Monette?

[BriceT]

Hey Everyone,

I'm looking for a couple new mouthieces, and I was just curious about Monette.

I'm looking for a very large mouthpiece and also a much shallower one.

How much are they, and where can you get them? Are they worth the price, and how do they compare to other brands such as LOUD or Giddings and Webster?

Anyone who has tried or bought them, please tell me what you think. Thanks!

[Chadtuba]

I've got a Monette 95, which I believe is a smaller sized mp. I really like it and it is a great mp for me, but I also got it from a guy I play with in brass band for a lot less than I've seen them new or used.

Dillon is the only place I recall seeing them for sale, though I'm sure there has to be others. The last time I looked they were $350. For me that's way too much money and I don't think that I would have spent that much to get one, but for the price I paid it was worth it.

[Chen]

They are good if you don't mind Conn Helleberg rim (flat + sharp).
$350, available through Dillon or Monette. Dillon does offer trial but they are somewhat reluctant, for it is a pricey mouthpiece and B-stock is heavy loss as Monette claims ANY change to the mouthpiece will affect the sound.
I don't think Monette has a mouthpiece that fits your discription, other than the 94F, which is for F tuba. Their CC mouthpieces are all medium deep to quite deep. A shallower one is the 99, which is only about as "shallow" as a Bach 18 (roughly).

If you are serious about keeping them if they work, just call Dillon up and get one, if you don't find them worth the price (this is very subjective), send it back in the condition it arrived in and you should be fine.

I don't intend to play tuba anymore that's why I sold my Monette 99 Prana. Otherwise I'd still have it. $350 mouthpieces don't make sense to many people, but you don't need to give a damn if you sound good on it.

Finally, I feel the design is good for damping unwanted vibration , like that the Conn Helleberg has, but the Helleberg is easier to play/manipulate. And the sound is special, in the same way a $600 power cable makes to a CD player, am I being too vague?

Value: the way I see it, pretty much every mouthpiece is under $350. Pick the one you like. Should really bitch about the extra $200? Sure, go ahead and do it. But again, you don't need to give a damn. If you can afford it, that is.

[Billy M.]

Personally, I've been using Monette mouthpieces now for about 3 years and find them to be a new state of the art when it comes to mouthpieces.

The sound is wonderful, the constant pitch center design is above and beyond anything I've played (it really is constant requiring very little if any adjusting to play in tune in any range on the horn). And I feel that while the $350 price tag is steep, you get the best mouthpiece made.

Having said that, I have played my 98 against the G&W Baer MMVI to which I plan to write a thorough response of my findings in the future.

What I will say now is that they are two different beasts altogether. My feeling was the Monette kept together at higher dynamics (read: the extra mass allowing more focus and less breaking) the sound was warmer and more round.

There was more of a growl-like quality from the MMVI which some would find adds more bite to certain tubas that have a problem of being too 'generic' sounding. It does project very well but nothing that the Monette could not do with more presence. It is comfortable and slurs were rather easy to do on it.

It's different strokes for different folks, I'm sure. I think Mr. Giddings and Mr. Webster have made a fabulous product that at least one (Mr. Baer)... ok, quite a few people, have found dynamically changes their quality of playing. I'm just not one of them.

As for the LOUD mouthpieces, I haven't tried them, kinda doubt I will. Best of luck in your search.

[BriceT]

Great thanks for all the help!

[sc_curtis]

I am currently testing a Monette 98. I was playing on a Deck 3, and before that, a G&W Baer. I haven't tried any Louds yet, but I hear the LM5 is similar in design to the Deck (Dave Houser made the Decks). I may check it out.

Basically, its all about personal taste. I choose a mouthpiece with 2 things in mind: sound, and comfort.

Any time I get a new mouthpiece to try, and have my friends with critical ears listen to a couple of things on each mouthpiece, and I also try to record it so I can take an objective listen to it. Sound is important.

I like the way a flatter, sharper rim feels on my lips. Its more comfortable than the rounded rims are. I also feel like my articulations are much better on a flatter rim (don't really know why, though). Comfort is important.

If I sound better on a mouthpiece that isn't as comfortable as another, I will give it a few months to see if I can adjust (Did this with the Deck 3). This is the main reason why I tried the Monette 98, to see if I could get as good a sound as the Deck gave me, but with a flatter rim.

So, someone offered the Monette 98 used in the For Sale section, and I jumped on it. Without ever playing it, I felt what I paid was low enough to warrant the trial. I doubt I would have paid $350 for a new one without knowing what it would be like, but now that I know, I would most certainly spend that much.

For me, the Monette 98 is the best I've tried so far. Of course, for my embouchure, instrument, playing style, and sound preference, it works very well. There are many variables that make mouthpieces work for some people, and not for others. $350 could be too much money to spend on a mouthpiece for some. It depends on how serious you are. It also depends on whether you NEED something better or not. I would pay nearly ANYTHING if I was absolutely sure it was the best for me. For others, its just not an issue.

Mouthpiece recommendations are impossible. Some people will say they love Monette, some will say they hate them, some will say they cost too much, others will say $350 for a mouthpiece is way cheaper than a $5,000 bow for a $1,000 cymbal.

Suggestion: Find a way to play test them over a period of at least a couple of days. You will discover for yourself whether it costs too much or not.