Liking the new Blokepiece!
Posted: Mon Sep 12, 2011 7:48 pm
I got Joe Sellmansberger's new Imperial mouthpiece a few weeks ago. It's the mid-size cup that sits between the Solo and the Symphony. I've been using it on my work horn, a B&S PT-22. Joe intended it for Eb or small CC tubas. My big eefer is a good match. I've played the last few summer concerts on it, a few quintet jobs, and plan on taking it on tour this fall. It's great, folks.
Both Joe and Dave Houser have been very good to me. I've totally moved away from Helleberg-style rims. I much prefer wider, rounded, cushioned rims all the time. All of the rims that Joe offered (up until a few weeks ago) were narrower and sharper than what I'm accustomed to using. The Imperial came with an HLB2 rim, and even though the sound was really happening, my chops weren't. Joe and Dave hooked me up with the first C4LA rim off of the lathe. It's wide and rounded like the old standard Miraphone and JK mouthpieces, and similar to the wide-rim Perantucci mouthpieces like the PT-80. I may be in the minority, preferring the "bubble--rim" mouthpieces (Joe's term, it works,) but that's how I roll, and they made it happen. The machining is just beautiful, too.
I like a mouthpiece with a deeper cup for ensemble use. Past a certain point, though, certainly on the smaller tubas I use, the deeper cups will adversely affect pitch, especially in the upper register. They will also mess with clarity, and response, especially in the lower register. If you're looking for CC color and weight on an E-flat, forget it. Big mouthpieces aren't going to give you those things, and they will just make your job a lot harder. This is why the Imperial really shines. I get a true ensemble sound, lots of core, that really fits in a section without screwing up the E-flat tuba color. Doesn't screw up the pitch, either. My horn isn't perfect, and will always need some slide pulling, but the Imperial doesn't add to the problems like my larger mouthpieces.
The real fun with the Imperial is in the response. In a band, you learn quickly to not be behind the beat, ever. I hate being that split-second late on entrances, especially on lower-register stuff that takes all the air you've got. There is NO DICKIN' AROUND waiting for the sound on this mouthpiece. Lower register notes speak clearly and on time, which isn't the case when I try the deep cup mouthpieces meant for CC tubas. Takes a lot of the stress off of some of these band charts.
Bottom line: It's a winner.
Both Joe and Dave Houser have been very good to me. I've totally moved away from Helleberg-style rims. I much prefer wider, rounded, cushioned rims all the time. All of the rims that Joe offered (up until a few weeks ago) were narrower and sharper than what I'm accustomed to using. The Imperial came with an HLB2 rim, and even though the sound was really happening, my chops weren't. Joe and Dave hooked me up with the first C4LA rim off of the lathe. It's wide and rounded like the old standard Miraphone and JK mouthpieces, and similar to the wide-rim Perantucci mouthpieces like the PT-80. I may be in the minority, preferring the "bubble--rim" mouthpieces (Joe's term, it works,) but that's how I roll, and they made it happen. The machining is just beautiful, too.
I like a mouthpiece with a deeper cup for ensemble use. Past a certain point, though, certainly on the smaller tubas I use, the deeper cups will adversely affect pitch, especially in the upper register. They will also mess with clarity, and response, especially in the lower register. If you're looking for CC color and weight on an E-flat, forget it. Big mouthpieces aren't going to give you those things, and they will just make your job a lot harder. This is why the Imperial really shines. I get a true ensemble sound, lots of core, that really fits in a section without screwing up the E-flat tuba color. Doesn't screw up the pitch, either. My horn isn't perfect, and will always need some slide pulling, but the Imperial doesn't add to the problems like my larger mouthpieces.
The real fun with the Imperial is in the response. In a band, you learn quickly to not be behind the beat, ever. I hate being that split-second late on entrances, especially on lower-register stuff that takes all the air you've got. There is NO DICKIN' AROUND waiting for the sound on this mouthpiece. Lower register notes speak clearly and on time, which isn't the case when I try the deep cup mouthpieces meant for CC tubas. Takes a lot of the stress off of some of these band charts.
Bottom line: It's a winner.
I have been using the Imperial with C4LA rim on my 983 for a few months now. It opens up the lower register with getting too tubby. I settled on that after going back and forth between the Dillon PS3, Bobo symphonic, and DW3L.