Shank sizes mess, again

[Etienne1006]

Hi,

What is the mouthpiece shank size needed with a Yamaha ybb103? With a meinl Weston 2145?

My shilke helleberg mouthpiece fits well in the 2145 but is slightly too big for the ybb103.

Thanks

Étienne

[iiipopes]

Most Yamaha tuba receivers take the standard "American" .520 shank size. Please see the link for the essay on the various shank sizes by Matt Walters, tuba tech @ Dillon Music. This is the definitive explanation of shank sizes, although each manufacturer may or may not use a standard shank size. Unfortunately, some manufacturers are now making a .525, which is neither fish nor fowl, and may or may not work. Others may have some different experiences or observations. For a YBB103, I have heard the best results from other players using a standard Conn Helleberg 120S or one of the popular copies.