Mouthpiece specs website?

[scottw]

There was a discussion a long while back about a website devoted to specs of hundreds of tuba/euph mouthpieces. I did the search and still can't find it. Anyone remember it?
Thanks!
Scottw

[iiipopes]

I know of two:

http://www.allbrassradio.com/tubampccharts.htm" target="_blank" target="_blank" target="_blank" target="_blank
http://www.dwerden.com/Mouthpieces/tuba.cfm" target="_blank" target="_blank" target="_blank" target="_blank

The specs given are generally manufacturer's specs for cup inside diameter and throat diameter. These do not necessarily directly translate as to how a mouthpiece will play any given horn, as there are so many other variables: rim width & contour; cup geometry and depth; throat contour and backbore geometry. Dave Werden's chart fills in some of those in very general terms.

That said, a mouthpiece chart should be treated like a naturalist's field guide which helps a person narrow down the universe of mouthpieces to a few manageable galaxies of consideration, and not as a technical manual striving to pinpoint the appropriate mouthpiece given certain criteria.

Doug Elliot does give relative cup depths:
http://www.dougelliottmouthpieces.com/s ... chart.html" target="_blank" target="_blank" target="_blank" target="_blank

And of course, each of the manufacturers, with the notable exception of Conn, generally give other specs, including subjective or narrative impressions as to various attributes or manufacturer's intended applications.

In the end, nothing is better than a good recommendation from a person experienced in fitting mouthpieces, like Matt Walters or Roger Lewis, just to name two.

When fitting a mouthpiece, play several and make notes about what you do and don't like about them, including size of the cup and rim, how it fits and feels on your face, the relative tonality, intonation and response when played by you through your horn, and the impressions from a distance of someone who has a discerning ear who knows your playing well. Then you can take those notes, along with a frank discussion of what you play, how well you play, your strengths and especially your weaknesses, and narrow down the universe of mouthpieces to a short list of probable candidates with the help of a good person who knows how to fit mouthpieces.

[Doug Elliott]

Also note that many mouthpieces bear no resemblance to their published specs. I continually see current production pieces that are so far away from the specs that I assume they're mismarked.

[scottw]

Thanks, guys, I can always count on good information!
I was asking for a friend, who acquired a mouthpiece he can't identify, and would like some information as he tries to sell it.

[iiipopes]

Also note that many mouthpieces bear no resemblance to their published specs. I continually see current production pieces that are so far away from the specs that I assume they're mismarked.

With due respect, I must agree to this statement only as far as Bach. I have seen Bach 18's all the way from the published 1.26 i.d. to as much as 1.29 i.d. All my other mouthpieces, and the different mouthpieces I have tried over the years, were pretty close (within .01) or right on their published specs. I concede that is close enough for me, as although we can all feel differences in contour, the actual diameter, however measured, I wonder if anybody can really tell the difference in .01.

What I will agree with is that there is no set industry-standard point below the top of the rim at which to measure the mouthpiece. This interior rim angle, or "bite" as it is called, can be a significant factor as to how a mouthpiece feels and plays to an individual. It can also be confounding as to trying to figure out what point along the curve to measure the inside cup diameter of the mouthpiece. So measure high on a soft bite, and the mouthpiece will appear (and probably feel) to have a wider cup diameter. Measure low on a sharper bite, and the mouthpiece will appear to have a narrower cup diameter, even though the rest of the cup (99% of it) may have the same geometry.

[Doug Elliott]

Disagree if you like, but I have measured mouthpieces by many manufacturers that are easily .020" bigger or smaller than the published specs. And that includes Bach, Schilke, and some "current" companies including at least one that advertises here.

As an example, I just got back from exhibiting at the International Trombone Festival where I had lots of players come to me for "equivalent" mouthpieces to this or that. Four Bach 5G's that I saw measured less than 1.000" when their specs say 1.004" and most are actually 1.010" to 1.020" by my eye.

If I set my calipers to the published spec and the points sit clearly ON the rim (not inside) or nearly 1/2" down into the cup (both of which I have seen), it's not a close judgement as to "where to measure."