Trumpet DIY Repair Tips – Stuck Mouthpiece

PROBLEM: MOUTHPIECE IS STUCK

This is a problem for pretty much all brass players at one time or another. It can be caused by a dirty mouthpiece shank, or dirt in the mouthpiece receiver. It can also be caused by the mouthpiece taking a knock and getting shunted a little too far into the receiver. Depending on how stuck the mouthpiece has become, this is a repair you can attempt at home, but can often require a repair technician.

What to do:

The best option is to use a mouthpiece puller (the ‘bobcat’ at £49.95 is our favourite) these gently apply even pressure using the rim of the mouthpiece and the end of the receiver to ease the mouthpiece out without stressing any delicate areas.

Always clean the mouthpiece shank once removed, and regularly cleaning your lead pipe through will help to prevent this.  You can also try gently rocking the mouthpiece whilst pulling, but do not pull too hard.

What not to do:

Pulling mouthpieces out can seem simple but it can go very wrong very quickly. You must never twist the mouthpiece when it is stuck, the leadpipe is a thin tube and can instantly collapse, resulting in expensive repairs:

Using short, sharp, pulling movements can easily break solder joints and stays, and the valve block is more delicate than you think, so if it doesn’t come out straight away come and see us in the brass workshop and we’ll get it sorted…safely.