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I have just been to a concert at the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam by the Toulouse orchestra from France playing an all Rachmaninov program. The tuba player was using a Melton/Meinl -Weston 2000 CC, but what intrigued me was he had what looked like a saucer about 3 inches in diameter either on the shank of the mouthpiece, or between the mouthpiece and the tuba.

Does anyone know what this is and it's purpose?

BTW It was a good concert.

I seem to remember Mel Culbertson designing a mouthpiece like the one your describing. I think it was to add weight in a different way. I remember it being really pretty.

Tom McCaslin

When not being used to play your tuba, you use it for breakfast to hold your soft boiled egg.

I have been studying with Mel quite a bit this past year, both in France and here at the RNCM, and the "saucer" that is seen around the mouthpiece supposedly helps in solidifying the vibrations sent into the instrument. It really does help center the sound quite a bit IMO when I have played with it. Romera brass made those mouthpieces for Mel, and I am seriously thinking of getting one. I was quoted around 115 euros for the mouthpiece, and 25 for shipping. Not too bad, when compared to some of the stainless steel mouthpieces on the market.

So does a ring of golfer's lead tape around the throat, and it's cheaper, quicker, less noticable, and easily removed if you change your mind.

iiipopes wrote:So does a ring of golfer's lead tape around the throat, and it's cheaper, quicker, less noticable, and easily removed if you change your mind.

But that doesn't get onlookers and colleagues to notice so much.

UncleBeer wrote:

iiipopes wrote:So does a ring of golfer's lead tape around the throat, and it's cheaper, quicker, less noticable, and easily removed if you change your mind.

But that doesn't get onlookers and colleagues to notice so much.

My point exactly.