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i just wanted to ask everybody's opinion on a good solo mouthpiece for the F tuba. i've just gotten past all the learning how to play in the key of F stuff with my horn and now i'm looking into tweeking my set up a little. i'm having a bit of trouble with my Bb above middle C and i'd like to hear some suggestions for good high register F tuba mouthpieces. right now i'm just playing on a helleburg

If you like the regular helleberg fairly well,try the helleberg 7b.Basically the f version of a helleberg.

I'm selling a used Helleber 7B for $30, if you're interested. I posted a few pics in the "For Sale" section!

me wrote:i just wanted to ask everybody's opinion on a good solo mouthpiece for the F tuba. i've just gotten past all the learning how to play in the key of F stuff with my horn and now i'm looking into tweeking my set up a little. i'm having a bit of trouble with my Bb above middle C and i'd like to hear some suggestions for good high register F tuba mouthpieces. right now i'm just playing on a helleburg

Everyone has "a bit of trouble" with Bb above middle C, or at least everyone I know.

I play a Mike Finn 4 on my F tuba, and I think it's one of those magic mouthpieces that glows in the dark. With it, I seem to get a noticeably clearer and more focused sound with the MF4 than with the PT-64, which is the standard mouthpiece for a B&S F tuba. The Helleberg, by comparison, is very deep and for me sounds fuzzy and unclear by comparison on an F.

Rick "who has trouble with the Bb above middle C on a euphonium" Denney

Even with several fancy pants mouthpieces in my collection, I still keep coming back to the not-so-fancy-pants Yamaha 67B4. It really makes my F tuba sing.

Another--if you like the Helleburg--is the Schilke 66: like a Helleburg, but a bit smaller.

Small piston American Eb? If it has the smaller receiver, then you must get a mouthpiece with the smaller shank. The best mouthpiece in that category is a Wick 3, although PT makes the small shank to order, and I believe Mike Finn has a couple of mouthpieces from a run made with the shank between the small shank and American Standard.

me wrote:i just wanted to ask everybody's opinion on a good solo mouthpiece for the F tuba. i've just gotten past all the learning how to play in the key of F stuff with my horn and now i'm looking into tweeking my set up a little. i'm having a bit of trouble with my Bb above middle C and i'd like to hear some suggestions for good high register F tuba mouthpieces. right now i'm just playing on a helleburg

Ok, I've got two options for you, which are what I use on my F tuba (Meinl Weston 45S). I have a Mike Finn 4, which, as previously stated, is a true gem of a mouthpiece that doesn't get talked about enough as a great F tuba mouthpiece.

The other is a G&W Churuda, that has been modified. The previous owner had some metal removed from the oustide of the mouthpiece, and I had a machinist here take more off. I don't know why, but I really LOVE this mouthpiece for solo and light stuff. It feels great, and has a nice sound through my tuba.

Hope this helps at all.

I use Denis Wick 3SL. Clear and light sound. Easy to control.

In some situations I think the sound is, perhaps, too light. In that case I use a JK Exclusive 5D for a heavier sound.

These mouthpieces are very different from helleberg tho, especially the Denis Wick.

Kind regards

Antero.

Keeping in mind that Everybody's setup is different; depending on what mouthpiece you use will affect how easy certain things are to do on a particular instrument.
I use a Yamaha Bobo Solo for my Willson F tuba because I like the sound and it helps me lighten up, something I don't naturally do.
My students have been successful finding their more optimum 'fit' with the Miraphone C3 or the Perantucci PT-65. It all has to do with what sound you're going after and what kind of things you want to make easier to do, I think.
Mike Finn's mouthpieces are great, too. I haven't tried the G&W's.

SG

Rick Denney wrote:

me wrote:i just wanted to ask everybody's opinion on a good solo mouthpiece for the F tuba. i've just gotten past all the learning how to play in the key of F stuff with my horn and now i'm looking into tweeking my set up a little. i'm having a bit of trouble with my Bb above middle C and i'd like to hear some suggestions for good high register F tuba mouthpieces. right now i'm just playing on a helleburg

Everyone has "a bit of trouble" with Bb above middle C, or at least everyone I know.

Rick "who has trouble with the Bb above middle C on a euphonium" Denney

I have trouble with Bb above middle C on a piano. Shoot me now.