey.
Plastic pipe mouth piece
These are made out of plastic pipes with different diameters. So one fits to the pipe system of the trombone, the other one to your mouth. To connect both of them, heat the ends with a heat gun or a gas oven or the heating source of your choice and then melt them together. Make sure that the pipe is out of HD PE, PE or PP. Other materials might not connect well.
- Light and solid
- Super cheap and easy to do
- The sound is not the best and as it is not perfectly shaped, it takes more of your breath