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What I agree with bloke that the H1 would be "closest" to a Conn Helleberg, I wouldn't consider any of the Marcinkiewicz "H" models to be especially similar to a Conn Helleberg 120S.

If you want something similar to a Conn Helleberg 120S, why not buy a Conn Helleberg 120S? If a Conn is too expensive, the Faxx Helleberg is a very fine copy, but has a Bach looking exterior.

Is the Conn Helleberg without a size or model designation the 120s or the "other" one?

The Marc H is not even close to a Helleberg rim. The closest you'll ever find to a Conn Helleberg is the Sidey SSH.


SK

sailn2ba wrote:Is the Conn Helleberg without a size or model designation the 120s or the "other" one?

The 120s -- the "other one" is the 7B (and the euphonium one is the 5E ).

Thanks. I had occasion to use the 7B on a BBb some time ago, and it didn't work well for me. I really like my 30(?) yr-old Conn-Helleberg, but had forgotten which size it is. . . and without the engraving, there's no clue.
The Laskey 30H plays very similarly to the Helleberg, for me (I needed larger diameter on the receiver end.), but it's probably not as reasonably priced as the Faxx.

skeath wrote:The Marc H is not even close to a Helleberg rim. The closest you'll ever find to a Conn Helleberg is the Sidey SSH.

Yeah, I guess there's something to that - as the Conn may have changed slightly through the years, it's possible to make a mouthpiece more like a Conn Helleberg than a Conn Helleberg. (... would be ... darn it, it's going to have to be up to the reader whether that makes sense or not.) I think there's a good article on that, with pictures, somewhere in the annals of this forum.

Still, for most who would just be looking for a Conn Helleberg, I think cjk's advice to try a Conn Helleberg makes a lot of sense - so much sense, that I imagine the question wouldn't come up. On the other hand, we've heard plenty from people who are looking for a mouthpiece like that but with a different rim.

I have a Marcinkiewicz H1. Unfortunately don't have a real Conn 120S, but I'm pretty sure the H1 cup diameter is a little wider, and that it has a larger throat. I bet it also has a more curved cup contour, where the Conn is more conical, if my Kellyberg is at all a faithful copy - the side of the H1 cup is nearly perpendicular to the rim. So I'd say it is not really a Conn Helleberg with a different rim, at all.

I don't use the H1 much. Frankly, I don't play enough to have the chops for something like that. I do use an H3 or H4 on my sousaphone, though - for me those shallower models are nice and clear at moderate level, and have a healthy edge when pushed harder, without getting too bright.