Monette dimension comparisons?

[ThomasP]

This person posed a relevant question that they wanted an answer to by someone who might have had the answer. You instead put up a picture of an iron telephone which had no relevance. I agree it is an amusing picture, and funny, but this should not be the forum where you share this with us. Sean Chisham has put up an Off Topic section for that!!

And to answer your question about the mouthpieces, I have no clue what the dimensions are and I have always been very curious about monette, but the price of the the mouthpieces have dampened my curiousity.

[Leland]

I can't make any direct comparisons between a Monette mouthpiece and anything else.

It's actually pretty different, most obviously between the throat and the end of the shank. The throat appears to be essentially cylindrical for a significant portion (up to, or over, 1/2"!), and the very end of the shank has a significantly thicker wall than anything else.

Does it play well? Yeah, it does. I'd say that it's really good. Does it play three to four times better than any other mouthpiece on the market? Hmm... hard to say.

If I had a bunch of cash laying around, and felt that I liked a Monette well enough, I'd spring for one.

I'm not about to berate anyone for their choice of equipment. The player makes the most difference in whether music is played or butchered, but if the instrument makes them feel better, then what's wrong?

[Jonathan Fowler]

When I decided to buy a new horn(s) last year, I was also ready to switch MPs. I settled on the 2155 as the most comfortable horn for me...after that my teacher and I went through half a dozen mouthpieces to see which one worked best for the horn I had picked. Fortunatly I found one that made the horn a bit more comfortable than what I was currently using, unfortunatly for me it was a $350 Monette. It is pretty however...although I don't really buy into the vodoo of these mouthpieces (not at all actually) I was convinced that it made me the most comfortable, by a long shot. I would prefer to have bought a regular $100 bucket and been done, but the rational behind it is thus-If you spend between 8,000 and 16,000 on an instrument, you are making an investment. The price you pay for the MP should not factor in your decision whatsoever. Considering the outlandish price of tubas, an extra 250 should not make a bit of difference...even if the improvement is only 5%...dollar for dollar, when compared to the price of the instrument it is a steal.
On the other hand-if you buy a $350 Monette because it is a fad, or you like the pretty gold plating you are a fool.

The 98 has a relatively sharp rim, deep cup which (if memory serves me correctly) is almost straight until it cups at the very bottom. The inside of the bowl appears to be milled, not smooth but has very tiny ridges...about the size of the ridges on a 45 (the record)...I don't know if this is intentional or just a product of the manner of it's manufacture. The shank appears to be very stubby but fits in almost all of the way to cup. The tubing used in the shank appears to be twice as thick as in other MP's.


Jon

[Paul S]

Can folks offer comparisons of the Monette pieces with other brands (I'm not talking price here! )? Is the 94 very similar to the Conn Hberg all-round (Dia. & Cup/throat)? And the 94-derivatives; the 98, 99, and 94F? Thanks in advance!

Over time, I have been able to purchase both a 94 & 98 used at very reasonable prices and think they are well worth the price I paid. They feel just a bit bigger than my other Hellebergs and also feel larger throated. The 98 seems deeper but the 94 is probably a bit more open. Both offer a darker sound than the other two Hellebergs with the 98 the richest. I use it the most lately as it fits my current rotor horn with .815 bore. The 94 seemed to be my favourite when I had piston valves for some reason.

All four of these have similar bite although the 98 seems ever so little less than the 94. The Conn offers me the brightest sound and best upper range. I am guessing this to be because of a thinner weight. The Jacobs gives me the best attacks perhaps as it has slightly more bite. The 94 seems to offer the best projection in a high ceiling enviorment. As far as plating, I prefer gold rims for the flexibility it gives my attacks and slurs and I sure need that. A gold plate mouthpiece is also so much easier to keep clean and tarnish free with just a quick rinse and an old tee shirt buff.

To answer your questions visually I took some photos from various angles comparing the 94 & 98 to the Conn Helleberg and the Warburton/CB Arnold Jacobs Helleberg so you can view the similarities & differences in rims, cups and design yourself.