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Well, I hesitate to tell you to do anything against your director's advice. He/she is the only one who actually has heard you play and knows what you need. Do they recommend the Shilke 51D (the defacto euphonium mouthpiece - by the way) because it is the best fit for you, or because it is all they know? Have you played on other mouthpieces and figured out what works best, for you, on this horn? Have you talked with them about the Steven Mead mouthpieces you have read about? Do you study privately (probably not - since you did not mention your lesson teacher's advice)? Is your director going to pay for the Shilke? How long have you been working hard on euphonium? What horn do you play? Do you know that Brian Bowman plays a slightly modified Shilke 51D? As a band director, and a private instructor... I do not really see a problem with getting a Shilke. A Steven Mead, however, could be a bad fit for some folks (depending on the size). I would urge you to discuss this matter with your director and mention that most places will send you three mouthpieces, and let you return the two that are not perfect for your setup.

Hope this helps.

Oh, I see J.S. has posted while I was typing. And see... even now you are getting conflicting advice from folks who have never heard you play!

Does your BD know what he's talking about? I've had band directors who were woodwind types who didn't know squat about brass! What does your euph teacher tell you? If you don't have a euph teacher, get one!

***

The first thing you need to do is try them all! I use a 51D, and I've tried all of the Steven Mead series, and I just can't get used to them. But tons of other people love them, so it just proves that everyone prefers something different. It's true that the 51D is the default mouthpiece, but it's a classic because it's good. I personally have not found a MP more comfortable, but you might feel differently. But if you're asking whether or not the steven mead is a credible mouthpiece, yes it is. Bach, Schilke, Steven Mead (Dennis Wick) are all good companies, but you should really try them out to see which is better for YOU.

What about going to your local music store and trying a few different mouthpieces? When I am not happy with what I'm getting out of my equipment, that's what I do. I usually take someone along who has a good sence of pitch and an agreable concept of sound. I might mention that I rarely have to change mouthpieces, and I am sure that this approach has something to do with it.

Many instruments are very mouthpiece sensitive and a generic mouthpiece, while it may be a great piece, may not be the right one for you. Past that there is no cookie cutter mouth and lip shape.

Jim

bloke wrote:The modern miracles of

1/ competitive discount pricing

and

2/ eBaying stuff that doesn't work out

make decisions such as this "no big deal", imo.

EXACTLY!!! This is what I try to tell people. When you have an instrument that cost you anywhere from 800 to 6000 dollars, buying a few mouthpieces at 50 dollars a pop is worth it. I've bought several mouthpieces online in the past couple years, and I've been able to return most of them after the trial period and only losing the shipping, and I just sold a couple more of them for about half of their original cost. Total, I probably spent maybe 100 dollars, but I was able to audition 7 or so mouthpieces.

Could not have put it better myself, don't read about mouthpieces, try them out!

I played nearly all the 'name' brand models (and a few unknowns as well) before settling on the Doug Elliott set-up.

www.euph9.freeserve.co.uk

It's been said before...there is no such thing as "the perfect mouthpiece". Everyone has their own tastes. Getting a handle on a brass instrument is such a nuance thing, this is one part of it. As (I assume) a high school player, you may or may not be ready for a 51D. I couldn't handle the 51D in high school. I now prefer the SM3.5, but that's just me. And I've played on the 51D quite a bit. Nothing wrong with it, just a preference.

Try as many mpcs as you can. If one mpc isn't for you right now, it may the right one in a few years. Nuff' said.