G Black AL series

[Bach5G]

I’ve been playing my Bach Corp. 6 1/2 AL on my .525 a lot these days.


Now I’m looking at Greg Black’s AL series. Has anyone compared the Bach and Black 6 1/2 AL mouthpieces?

[Rusty]

I’m currently playing on a nice Corp. 6 1/2AL too, and have also used a MV 6.5A, and have had a couple of GB 6 1/2AL pieces along the way. My horn is a Shires MD+, .508 but borders on a .525 if you need it to.

The GB 6 1/2AL has a great sound, nice weighty attacks that speak easily, a dense core, projecting and plenty of character. I didn’t love the rim of the first one I had, but the second more recent one I picked up was more comfy for me and played better all round.

Compared to the Corp. 6 1/2, the GB rim diameter feels a little smaller and the rim profile a little narrower and less comfy for me, without it being ‘uncomfortable’. The Corp. probably plays a little warmer and wider and with a slightly lighter sound you can light up more easily. Keep in mind the two GB versions I owned were regular weight and a decent amount heavier than a typical Bach piece, I’d be keen to try the L blank, I think it would improve the general playability even more and probably make it more versatile and easy to colour, at the expense of some core and projection.

Definitely worth a shot if you can try one!

[Jbklyn]

I’ve enjoyed playing on a GB New York 3 AL small shank mouthpiece that I had made using the GB “Legend” blank. That blank is V-shaped and based on the old Giardenelli-style mouthpiece. The NY Legend blank comes in one weight, I understand, which is lighter than the U-shaped GB pieces.

When I asked about the difference between their NY AL and regular AL models, I was told, “The NY 3AL and the standard 3AL differ only in rim shape/thickness and backbore shape. The NY 3AL has a rounder overall contour, a softer inner edge, and a slightly tighter, more efficient backbore.”