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In band this fall, I have an inordinate amount of pedal tones. Any suggestions for a mouthpiece to try on my Mirafone 188 that might make life in the basement a little easier for me? I don't have trouble with the notes, but just get tired after hanging out on pedal Eb for half an hour...

Something apart from a PT88, which is ok, but not my favorite. What "bigger" mouthpieces have people successfully used on their 188's?

I use a Bach Mega 7 when I occasionally use a 188. With a BAT as a regular instrument to compare to though, resonance in the low range of the 188 remains a disappointment regardless of mouthpiece choice.

When I had my 186, a bored out C4 was actually the best overall piece, including the low register. Bigger mouthpieces (baer, pt50, 30h, etc) seemed more open at first, but eventually the difference became minimal. Nobody else agreed though...

bort wrote:In band this fall, I have an inordinate amount of pedal tones. Any suggestions for a mouthpiece to try on my Mirafone 188 that might make life in the basement a little easier for me? I don't have trouble with the notes, but just get tired after hanging out on pedal Eb for half an hour...

Something apart from a PT88, which is ok, but not my favorite. What "bigger" mouthpieces have people successfully used on their 188's?

A "bigger" mouthpiece does not necessarily give you the most powerful low register, nor one that will project. Since your 188 is goldbrass, a little added bite might not hurt. I would actually recomment a Blokepiece Solo #1 if you want powerful pedals con ballso. You can probably find someone in the NYC area that has one to try.

If I had a 188, I would probably be using my Sellmansberger Symphony with it. I would use that mouthpiece with that tuba and be done with it. It's probably less big than a PT-88 but probably bigger than most.

However, I figure you need some zip or some edge in these notes for them to actually come out, so I'm agreeing with Marty. Something like a Sellmansberger Solo/ Sellmansberger Imperial/Miraphone Rose Solo/Houser MK10 is likely what you "need".

When I had my 188, I used a PT 50 and sometimes a Bach 7. Both met my needs for the low register down to low Eb. The low D and C# were clear and solid but not super loud. Pedal C, B, and Bb were quite useable, but lower than that things got iffy. Fortunately, I had little call in orchestras and smaller ensembles for anything much lower than E (Shosty 1 and Metamorphosis were the toughest I was faced with). Sounds like you've got your work cut out for you, Marty. Good luck.

Ace

bort wrote:....... but just get tired after hanging out on pedal Eb for half an hour...

Get an EEb tuba...

Warren Deck WD3, Houser MO5 & MO3

goodgigs wrote:Bort,
I'm sorry I have such a bad memory, but you'll have to wait until we figure out who I'm telling you about.
There is a guy who posts here occasionally who was one of the first 'boutique" mouthpiece makers and one of the only ones to have a
truly original design. He had a model with a rim diameter smaller then the beginning of the cup. Because it flared slightly briefly before
funneling, it gave one's lips room to flap around in during peddle tones.

I don't know if it works. It's just very intriguing to me because it seems to be a truly original solution to this problem.
I wish I was better at name identification ! Sorry.

Ellis Wean made something like this.

There are many, many, many upsides to a Miraphone 188. A thunderous low register isn't one of them. In my experience, the tuba backs up if you push too hard down there. Not the easiest instrument to own a fff pedal Db on. But a great tuba that makes "making music" easier, at least for a guy like me.

Maybe try a PT-88. I know some folks get down on the PT line of mouthpieces, but it's a fine mouthpiece for a rotary valved tuba (or piston for that matter). Simply a comfortable mouthpiece for my face, but it's all personal preference, I suppose.

Those are nice tubas. I hope everything works out well for you down there.

I'm seeing a lot of recommendations for large mouthpieces. When I had a 188, I found the the mouthpiece that made the extreme low range the easiest to sustain and move around in was a Giddings & Webster Bora. I suspect that a Helleberg 7B would do well also, but I didn't have one during the time I owned the 188. Just remember not to try to FORCE the low register out of a 188. You will only tire yourself out and gain unsatisfying sonic results.

If something the size of the Bora is too small for your comfort, you could try the Miraphone TU23 (C4) as another poster mentioned. It is also fairly easy to play in the low register. However, its shallowness made the low register sound a little thin for my liking. YMMV.

Good luck!

I would try a Laskey 30G or 28G. The Geibs seem to work better on rotary horns.

-F

LOUD LM-10 would fit the bill of "bored-out C4", LOUD LM-12 is a copy of the thing Ellis Wean made. LM-12 can be a bit brusque, but it'll put some heat into the basement. I used it on a 188 playing the 2nd tuba part for John Adams' Harmonielehre, as well as some other pieces that required very soft control down low. The LM-10 might be a bit more well-rounded in terms of usage. Of course, nothing's an excuse for practicing, but there can be a little "help" given via different types of mouthpieces.

24AW.


Duh.

Wow, thanks for all the input everyone, sorry I didn't get to check back in sooner. A few things in here I want to try, so thanks for the pointers.

Regarding the low register of the 188, it's certainly a known quantity for me, and I know exactly what it is and isn't. Just looking for something that might help take a little of the work out of it, or at least not be counterproductive to my efforts.

Thanks!

A well adjusted clean 188 is capable of a very deadly low end.

Sure, try a few mouthpieces, but I would also encourage you to listen very critically to the quality/character of the sound the 188 WANTS to produce. The 188 is not a 6/4 tuba and any effort to produce a 6/4esque sound on it will result in a marked loss of resonance, projection and efficiency.

joh_tuba wrote:A well adjusted clean 188 is capable of a very deadly low end.

Sure, try a few mouthpieces, but I would also encourage you to listen very critically to the quality/character of the sound the 188 WANTS to produce. The 188 is not a 6/4 tuba and any effort to produce a 6/4esque sound on it will result in a marked loss of resonance, projection and efficiency.

Well, I certainly have no expectation (nor desire) for a 6/4 sound from this tuba. Still a good idea, and I completely believe in NOT fighting the tuba, which is actually one big reason I like the 188 so much (the tuba and I both work well together).

I'll give a few things a try and post some results here when I can!

If you have superior breath support, the Wick 1L. It will give a big, wide, velvety tone to the low register, but its wide throat takes a lot of air.

It may seem counterintuitive, but the Miraphone Rose Solo TU-27 produces a very easy and loud low range on my 188. But for a rounder sound, I'm back to playing with my PT-50. I just have to work a little harder.

Thanks Norm... actually, I use a TU-27 about 90% of the time, it works great with the horn!