Monette Unity B6 and B6-7 mouthpieces (conventional 3C rim size equivalents) are our most popular all-around family of mouthpieces for both amateur and full-time professional players. The size is large enough to allow players to produce a full, vibrant sound, while still being narrow and shallow enough to be helpful in casual and lead trumpet settings. All this makes these mouthpieces a great versatile size for all-around trumpet playing! Easy switching to other depths and mouthpiece weights with the same rim make equipment changes for different musical settings seamless!
Upper register is so effortless…
The first thing to know about all Unity mouthpieces is that they provide an upper register that is radically easier than most players have ever experienced before! Unity mouthpieces are the dream of every high school band director who has suffered through hearing their trumpet players struggle to play a high C in tune. The upper register on these mouthpieces is remarkably improved over conventional mouthpieces... it is not flat or stuffy (plus or minus the peculiarities of the exact trumpet being used!)
Start with our B6-7…
Our B6-7 is the new workhorse of our B6 family of sizes. It provides a dramatically easier upper register, improved response and projection, and all of the other Unity mouthpiece improvements we've been documenting in videos and in player testimonials for almost two years now! And beyond all these improvements in sound and response, the feel of the new “-7” rim contour provides two other advantages over conventional 3C equivalent mouthpieces: it actually feels softer on the chops than mouthpieces many people have grown up playing—and at the same, time it provides even more clarity in articulation than most trumpet players have ever experienced.
The old conventional wisdom that sharp rim contours that “bite” into the lips are necessary to clean up splattery articulation is thrown firmly out the widow with these new -7 rim mouthpieces! They are softer feeling and more comfortable on the chops, increase endurance, and sound cleaner in every kind of articulation—from intense staccato to the most fluid, lyrical legato!
More Shallow DM-6LD and DM-6L Variations
If you have used a 3C equivalent size because you want help in the upper register, our slightly more shallow Unity DM6LD and DM6L models—made on a slightly lighter mouthpiece blank—offer an even easier upper register than you are used to. At the same time, they provide more stability of response and a more brilliant sound in lead trumpet settings than conventional 3C equivalent mouthpieces. The DM in the nomenclature stands for my initials (Dave Monette), since this is what we called the first versions of these mouthpieces that I designed for myself. After having them around the shop for months, with shop visitors trying them—and preferring them—to other similar sized lead mouthpieces, we decided to make them available to everyone.
For our mouthpieces with an “LD” in the designation, this stands for “lead-deep.” They are best for players who want a bigger sound, and/or who “bottom out” on more shallow lead mouthpieces. The “L” versions are for players who have thinner lips or otherwise just prefer a more shallow cup.
Wider DM-4LD and DM-4L Variations
Over the last 2 years, our "DM4" diameter lead mouthpieces have become the size of choice for players who have larger chops or have otherwise always felt a little "squeezed" on a B6 rim diameter. The DM-4LD is extremely popular with players who used to play a 3C size mouthpiece for commercial or all-around playing, and were ready for even more brilliance and "acceleration in response" (snap, crackle and pop!) in their sound while enjoying an even larger, and more stable and secure middle and low register. This design does it all! Check out the Charlie Porter demo video from when he made the switch to the DM-4LD as his lead mouthpiece size of choice!
Unity Mouthpieces With Older-Style Rim Contour
If you play an older Monette B6 and really like that style of sharper rim, then our Unity B6, B6LD and B6L are the ticket for a set of matched-rim set of B6 size mouthpieces with all the musical qualities described above… still with seamless switching back and forth between depths of cup and mouthpiece blank weights.
Extra-lightweight (XLT)
Any of our Unity lead mouthpieces can be made on our XLT mouthpiece blank, for the brightest possible sound and even more ease in the extreme upper register.
How About a Mouthpiece Just a Tad Larger Than the B6 Series?
If you play a 3C equivalent size mouthpiece because it makes the high notes easier—but you’d like to play something just a little bigger—with a more robust sound—then our very popular Unity B4-7 is the ticket. It’s enough larger than the B6-7 to provide a larger sound and more room for your lips, but still smaller than our B2/B2-7 (conventional 1 1/4C equivalent size mouthpieces). We make two lead variations in this same rim diameter on shallower mouthpiece cups that make a seamless transition when switching from classical or all-around playing to lead work: the DM4LD and DM4L provide an instant change to a more lead/commercial sound and response.
More Traditional Looking Trumpet Mouthpieces
For those with an eye and ear for a more traditional sound placement and feel, our Unity Retro trumpet mouthpieces provide a more traditional look and a "closer-in" sound placement than our regular Unity mouthpieces. They are available in five popular sizes. There are also new Unity Retro C trumpet mouthpieces in these sizes that are already very popular with classical orchestral and chamber players who want all the intonation and ease of upper register advantages of our C trumpet mouthpieces, while still satisfying the “visual ear” and more conventional sound placement of traditional mouthpieces.
Flugelhorn Options
Flugelhorn mouthpieces with these same "dash 7" rims are our Unity flugelhorn 6-7, 4-7 and 2-7. The flugel 2-7 is preferred by some players on flugelhorn even though they play the smaller diameter 4-7 or 6-7 rim size on trumpet—since the flugelhorn is a different animal! It’s all about having a larger, wider, darker and thicker sound—which a larger, wider, deeper flugelhorn mouthpiece cup provides. The common rim contours and constant pitch center playing ease in these sizes make changing from one diameter to another unusually easy. The Unity flugelhorn mouthpieces are shockingly easy up to and even above high C!
If you have any questions about any of these mouthpiece options, our main customer relations mouthpiece expert is BJ Cord (BJ@monette.net). Every Monette employee is not only a trumpet player…they were Monette clients before they were hired at the shop! We all played these Unity mouthpieces as prototypes for months before they were made available to the public—so during shop visits you will likely hear several of us playing over the course of your time with us. One third of our co-workers (3 full-time employees: BJ, Jeff and Jason) man the phones every day to answer your questions! 503-255-5552.