Denis Wick 5880 Trombone 4AL

I first started blowing on a Denis Wick 4AL on a Boosey & Hawkes (as then, now Besson) euphonium. That mouthpiece is still with me but looking worse for wear so when I came back to blowing again after a couple of decades off I wanted to carry a standby old faithful with me I decided to get a new 4AL in silver. It works well with my Besson Prestige but I think it can get a little harsh if pushed hard compared to the Denis Wick SM3X which is my current main choice. Still a great mouthpiece though and if you were stuck for a starting point when progressing to a large bore euphonium it remains a good pick and at a very accessible price, despite the plethora of alternatives now available.

For many years I played on a 6 1/2 AL mouthpiece. I tried both a 1 1/2 and a 12C mouthpiece for testing the sound quality with them. The 1 1/2 produced a very warm sound, but proved to be difficult to play in the higher regions. The 12C did not satisfy at all for my purposes. The sound was too shallow and it gave not so many advantages in the higher regions.
The 4AL from Dennis Wick gives me the sound I was looking for. Warm sound, good projection and easy to play. It requires little effort to switch from a 6 1/2 mouthpiece to this one. The only question that remains is if the golden version would further improve the sound. Given the price the silver version seems to be the best compromise