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I will be coming into possession of a Besson EEb. Not sure how old it is. It's a small model. Last time I saw it/played it was over a year ago. I do remember that every mouthpiece I had wa too big for it. I'm guessing it's a euro shank?

Any info on the correct shank and best mouthpiece would be great. And if you have one of these mouthpieces lying around, I would definitely be interested in obtaining it soon.

Thanks

Nope, it's a small shank--"Euro" shanks are large.

Something like a Denis Wick 2 or 3 (not a 2L or 3L) should work just fine. I believe the original mouthpiece on some of these was a Besson 14.

Older Eb's had a size all their own... North American and Euro were the same, but smaller than modern. The best I can describe it is somewhere between a tenor trombone shank and a BBb tuba shank... sort of what a bass trombone has today.

My guess would be that one o' them cavernous buzz-saw bass trombone mouthpieces would work just fine!

The mouthpiece that came with Besson Eb for years was the Wick 3. The Wick 2 is too large a diameter and has a rounded cup that doesn't fit the tone of the Eb well. A lot of guys like a Bach 24AW. I tried a Mike Finn MF4, and if you like a really rounded but not too wide rim it has a superlative tone, I just didn't get along with the rim.

For me, only playing Eb for a minor supporting role doubling octaves once every couple of years, the Wick 3 did just fine.

A friend of mine whose main instrument is bass bone gets a fantastic sound out of a Wick 3L and a MW 11 upright valve.

iiipopes wrote:The mouthpiece that came with Besson Eb for years was the Wick 3. The Wick 2 is too large a diameter and has a rounded cup that doesn't fit the tone of the Eb well. A lot of guys like a Bach 24AW. I tried a Mike Finn MF4, and if you like a really rounded but not too wide rim it has a superlative tone, I just didn't get along with the rim.

Depends on how old said tuba is--could well be older than Denis Wick mouthpieces. Besson had their own models--I've still got both Besson 14s and 24Ws. I believe a Kosikup was also provided at one time.

FWIW, a Wick 2L came with the 983 that I swapped for my Willson.

Indeed about the mouthpieces.

But a 2L with your 983? Must have been a mistake.

iiipopes wrote:The mouthpiece that came with Besson Eb for years was the Wick 3. The Wick 2 is too large a diameter and has a rounded cup that doesn't fit the tone of the Eb well.

Actually, I don't have this same viewpoint, but I understand where you're coming from. Especially with a more modest Eb, it just seems out of character to use too large of a mouthpiece. It hasn't been stated if this is one of the 15" bell Besson Eb's, or one of the 2-20 or 777 3/4 Eb tubas with a 12" bell (VERY tiny).

If this happens to be the 2-20 or 777, I would recommend something even smaller than mentioned above, say a Wick 4 or 5. A Wick 3 might work. But if it's the 15" bell model, then I think you have a few larger options that you can consider.

(Disclaimer, when I purchased my Besson 983 about 10-12 years ago, it came with a Wick 3(3L -- the larger shank for that particular horn). But I had always played larger sized mouthpieces and that one just felt too small to my face. I ended up buying a 2 and a 1, and used both depending on the music, the size of group, and whether I was playing inside or out.)

With my YEB-381 (15" bell) I typically use the standard Conn Helleberg, which allows me to get a bigger, fuller sound from the horn which my quintet likes. The Helleberg is a bit bigger than the Wick 1, but the throat is probably a bit smaller. Were I to use the Yamaha Eb to cover a 2nd 'bone part, I would likely switch to my Schilke Helleberg or to the 7B Helleberg -- both about the same size as the Wick 2. If I had a Wick 3 I would gladly use it. I do have a 24AW, but don't like the wider rim.

What I would NOT do, is to try my Parke Offenloch mpc, a PT-88 or other monstrous mpc with this horn, so I agree that there is an upper limit to a "sane" choice. But I find with my size Eb that there is a place for a larger mpc than would be traditionally chosen.

It is a true statement that many British Brass Band players like to use a mpc the size of the Wick 3 or the Bach 24AW with their Eb tubas. This evidently results in the "expected" sound for an Eb in a BBB setting. But my approach has been to choose the mpc to get either a fuller or more focused sound, depending on the musical need. And I think that an Eb tuba with a 15" bell can handle a larger mpc (not too large), to good effect.

(BTW, I didn't think the Wick mpcs had rounded bowls at all -- I always thought they were more funnel shaped, regardless of size designation. I'll have to go look more carefully at my two models.)

Another viewpoint for you to consider,

Thanks for the info. Does anyone have a used Wick 2 or 3 with the smaller shank or a Besson 14 to sell?

I think Mouthpiece Express sells the Wick line of mpcs.

Cheers,

There are some Chinese knockoffs for sale on Ebay that are #3 Denis Wick equivalents, they say. The description states this, they are $19.95 plus shipping and someone on this list recommended I try one, said they were not bad. FYI.

Steve Inman wrote:(BTW, I didn't think the Wick mpcs had rounded bowls at all -- I always thought they were more funnel shaped, regardless of size designation. I'll have to go look more carefully at my two models.)

So also claims the maker, I believe, but maybe we're in a grey area here, since no mouthpiece is absolutely conical. While you're looking, check Schilke-Helleberg vs Conn 7B - to me, there's a similar difference in shape and tone, curious if you'd hear that. The only mouthpiece I have that might be as funnel shaped as the Conns is a Schilke 66, and the DW 5 is close (and I think both would be of interest for Eb, for someone who sounds good with a smaller mouthpiece.)

Donn wrote: The only mouthpiece I have that might be as funnel shaped as the Conns is a Schilke 66, and the DW 5 is close (and I think both would be of interest for Eb, for someone who sounds good with a smaller mouthpiece.)

The only "true" funnel-shaped mouthpiece that I'm aware of for tuba is the Dr. Young. But I couldn't imagine using it on a little Eb.

Speaking of which, does anyone know of a bass trombone mouthpiece that's as funnel-shaped as the Dr. Young?