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Hey, tank. In general terms, I find that I'm more successful using a bowl-shaped cup mouthpiece on a rotary tuba. What mouthpiece came with the horn?

If you think the PT-88+ sounded the best, then I would stick with it. Picking a mouthpiece is a very psychological thing, because if you think that a mouthpiece sounds bad for you, then it will. Conversely, if you believe that a mouthpiece sounds good for you, then it will sound great. Additionally, it's very hard to recommend a mouthpiece to another person, because the 'piece that you want is the one that fits your embouchure the best. And nobody knows your embouchure best but you.

With a 186 (newer one, though), I had great success with a Marcinkiewicz CH H2 (big funnel shape). I'm playing on a Yamaha YCB-661 now, and I'm getting better results with a PT-88.

I'd ask a tuba-playing friend to sit in on a practice session to tell you how sound. Objects in mirror are closer than they appear, ya?

Be sure to give the Laskey 30G a try.

tankthetuba wrote:no mouthpiece came with the horn. it was a used older model 186. so maybe a bowl-shaped mouthpiece?? but how deep?? thanks!

Nowadays the Miraphone 186 CC's come with a Miraphone TU-21 Mouthpiece (http://www.wwbw.com/Miraphone-Tuba-Mout ... 3207.music), at least according to the Miraphone website. They aren't cheap, but perhaps if you found a dealer that carried them, you could give one a shot. Even better than that, find the one you like best so far and try to make it work for a while before you decide to go with something else. When you're ready, try to figure out what kind of sound you want and what you're currently lacking in the sound you have, and aim your next mouthpiece try based on that.

Really, I would just find one that works best for you right now and stick with it. Focus on learning to make music with the CC tuba, don't worry so much about equipment.

Make sure you give the Laskey 30H and the G&W Alan Baer MMVI serious consideration. Both are great mouthpieces.

Let me try to understand this. Is the TNFJ recommending a different mouthpiece for a CC tuba than for a BBb?

TubaRay wrote:Let me try to understand this. Is the TNFJ recommending a different mouthpiece for a CC tuba than for a BBb?

http://miraphone.de/produkte_3.asp?M=170086A
http://miraphone.de/produkte_3.asp?M=180086A

so the Manufacturers Freak Jury is doing it, too...

I would try either/or a Miraphone TU-23 (Ye Olde C4) or the Yamaha Self (replica). Both worked very well while I was borrowing one for all around playing...

YMMV

J.c.S.