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I am determined to locate and purchase a stainless steel 24AW.
Does such a mouthpiece exist? Who would sell them?

It actually looks as if you could get one from Houser Mouthpieces without having to place an order for 10 of them.

From what I can tell, you can get a custom made (ie, 24AW copy) done in stainless steel for $350 if you use a stock Houser blank for the copy.

If you want a stainless 24AW with the original exterior profile, it will cost you $450.

If the objective is to end up with a stainless rim, maybe you could have them make a custom threaded 24AW rim out of stainless steel that you could put on a brass 24AW cup/shank that has been threaded to accept screw on rims.

Check out this link for more info:

http://www.housermouthpiece.com/services.asp

Hope that helps!

Well...

I did see the "call for stainless" in the header of some of the columns, but I also saw this in bold print right above the tables on his services page: "All prices quoted are in silver plated brass (B) or stainless steel (SS)."

I then went down to "tuba" in the "1 piece mouthpiece" table and over to 1 or 2 piece HMW exterior, 1 copy and it says "ss $350" and indicates no minimum order of 10.

I was just pointing out what I saw on the Houser website

Noone makes a stainless steel 24AW per se. But Loud & G&W do make some smaller mouthpieces that are the functional equivalent.

Tom wrote:
If the objective is to end up with a stainless rim, maybe you could have them make a custom threaded 24AW rim out of stainless steel that you could put on a brass 24AW cup/shank that has been threaded to accept screw on rims.

For hot/cold weather, a lexan (or stainless) rim is an excellent choice, but for allergies I believe you'll have better luck with a one piece model made of stainless. There's always the chance that your lips will contact the cup material beyond the rim (inside) as your lips make excursions into the cup while playing.

MF

Scooby Tuba wrote:

Tom wrote:I then went down to "tuba" in the "1 piece mouthpiece" table and over to 1 or 2 piece HMW exterior, 1 copy and it says "ss $350" and indicates no minimum order of 10.

I was just pointing out what I saw on the Houser website

And I'm just conveying what he told me when pricing a volume order. Have at that $350 24AW! At 10, the price begins to be a little more reasonable. This is basically how the SSH came to be available.

It's cool...

I have not spoken with Dave Houser personally about such things and was just pointing out what his website seemed to indicate. You've obviously got the first hand info, so we'll go with that and call it good.

As for a $350 24AW...no, thanks.

From the G&W Website: Bora

The Bora is our medium size F/Eb tuba mouthpiece. Designed for playing in small to medium large ensembles. Characterized by its warmer tone with a larger sound than the Churada. Designed for playing in chamber ensembles, Quintets, and providing a tone that blends well in chamber music. Rim is 1.255, and the throat is .318 in diameter, medium depth bowl shape cup. Bora ~ A cold, northerly wind blowing form the Hungarian basin into the Adriatic Sea.

Bach 24AW specs: @1.25 - 1.26, depending on when it was made, (we all know Bach cup sizes are larger than "spec") medium deep bowl cup, and if you look at the pictures, you will see the rim contour is similar. The throat of a 24AW is larger @ .348, but I'm sure they would bore it out for you if you didn't like the slightly smaller throat.

Thank you, tuba friends, for your wonderful counsel.
iiipopes, your concept of functional equivalence makes sense to me." A cold northerly wind blowing from the Hungarian Basin into the Adriatic Sea" would feel sooo good on the porch of an Alabama beach bar in August.

I have a 24AW and a Bora, and I wouldn't say they are that similar. The 24 has a fairly deeper funnel shape to its cup whereas the Bora is a little shallower and bowl shaped (IMO). The Bora is a great piece in it's own right, but I would not get one looking for a SS 24AW solution.

FWIW.

**EDIT**
Of course you could always get one on trial and see if you like it.

dtemp, Monday I will try to set up a trial on a Bora. Thank you. If not the Bora, maybe the next size larger will allow me to make the earth move with my prodigious low range.
Doc, I had a gold plated mouth piece that wore through. I prefer a lifetime real deal stainless. Price is a consideration but I already have permission (even though I am a really big boy) from Hariett to fork out the $135.