Anyone perfectly happy with the plain old 60? Just curious. I know lots of people don't like it compared to others.

I made do with one through much of high school. Granted, since I was primarily a tuba player at that time, I was used to a much bigger rim size than the already huge 60.

It wasn't until senior year that I discovered it's big weakness, especially back to back against a 59: it flattens the upper register. I was at my peak in playing then and it still happened. And in the end the thin rim didn't do me any favors regarding endurance.

After high school I went smaller and never looked back. There's no way I could make one work now (unless I get a tuba and opportunities to play that outnumber my tenor playing...). And even if I could, there are many better reasons (read: mouthpieces) to not pick up another 60 ever.

The lack of focus and flat high range have a huge effect on endurance. The thin rim is often not a problem but an advantage... for most players.

I have a long shank one that I think plays very well, not really much worse (though a little) up high or low than my other stuff. I don't find the rim that uncomfortable, personally.

However, it sounds much more wooden, much less resonance, than any of my other pieces (GB 1G .312#2, Laskey 93s, 95, Yeo, Griego GP6, Schilke 60D). I actually used it for a bit until I recorded myself and had someone listen to me blind. I heard the same sounds out of a friend that bought a similar piece.

It should be remembered that the Schilke 60 is the original bathtub sized mouthpiece for bass trombone, the first generation. In addition to the large rim and very deep cup, it had a large throat but a gradual back bore, in keeping with Schilke's ideas of design. I once asked Laskey when he worked at Schilke about the flatness up high, and he said if you had that problem then the mouthpiece was too big for you! When the 60 first came out, most players were still playing something in the 1 1/2G range, and the larger fuller sound of the 60 took the orchestra bass world by storm! Over time players became aware of what the 60 didn't do so well, and now there are many 60 sized mouthpieces on the market, most with shorter non Schilke style back bores. Also don't forget than when the 60 first came out most were playing older dependent horns, which often had more resistance on the double trigger than modern horns. Modern horns have generally more open valves, lead pipes, sometimes duo bore slides, so the equation has changed. Pedagogy has changed more are playing the bass bone, and what can be done on the instrument is better known. Many players were well served by the 60, but it's not a universal mouthpiece for everyone and there are more choices now.

[quote="modelerdc"]It should be remembered that the Schilke 60 is the original bathtub sized mouthpiece for bass trombone, the first generation. In addition to the large rim and very deep cup, it had a large throat but a gradual back bore, in keeping with Schilke's ideas of design. I once asked Laskey when he worked at Schilke about the flatness up high, and he said if you had that problem then the mouthpiece was too big for you! When the 60 first came out, most players were still playing something in the 1 1/2G range, and the larger fuller sound of the 60 took the orchestra bass world by storm! Over time players became aware of what the 60 didn't do so well, and now there are many 60 sized mouthpieces on the market, most with shorter non Schilke style back bores. Also don't forget than when the 60 first came out most were playing older dependent horns, which often had more resistance on the double trigger than modern horns. Modern horns have generally more open valves, lead pipes, sometimes duo bore slides, so the equation has changed. Pedagogy has changed more are playing the bass bone, and what can be done on the instrument is better known. Many players were well served by the 60, but it's not a universal mouthpiece for everyone and there are more choices now.[/quote]

Well said. I had kept in my case as a backup, until recently I sold my main mouthpiece and have been using the 60 regularly. I thought I would hate it, but I actually find the rim comfortable and the high range quite good on it.

When I was in music school back in the 70s, the symph bass trb was said to play a Schilke 62.

[quote="Bach5G"]When I was in music school back in the 70s, the symph bass trb was said to play a Schilke 62.[/quote]

62 is a small tuba mouthpiece

[quote="BGuttman"]<QUOTE author="Bach5G" post_id="118684" time="1593831635" user_id="2999">
When I was in music school back in the 70s, the symph bass trb was said to play a Schilke 62.[/quote]

62 is a small tuba mouthpiece
</QUOTE>

That explains why my son likes it. Primary tuba player. He even had his 60's throat opened a bit! This playing on a Holton 180.

My last trombone instructor was a bass trombonist and after my lessons back in the early 80's we used to enjoy messing around down low with his Schilke 60 including once with a borrowed double slide contrabass horn. He gave me the 60 when I left for college and I still have it.