Thanks guys! I'll check that out too.

Matt, funny thing is, I played a Conn bargain basement student version when I was in high school and college (I think Mom and Dad had to mortgage the house for it even then), and I don't ever remember messing with this problem at all (playing 'up' or 'down' to achieve the tone). In fact, most players including my director were amazed that I was using a Holton MF3 mouthpiece before I hit high-school -- but oh MAN could she scream! Problem was, that Conn went down in a house fire and I don't even remember what I did with it. That wasn't my best day of thinking for sure. Biggest mistake of my music life -- should have had it refinished instead of buying the 'silver' (and among the 'brass' players, what player wouldn't have given his eye teeth for a silver trumpet, right)?

I ended up buying a Holton MF horn and played semi-pro with Army band for a few but I never got used to a different horn ... STILL haven't evidently. I'm not sure how much of the problem is me (I'm a 30+ year comeback player) or the horn (the Olds came highly recommended). This trumpet is a beautiful thing to behold but I'm thinking that my musical 'ear' might be too picky for her.

Anyone out there looking to trade your Conn ?

By the way, has anyone seen how ruddy Wynton's horn is? That's what mine looked like when I pulled it from the ashes! Wouldn't ya' know that so many years later, that look would become the fad -- could have made money off that piece of junk!

Ike