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I recently decided to supplement my e flat bass tuba and purchase a 5 valve CC. It's a 186 clone, picked it up for less than 2K. Plays well, but it's hard for me to find a good playing position. The mouthpiece goes into the receiver at a right angle to the instrument. I have some overbite and and must play with the mouthpiece at a slight downward angle. To play this tuba I have to lean my head back at an un comfortable angle. (don't ask me to jut the jaw forward it just doesn't work!). I need advice on have the lead-pipe adjusted or bent, and a repair tech experienced in these matter not to far from central Arkansas. Thanks for all who can make suggestions.

You have a couple of options:

1- Put the Tuba on a stand that will allow you to position it however you are comfortable without modifying the horn or your airway.

2- Have the mouth pipe removed, filled with cerrobend and slightly bent. You should be around for this process, because the tech is going to need to get the angle perfect.

3- You could have your mouthpiece bent at the shank. I have seen this done for Trumpet players and I have seen instructions for this in the Erik Brand Manual but I don't know how practical this would be for Tuba mouthpieces. Honestly, I don't know if it is even possible.

Just remember, you should never play in a way that makes you uncomfortable or alters your airway.

Good luck. Let us know what you end up doing.

there was a DEG stand in the for sale forum....problem solved......

A bit would have been cheaper.

Thanks for the replys guys, don't think a tuba stand will address the issue as with the bottom bow snug up against me the mouthpiece is still too horizontal. I saw a German company online a few months ago, can't remember the web site, that had the leadpipe on a rotatable sleeve around were the upper bow is, and this allowed for user adjusment to both the height and angle of the reciever. Such a modification would be ideal! Thanks again.

An easy and inexpensive fix is to use a sousaphone bit.
This only works if the normal position of your main tuning slide is out more than one inch, because you will need to push it in some to compensate for the extra length of the bit.
Altering the leadpipe itself (as described above) is a better solution, but not so easy and is likely to leave some scars on the instrument.

Bending a mouthpiece should be possible, with a Bach-style shape, but I would not try it on a Conn. Try it on a few junk mouthpieces first, and be prepared to replace. (Don't expect to get it right on the first try.) It might help to stick the mpc on a lathe and trim down the middle section before attempting the bend. Annealing might also be necessary.

Doing nothing is the worst possible solution.

sloan wrote:A bit would have been cheaper.

Also... I'm just guessing that the 'clone' plays a little on the sharp side, anyway.

One of my college teachers liked to play with a rather severe angle on the mouthpiece. He used a Sousaphone bit and had the tuning slide cut a little, and problem solved.

I had my tech unsolder the bracket holding the receiver to the bell stack, angle the receiver up a few degrees to match my overbite, and resolder. He did this as a package deal for me, as at the same time I was getting the paddles repositioned to fit my right hand better, a couple of leaks and stuffy notes chased down, and the thumbring moved.

I absolutely recommend you do it. Before I had the ergonomic "tailoring" done, I was always fussing with something. Now, I just stick my face in it and play, focusing on the music instead of constantly fussing with the horn.