Cecilio Baritone Horn Mouthpiece Review

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Lacey began her musical career playing the piano and writing original songs to sing with her friends at a 4th-grade “graduation” ceremony. She's actively participated in school, community, and church choirs throughout her life. Music is her passion and she loves sharing that passion with you!

Bottomline Up Front

I reviewed the baritone horn mouthpiece based on design and quality control. Those two factors are the most important when it comes to a mouthpiece. For this Cecilio baritone horn mouthpiece review, I also looked at other reviews of what previous buyers had to say.

By switching to this particular mouthpiece, you might be able to enjoy a much better time playing your instrument. If anything can help your experience improve, it is worth the investment. It is especially good for beginners.

Why a Mouthpiece Matters

Mouthpieces are an essential choice that can impact how you play, how it feels, and what sound you create.

This Cecilio Baritone horn mouthpiece review would be incomplete without explaining the function. Design and quality control are the two important mechanisms here.

Someone who doesn’t play the baritone horn won’t be able to look at different mouthpieces and find many differences there.

When I first looked at other mouthpieces, before I had any experience with brass instruments, I thought they were all the same, and I figured that I should buy the cheapest one just because it was the most affordable.

I did not realize that mouthpiece designs vary tremendously, and even differences that might seem too small to notice can make a significant impact. Something one-thousandth of an inch smaller or bigger might be precisely what you need.

Tip: You need a medium-width rim that isn’t too round for your baritone horn.

Anything in the middle of the road, in the medium spectrum for overall dimensions, will be constructive. If you veer too far in one direction in terms of sizes, it might be time to consider a different mouthpiece.

Finding the best mouthpiece requires you to try different mouthpieces until such time as one of them works best for you.

One of my students played with a good mouthpiece, but it was a Holton brand. It had a very thin rim, a very deep cup, and looked like it was something manufactured in 1840.

I had them switch, and their new mouthpiece smoothed out their sound, but it made it somewhat dull. So I had them switch, and suddenly their sound was much more focused.

Another student was playing with a Yamaha mouthpiece.

This one made some harsher tones, but they could play their full dynamics. But I still encourage them to consider switching to something more middle-of-the-road, something easier for beginners like the Cecilio baritone horn because it would help them develop a better overall tone and round out their sound.

One student came to me complaining, but they couldn’t quite play the full range on their instrument, and they were having trouble with endurance. I looked at the mouthpiece. I realized that it was very popular but more of a cookie-cutter design.

It had a number eight bore which doesn’t seem out of place in terms of its size, but it proved problematic for a student.

A thinner rim is better for accuracy, making it ideal for an intermediate or beginner. Still, if it is too thin, it can reduce endurance, so a slightly thicker rim is better for beginners. They got a new Cecilio horn with a somewhat thicker rim, which helped them with both problems.

Here is a video on cleaning your mouthpiece (Cecilio or otherwise):

Small items, even the smallest one-thousandth of an inch, can make a noticeable difference in your mouthpiece, and you should try different mouthpieces from Cecilio.

Reputable manufacturers produce a range of sizes that might have different dimensions or rims. Finding one that fits your baritone horn will be easier to play and produce better sound.

Baritone Mouthpiece Parts

Knowing the different parts of a mouthpiece helps you make sense of all the sizes and figures thrown at you.

Rim

Rims can be flat, arched, or round. Round rims like the Cecilio have a round opening for your lips, and they should fit your face. Beginners need round rims because beginners have weak lips and need all the help they can get for endurance.

Bore

The larger the bore, the easier it is to get a lot of volumes, but your notes will be thin. The smaller the bore, the easier it will be to get a full sound, but your volume will be weak. Mouthpieces with cylindrical bores will maintain pitch more effectively, like the Cecilio mouthpiece.

Cup

The cup ranges in depth and width. You can find small, medium, or large sizes for both. I recommend getting the most oversized cup diameter possible because it will help with higher notes and tone.

A bigger diameter also makes it possible to make tight, uniform low and high notes. Mouthpieces with a larger cup diameter will give a darker tonal quality, so be prepared for that.

Shank

The shank has to make an airtight seal, and the shank backbore should be middle of the road in terms of size; otherwise, it will interfere with endurance or higher notes.

Plating

Most Baritone horn mouthpieces are silver-plated, but if you have allergies or just want to spend more money, you can get gold plating.

Note: If standard pieces do not work for you, and you absolutely cannot find something to fit your lips and jaw, you can always custom order a mouthpiece for your baritone horn.

It will be more expensive, and I don’t recommend it if you can find a general or standard mouthpiece, but I do recommend it for advanced players and those who can’t find a standard mouthpiece that fits them.

Cecilio Baritone Horn Mouthpiece Review

So let’s get down to brass tacks. Based on the design and quality control, this Cecilio baritone horn mouthpiece review evaluated the Cecilio standard baritone horn mouthpiece Cecilio standard baritone horn mouthpiece based on the design and quality control.

This is a silver-plated horn mouthpiece. It is a 6.5 size, with a cup diameter of 26.47 mm, a rim diameter of 39 mm, and an overall length of 80.30 mm. The shank diameter is 10.80 mm, and the shank length is 35.50 mm.

I absolutely love how affordable this mouthpiece is. There is no need to spend $100 or more on a mouthpiece for a student, beginner, or even an intermediate player who is part of a high school band.

I can’t really hear the difference when my students play on this cheaper model mouthpiece versus those students whose parents bought them the most expensive mouthpiece just because.

Reviews of the product paint a picture of satisfied customers. This is a great mouthpiece for students and younger players because of its size.

Many reviews are from parents who purchased it for their children. They remark on how well it works how the sound quality is excellent, almost exactly the same as what different music teachers produce with more expensive mouthpieces.

In general, this Cecilio baritone horn mouthpiece review did not find negative reviews. At worst, one or two people who play at King baritone as an adult found that the narrow rim was a little too painful for their particular mouth size, but this is something each player has to figure out for themselves.

Every body is different, every face, and every set of lips, so how a different mouthpiece feels will vary based on your face.

Don’t be discouraged if something that works well for many other people doesn’t work well for you and doesn’t feel right when you play. It is well worth the time required to find a good mouthpiece so that when you start playing, it is comfortable and easy.

Pros

Cecilio makes affordable pieces, so it doesn’t cost much for you to switch your mouthpiece if you don’t already have one.
They have different sizes, but each size is silver plated, so if your baritone horn has any type of finish, the mouthpiece might stick out in color.

Cons

Quality control issues arise with Cecilio even though they have two points of quality control assessment. This means you have to be the judge of whether your baritone horn mouthpiece feels like the right size and measures up, pun intended, to the parameters you want. They have a very good return policy if it doesn’t, so you can easily switch it for a replacement.

FAQs

Question: Is the Cecilio Baritone Horn Mouthpiece good?

Answer: Yes, these Cecilio baritone horn mouthpiece is good for beginners. Cecilio is a reputable brand known for producing affordable products for beginners no matter their budget, but it ends there.
They are not a manufacturer you should use if you are an advanced player or an intermediate soloist. You should use the mouthpiece if you are a beginner or a student.

Question: How do I Choose a Baritone Mouthpiece?

Answer: It would help to choose a baritone mouthpiece based on the size, primarily for the rim and the cup. The rim is the outside part against which your lips press in the cup is the part through which your air is pressed.
The thickness of your lips will determine the right rim shape and size, but realistically you have to play different mouthpieces or at least feel them figure out which one you like best.

Question: Are Baritone and Trombone Mouthpieces the Same?

Answer: No. Mouthpieces are specifically designed for each instrument, so trombone mouthpieces are meant just for trombones, and baritone horn mouthpieces are meant just for the baritone horn.
The outside might look the same, but the internal design is different. So if you have a trombone, don’t try to take the mouthpiece off and fit it into your baritone horn.

Question: Can I Change my Baritone Horn Mouthpiece?

Answer: Yes, you can change your baritone horn mouthpiece. You don’t have to use the mouthpiece that comes with your instrument.
You can replace almost all removable parts on your instrument for a different manufacturer, design, style, or size. If you don’t like the standard mouthpiece that came with your horn, or it doesn’t quite fit, you can try the Cecilio standard, or you can try another brand.

Question: How Much is a Mouthpiece for a Baritone Horn?

Answer: This comes down to the quality and design. Larger or thicker sizes require more material to make and, therefore, slightly more expensive.
Cecilio is one of the cheapest mouthpieces on the market, around $10 or less. You don’t have a lot of options for the finish or plating, so some people might spend more money on something that is gold plated to match the gold plating on their instrument.

Bottomline

The bottom line for this Cecilio baritone horn mouthpiece review is that Cecilio makes great products for beginners. I reviewed this mouthpiece based on its quality and the impact on your tongue. Their quality control sometimes leaves something to be desired. This is one of the cheapest mouthpieces on the market.

It will serve you well as a beginner or a student, but if you are an intermediate player or an advanced player, consider something else. It has a very good impact on the tone, and it won’t be too difficult to play if you are concerned with endurance.

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