Softening bite of Zottola 66D

[trumanjazzguy]

Hey guys,

I just purchased a MINT condition vintage Zottola 66D. It is a double cup with a rather shallow top cup, and a deeper V bottom cup. I LOVE the sound of this piece, very much the vintage jazz trumpet tone of the 30's-50's.

HOWEVER. The inner bite of the rim is WAY TOO SHARP. It leaves a VERY prominent red ring, hinders my endurance, and if I played too crazy on it, I fear it would cut my lip. I like playing crazy...

Would Peter Pickett be able to copy say, my Purviance 4*K4 inner rim bite, which is gentle and very comfortable, and cut this shape into the Zottola rim? The Zottola has AMPLE THICK rim and should be able to be customized without having to make the top cup any shallower... I hope. And then replate the mouthpiece? Or could other manufacturers do this? Who has had a bite softened, and how did the job go? Are any mouthpiece techs particularly skilled at this? Is there more to this operation than meets the eyes?
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TRP: Nova LA
CRN: Getzen 1950’s W/5.5in bell
FL: Jupiter 1100R
‘Pieces:
TPT: 34-throat shallow double-cup, Chet Baker’s custom Schilke, Bach NY 7, Bach Mt. Vernon 6C, Various Bob Reeves 42 pieces.
CRN: Giardinelli 7SV.
FL: Yamaha Bobby Shew

[trumanjazzguy]

Really???? No advice? Nobodies ever has a sharp bite softened?
_________________
TRP: Nova LA
CRN: Getzen 1950’s W/5.5in bell
FL: Jupiter 1100R
‘Pieces:
TPT: 34-throat shallow double-cup, Chet Baker’s custom Schilke, Bach NY 7, Bach Mt. Vernon 6C, Various Bob Reeves 42 pieces.
CRN: Giardinelli 7SV.
FL: Yamaha Bobby Shew

[NYC-player]

You can put it on a lathe and bring down the bite but you are going to change the feel completely. There's no quick fix that I know of.

You can always take away brass, but you can never add it.

Does the piece have a pronounced underbite?

Last option, find a rim you like, and get the piece cut to a screw rim, or gave a rim made you like.

[trumanjazzguy]

All I know is, the inner edge of the rim (the bite) is sharp and basically very uncomfortable, and will DEFINITELY injure me if I play hard or long gigs on it. I HATE the current feel of it, and want it to feel totally different. I also have never heard the term "underbite" before. Please enlighten me
_________________
TRP: Nova LA
CRN: Getzen 1950’s W/5.5in bell
FL: Jupiter 1100R
‘Pieces:
TPT: 34-throat shallow double-cup, Chet Baker’s custom Schilke, Bach NY 7, Bach Mt. Vernon 6C, Various Bob Reeves 42 pieces.
CRN: Giardinelli 7SV.
FL: Yamaha Bobby Shew

[NYC-player]

Under the rim, in the cup, sometimes mouthpieces have a groove that gives more chops room inside the cup. But it can make the rim have a sharper feel.

When you "soften" the Tim, you change the shape, and by doing this makes the inner rim diameter a bit larger.

Any mouthpiece guy can do this easily, or find a lathe and do it yourself.

It will feel different for sure. But there's no going back.

[trumanjazzguy]

No there's no underbite. The only pieces I've seen and played that had that were a Parduba Flugelhorn mouthpiece and a Bach 1.5BFL. I don't think that's common for trumpet mouthpieces. The inner bite, as it is now, is practically a right angle, all edge, not soft and smooth at all. I have no idea why Zottola would design a shallow mouthpiece with a sharp rim, it is counter intuitive. I could see an all star classical player on 2nd or 3rd orchestral parts wanting a medium bite in their deep orchestral piece, but NOBODY would like a bite like this....
_________________
TRP: Nova LA
CRN: Getzen 1950’s W/5.5in bell
FL: Jupiter 1100R
‘Pieces:
TPT: 34-throat shallow double-cup, Chet Baker’s custom Schilke, Bach NY 7, Bach Mt. Vernon 6C, Various Bob Reeves 42 pieces.
CRN: Giardinelli 7SV.
FL: Yamaha Bobby Shew

[cheiden]

I'm lucky enough to live close to Bob Reeves. If I were in your shoes and didn't mind modifying the piece I'd probably take it to Reeves and have him machine the rim until it felt right. If by chance too much metal got cut then Reeves could chop the entire rim off and thread on a preferred rim.
_________________
"I'm an engineer, which means I think I know a whole bunch of stuff I really don't."
Charles J Heiden/So Cal
Bach Strad 180ML43*/43 Bb/Yamaha 731 Flugel/Benge 1X C/Kanstul 920 Picc/Conn 80A Cornet
Bach 3C rim on 1.5C underpart

[lipshurt]

super easy
_________________
Mouthpiece Maker
vintage Trumpet design enthusiast
www.meeuwsenmouthpieces.com
www.youtube.com/lipshurt