Info about Floyd Cooley Helleberg?

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ldine
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Info about Floyd Cooley Helleberg?

Post by ldine »

Does anyone have any info about where one can buy a Floyd Cooley Helleberg mouthpiece? Are they still being made?

From what I've read though the forum, it looks like this mouthpiece was modeled after the Conn Helleberg 7b. Is that correct? Does anyone know how different they are? Or what the differences are?

Anyone selling a Floyd Cooley helleberg?
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brianf
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Re: Info about Floyd Cooley Helleberg?

Post by brianf »

Floyd Cooley has no more of these mouthpieces, the only way to get one is find someone who has a used MP.
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TheBerlinerTuba
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Re: Info about Floyd Cooley Helleberg?

Post by TheBerlinerTuba »

I believe Josef Klier in Diespeck Germany made these mouthpieces as a custom model.

Contact them at:
http://josefklier.de/contact/?lang=en

Good luck,
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Re: Info about Floyd Cooley Helleberg?

Post by TubaZac2012 »

There is literally no difference between the Cooley version and the original 7B. Other than the sound. I've played on both. The real thing, and the copy/Cooley version. My teacher at the time said the articulation and sound was much better on the 7B. Hope this helps.
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Tom
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Re: Info about Floyd Cooley Helleberg?

Post by Tom »

TubaZac2012 wrote:There is literally no difference between the Cooley version and the original 7B.
No, that is not correct.

The Cooley rim and backbore are not the same as a 7B. The rim difference is actually (I think) pretty easy to see when you have the two mouthpieces side by side and careful comparison and measurements show the backbores are not the same either.

The Cooley is not a 7B copy. In fact, I'd bet that the real reason so many people seem to think so is they look at the exterior shape and think "Conn Helleberg" and then see that the Cooley is a smallish Helleberg and thus jump to the conclusion it is a Conn 7B. Had Klier used a different shaped blank folks probably wouldn't equate the two.
Last edited by Tom on Mon Aug 04, 2014 10:32 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Info about Floyd Cooley Helleberg?

Post by joh_tuba »

We as a species listen with our eyes more than we realize.
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Re: Info about Floyd Cooley Helleberg?

Post by glangfur »

What is an "original" 7B?

On my Conn 3J, the Cooley Helleberg responds and sounds better in the low register, and lines up the pitch much better all over the instrument than the 7B I had.

Warburton also makes a couple of small Helleberg-style mouthpieces that are excellent. I have a TG3 and prefer it a little bit over the Cooley, particularly for the small theater pits I usually play tuba in.
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