How many mouthpieces do buy per year?

[Tubaryan12]

I have only purchased 3 and played on 4 in my life (Bach 24aw, 18, 22 and a Kellyberg) but i hope to add 1 more to the list in the coming year (there has to be something better....I just know it!)...

[scottw]

Just 1---I went from the Dennis Wick 2 to the Conn Helleberg. Matches up well on the 186!

[MartyNeilan]

I usually have about 3-5 tuba mouthpieces at any given time. Depending on my playing needs and current horns (which seem to have changed a lot the last few years) I will sell what pieces I am not using and buy what I think is more appropriate for the horn / situation.

Current stable:
Biggest-Warburton Neilan (original prototype, slightly smaller rim and lighter than others produced later, will keep forever and be buried with it)
Big-Parke Ofenloch (selling with MW2145)
Medium (V-cup) UMI 2 (same as Conn2, similar to Helleberg 7B) replacing with FC Helleberg, may still keep as backup.
Medium-Small (C-cup) Rudy Meinl RM-9 7.8 and 8.0; one responds slightly better and one plays slightly better in low range, may sell one eventually

Sold within last year or so - Yamah Self (medium C cup), Drilled out Conn 2 - both used for a horn I no longer own

Bass trombone - Grieg .75 and .5 (Sold Yamaha Yeo and Schilke 59 within the last year). .75 more centered, .5 bigger

[Tom]

I can't believe how many mouthpieces some people here tend to accumulate then sell.

I've bought and sold many mouthpieces over the years...I've probably sold +-25. I've never had that many at one time, but I've probably gone through that many...most bought used.

I have a personal collection of about a dozen pieces to use between my F and my CC. I bought three of those in the past year or so.

I do have an interesting collection of oddball mouthpieces, but that's kinda a side hobby...some people collect stamps...I'm into strange/unusual tuba mouthpieces. For example, I have an adjustable cup model, a wood model, and a Dr. Young model, among others, but don't perform on them.

I've got a good, solid collection of stuff that works really well for my current tubas, so I don't see myself selling off any of what I have now, although adding to it wouldn't hurt...

[Kevin Hendrick]

You guys must be rolling in the dough.

More like "rolling out the dough", actually ...

I haven't bought mouthpieces in fifteen years, until this year.

Know what you mean, Doc -- I doubled my inventory this year! Time line follows:

1974 April: Bach 12 (came with the horn, good MP, used intermittently to present)
1974 September: Conn Helleberg and 7B (most-used until this year)

2002 December 31st: wood mouthpiece

2004 April: Bach 7 (opened up the pedal range very nicely)
2004 August: Bach 30E (good middle-to-high range, brighter sound)
2004 November: Marcinkiewicz ST4 (good middle-to-high range and brighter sound with a more-comfortable cup I.D.)
2004 December: Kellyberg (great all-around & all-weather MP)

So, over the last (roughly) 31 years, that's an average of 0.258 per year ... clearly, this was an anomalous year!

[LOTP]

Most of my "new" mouthpieces come with "new" horns. I got a "new" (1940's) Eb sousaphone a few months ago and it came with a Yam 67c4....works ok. In 45 years of playing brass I have bought only 3 brand-new in-the-box mouthpieces! My collection however numbers in the dozens.

[porkchopsisgood]

Of course, the ones who are not answering this post are the ones who buy a mouthpiece a week, as if they were selling them on Netflix or somethin'.....

I've used the same mouthpiece for the CC since January 1991: a Perantucci 50. Now I've replaced it twice (the first time because theme park cement is very unforgiving on the rim, and the second time because I found a sweet deal on a PT-50+ and decided to give it a whirl.....and that's what I play now...), but it's my warhorse. I've contemplated replacing it before, but who has the $$ to play mouthpiece games with tuba mouthpieces? Not me.....

Before the PT-50, I played a Conn Helleberg for a while, and then a Perantucci 1 (which is now the 36), and that took me through high school. I switched to the PT-1 because I used to carry my mouthpiece with me wherever I went (like I was going to run into a gang of tubas while I was hanging out), and inadvertently lost it in a field, never to be discovered until MUCH later.

As for the f, I bought a PT-64 for the CC curiously enough, just so I could get a different color in tuba/euph quartet (so, I used it about twice). Then, I got hold of an f and finally had a reason to use the PT-64 again. I've since replaced that mouthpiece with a Bruno Tilz mouthpiece that someone left in my possession (better intonation on the B&S PT-10).

So what's that.....6 different mouthpieces? I guess that's not bad over a 20-year career. When I start making the big bux I'll catch up with the rest of you silver spooners.....hehehehe

[Rick Denney]

I keep thinking I've bought all the mouthpieces I'll ever need, and someone will put me on to one persuasively.

In the last 12 months, I bought three. Two were for a new-to-me instrument (the B&S F), and the other because I got an email from someone I trust telling me I should get one.

I looking over my inventory, however, I think my average is quite a bit less. I have 12 mouthpieces in the tuba inventory at present, of which I regularly use 5 or 6. I've had one given to me, and I've given away perhaps 3 or 4 and lost a couple in the last 35 years. Compared to what I've spent on instruments, and even compared to what I've spent on music, it's pretty small potatos.

Rick "who buys most of them used" Denney

[ThomasDodd]

two but it was a strange year. Finally bought a tuba, foyund thi board, and other things.
So I got a Kelly-25 for fun, and found a good deal on Deck 3F, which joined my old Conn Helleberg.

Not likely to buy another for a few years. Maybe a Kellyberg insted of the 25...

[daktx2]

0 this year and 1 in my entire life. i was told in 6th grade to buy a conn helleberg, and it has taken me through a beater school 3/4 horn, a miraphone 186, and my pt6.

[Dylan King]

Prior to this year I purchased only two mouthpieces. A Parduba 6 1/2 AL for my tenor trombone (no good at all) and a Schilke Helleberg II for the Yorkbrunner. The others I have were given to me by various people.

Doug Tornquist gave me a Mirafone C-4.

Tommy Johnson gave me a Marcinkewitz N-4, his model.

Kerry Farrel gave me a Schilke 60 bass trombone mouthpiece in college.

Custom music gave me a prototype PT-32 to try for free and let me keep it.

This year, I have bought five Giddings and Webster pieces and have put everything else on the shelf. I have a Bora, Matanuska, and Bayamo and am waiting on a Churada and a Karif bass tromone mouthpiece. They are also sending me a prototype of a new model they have been working on to give it a whirl.

I have a feeling G & W is going to be taking over the brass world by storm with steel and titanium thunder. They are absolutly fantastic pieces!

[Gongadin]

I've only bought one new mouthpiece in my short career; a Denis Wick to fit that Besson I started out on (pictured in my avatar / icon). I got an old King tuba & bought a used King 26 Equa-Tru for it. I got an old Conn tuba & bought a Conn 2 for it cheap on SpreeBay. I started buying more cheap mouthpieces on that auction site, ($5 a pop average) just to try out different types & tried to buy from the same Seller to cut down on shipping. Recently, I bought a strange mouthpiece from a pleasant feller on this forum just so that I could try drinking beer out of it. I'll have it on the 27th and I'll report on it. Last week, another TubeNetter was selling 6 mouthpieces, and I had read various raves on ALL of the models he listed....so I made him a "bulk" deal and bought ALL of them!! Hey...how do you know if they're right for you unless you try them? The most important thing is that buying multiple mouthpieces, or everyone else's cast-offs (paraphrased from Ron Partch) is that they take up a whole lot less room than buying multiple horns!

[MaryAnn]

Well, I was in the 6-10 category but I'm buying for more than "just" tuba. I just ordered and received three kellys....cornet, french horn, and euph. I don't see what people are raving about....they would be good to get for a kid, but none of them get the tone quality I get on a metal mpc; it has kind of an airy sound, less intense, I don't like it. I should have bought just one to try them out.
I think I included in the count the trio of 7B's that I bought prior to last Christmas...so I need to change my vote; havent' bought even one tuba mpc this year.
I did buy a new rim for my horn mpc which I like very much, and a cornet mpc. Over-voted myself, huh. I guess I'm in the 2-3 category, and "not tuba" at that.
MA

[dtemp]

I'd used a Conn Helleburg for 9 years or so until I bought a new PT 83+ at ITEC in Budapest. That worked great for my BBb. Now I have a CC and needed a piece that fit it better. I ended up getting a G & W Williwaw. I'm stilll "breaking it in", but I think I'm going to like it. If not I can always sell it to Guiness. He needs more mouthpieces anyway....