Hammond HD 21BL

A Game-Changer for the Part-Time Bass Trombonist As someone who isn't a full-time bass trombone player, I had been searching for an all-around mouthpiece that is genuinely easy to play. I previously spent time on a Denis Wick 2AL and a Bach 1.5G. While they both technically "did the job," I was ultimately more unhappy than happy with them and felt like I was fighting the equipment. After experimenting with a few different options, I found the Hammond HD 21BL, and it has been an absolute revelation. Right away, the signature Hammond rim proved to be incredibly comfortable. But the biggest surprise was the playability: despite having a very deep cup, the articulations are impressively crisp across all registers. Somehow, it also delivers significantly more projection than my previous setups. All the issues I was having with blend, projection, and muddy attacks completely disappeared once I slotted this into my horn. It has proven to be a fantastic, highly versatile mouthpiece that easily holds its own in orchestral, big band, and brass band settings. I actually picked this up second-hand from a player who didn't have the same experience—which is totally expected, as brass mouthpieces are never a "one-size-fits-all" situation. But if you are looking for a fresh approach that breaks away from the traditional, mass-produced mouthpieces, I cannot recommend this enough. Honestly, this mouthpiece is so much fun to play that it has me itching to practice bass bone even when I don’t have a single bass gig on the calendar!