Lesson Learned - 6/12/12

You can determine whether a leadpipe on a Bach Stradivarius trumpet is lightweight or not simply by measuring the outside diameter of the leadpipe. If it's the same as a standard Strad, it's normal weight. Narrower, and it's lightweight. That makes perfect sense, since the diameter of the tube wall has to be thinner, but the diameter of the bore has to be the same as a standard mouthpipe. Well, unless it's reversed or "O" style or a different number pipe or has slightly thicker plating or the moon is waxing.

Well, anyway, it helped me today, but only after I'd ordered the wrong part. Another indicator is that lightweight mouthpipes rot much sooner than standard weight.