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Every so often, I buy another mouthpiece with a similar rim as the standard Conn Helleberg (120S), and use it for a couple weeks to a year... But I always come back to the Conn Helleberg partly because of the 'nice sound', but mostly because the 'nice sound' is ALWAYS more focused than the other mouthpieces I'd used before.

My last couple mouthpiece in past years (in order):

G&W Bayamo
MF3H
LM15 (w/helleberg rim)
LM10 (w/helleberg rim)

Now, the reason I kept switching was to find a mouthpiece (with relatively same rim) that would help either the high (MF3H/LM15) or the low (Bayamo/LM10) registers. The intonation varied slightly on all of these (duh), but the main thing was that none of these had the same focus as the Conn Helleburg.

What other mouthpiece(s) have you played that have a nice focused sound?

EDIT: For those who were wondering, the only horn I'm really using now is my 983 Eb. The CC is just getting dusty.

EDIT: One more thing I thought of... The Conn Helleberg keeps the resistance in the mid range of the horn. On my Eb, it was around the Bb in the staff, on my CC, it was around the G at the bottom of the staff. It was nice to go back the the Conn Helleberg and find I could now 'pop' this register of my horn, like the octave both above and below it. I suspect this might have something to do with bore(throat?) of the mouthpiece, since the bore of the other mouthpieces I was playing on was up to .35mm larger. It may not seem like much, but it may have been the smaller bore...

A Curry D cup is a hybrid funnel that has the slightest curve at the bottom for focusing. You can get it in your choice of cup diameters to match your Conn.

Other people are gravitating towards something with a Geib-style cup for that very reason -- more focus.

But if you keep coming back to the Conn, why not just stick with it? It seems from your post to work for you very well.

You also don't say what kind of tuba or repertoire you play, or if you get any particular comments or criticisms from your ensemble mates or director that might be a basis to change.

Conn Helleberg 120S mouthpieces are not glamourous like the new stainless or other high-tech or high-profile mouthpieces. But they function well, like steady workhorses and at the end of the day, if it works for you, it is the mouthpiece for you.

I played on a Holton MDC mouthpiece for 29 years as a horn player. I ,like you, tried different mouthpieces for various reasons but always came back to the MDC. After 2 attempts as something better, I just said the hell with it and kept the MDC and never tried to change again. I'll probably do the same with my Helleberg. I have to admit the visual appeal of a mouthpiece has meaning for me also. I've always liked the look of a Helleberg, way before I started playing tuba.

Have you tried a G&W Caver?Try both shanks if you do.The Euro was ALOT better on my Thor even though it is supposed to be American shank.MP selection is really about synergy between MP,lips,concept, and horn.So any advice without an actual trial is just talk.But I still think you should try the caver ...

I love my Marcinkiewicz CH H2 and so do the horns I use. With me, it has a very focused sound when I want it, and can also have a broad, room-filling sound when I want it. The CH series is not exactly common, but I'd say to definitely try out some Marcinkiewicz pieces when you get a chance.

I have to second the SSH, I love it. Gave my 188 a new darker tone with a clean low register.

I've been using a Denis Wick 2SL with my 983 pretty much since I got the horn. The rim is a bit wider than a Helleberg, but still pretty flat. I also have a 2L, and I like the shallow version a little better-makes the sound sing a bit more. I would suggest giving either of those a try.

Slightly off topic, I have been a bit curious about stainless mouthpieces...could someone suggest something that would be comparable to the Wick??

I'm kind of surprised by this. You get more focus from a Helleberg than from a G&W? I'm just the opposite. I bought my Bayamo and Bora for the sole reason that my sound is so much more focused on them than on a Helleberg, or any other mouthpiece I've played.

It's interesting to see how different equipment works for different people.