I have a 4SV cup and 5 backbore. This combo gave that edge that could make the hair stand up on the back of your neck. Worked great for when I was doing drum corps, particularly the bullfight numbers. Other cups and backbores give different tone characteristics.

I played Warburton mouthpieces back in the early 80s when I was in graduate school. I wandered away for several years, and finally came back when I discovered the Anchor Grip tops. I have fleshy lips and have always suffered from inconsistent attacks, especially at the pp level. I had tried different exercises, more practice time, smarter practice time, more rest while playing and anything else I could do to assist me in this aspect of my playing. This top gave me immediate and much-needed help in that area. After 42 years of playing, someone had finally developed a mouthpiece that goes a long way in "fixing" my problem.

I use the 2D cup on my Bb, C, piccolo (yes, that’s right), and cornet. However, the backbores I use are different for each horn.

The great thing about the Warburton System is that you can have an almost infinite number of possibilities to address your specific needs. Bruce, Terry and Ken have all been wonderful in narrowing down my choices, based on the information I gave them about my physical characteristics, playing styles, repertoire, etc. I have now been playing their mouthpieces for two years and can say without hesitation that I have found a mouthpiece maker for the rest of my playing career.

You can check out their website: www.warburton-usa.com.