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I recently decided to start playing bass trombone and need some help deciding what mouthpiece to use. I have a Holton TR-181 double valve, inline horn. I currently use a Conn Helleberg for my tuba. I figure that I will want to keep similar rim shapes so the transition is easier. As you probably know, the rim is wide and somewhat flat. It seems as though narrow rims are popular with the larger cup size for the bass bone. Needless to say I'm confused and I don't want to drop a ton of money experimenting. I am thinking of trying a Bach 1 1/2 G or maybe a Dennis Wick 2AL. All suggestions are appreciated.

Schilke 57, 58

Ace

Conn actually makes a Helleberg euphonium mouthpiece, the 5E, but it's a tenor trombone-sized cup the size of a Bach 5 or Schilke 51-52. It's a bit small for bass trombone even though the cup is extremely deep.

I concur on the schilke. You might even want to go up to the 60. It's about the closest thing to tuba no you can get. The TT doesn't work well in the bass trombone for me. It's just too big.

Yeo Signature and a Schilke 58

When I had my TR181 I used a Schilke 60. I tried the 58 and 59, but preferred the 60.

You can blow the walls down with that horn. But the balance was rather unpleasant -- even after I had a ring soldered under the receiver.

I tried the Bobo to mouthpiece on bass t bone and it's not bad but the Shilke 60 is much better. I did have Doug Elliott put together a very small-shallow tuba mouthpiece with a large shank and found this to be the most comforting on bass t bone. In the video I used it for the first time on the cerveny contra f rotary trombone and I thought it worked well.

This is a video of me playing the cerveny for the first time as well as using the Elliott mouthpiece. I did battle the intonation a little
as well as realized the horn was a huge air hog.

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=2MVnHAUQhq ... CA3A351922" target="_blank


Tom

If you really need that flat rim with the high inner edge, you might check out the Laskeys. I play a 59MD on my big tenor, and it has the flattest rim of anything I have tried. They make three models for bass. Might be worth checking out: http://www.laskey.com/trombone%20mouthpieces.html

FWIW, I play a Bach 1 1/4GM on bass.

I have a Schilke 59 with the back bore bored out to equal that of the 60, or at least that's what the guy I bought it from said. Either way, I love it and it works great for me.

Many of the bass trombonists who were playing Schilke 59's and 60's are now playing Laskey 85MD's and 93D's, respectively.

Better pitch, better response, more efficient in general.

Andrew (playing a 93D for 5 years now. Boy, are my lips tired!)

If you are a tuba player - any bass trombone mouthpiece will feel small to you so you may just as well use the biggest. I like the rim on Schilke or Yamaha. The inner rim is too sharp for me on Bach 1 or 1 1/4. I'm afraid you have to go thru trial and error ordeal as any one of us. From the observation of my buddies: If your upper lip is large and flat with the red area relatively small then you would be a candidate for Bach more likely. If your lip goes forward a little and the red is sizable then you need a comfort of Schilke 59/ Yamaha 60 or just go Schilke 60 but it's slightly " dull" in the upper register.

The Bone Ranger wrote:Many of the bass trombonists who were playing Schilke 59's and 60's are now playing Laskey 85MD's and 93D's, respectively.

Better pitch, better response, more efficient in general.

Andrew (playing a 93D for 5 years now. Boy, are my lips tired!)

I agree with Andrew. I've played a Schilke 59 for most of my career but have gravitated to larger now that a greater percentage of my playing is on tuba. The Laksey 93D is a more efficient version of a Schilke 60. Griego and Hammond also have mouthpieces all around this size that I'm curious about but I am happy with my Laskey.

Bob

gregsundt wrote:If you really need that flat rim with the high inner edge, you might check out the Laskeys. I play a 59MD on my big tenor, and it has the flattest rim of anything I have tried. They make three models for bass.

Interesting, are the 85MD and 93D also flat rims?

Josef Klier bass trombone mouthpiece rims are somewhat flattened. Not so flat as the Conn Helleberg tuba mouthpiece, more like a Conn 2 if that helps. I've never heard of anything for bass trombone with the Helleberg flat/sharp rim, but bass trombone players don't seem to really be able to talk about this, perhaps because they have never experienced the phenomenon, so I know only what I have.

The Joseph Klier mouthpieces also have a little more conical profile, again like the Helleberg. They come in a range of cup depths, and at the "1" width, which is a comfortable 1¼G -ish size, the deepest "A" is not as deep as the 1¼G.

Donn wrote:

gregsundt wrote:If you really need that flat rim with the high inner edge, you might check out the Laskeys. I play a 59MD on my big tenor, and it has the flattest rim of anything I have tried. They make three models for bass.

Interesting, are the 85MD and 93D also flat rims?

I couldn't say. Just talking in terms that, in many cases, that sort of thing runs across a product line. If you get the chance, it's worth a try.

BTW, In the Laskey numbering system, put a decimal point between the numbers and a 2 in front to get the diameter. an 85 is 28.5 mm (like a 1 1/4). 93 is 29.3 mm (like a gut bucket).

If you want a wider style rim, all of my bass trombone rims are available in Wide which is like a typical tenor trombone rim shape, but my rims are a bit flatter than most. I wouldn't ordinarily make a Helleberg flat style rim for bass trombone, but I can. I don't think you'd like it on bass trombone even though you like it on tuba.

Thanks for all the help. I picked up the Schilke 59 off Ebay. I figure that's a good place to start.

trucktramp wrote:Thanks for all the help. I picked up the Schilke 59 off Ebay. I figure that's a good place to start.

Good choice, a tuba doubler can't go wrong with that for a first piece.

I also use a Conn Helleberg on tuba and I have tried a Schilke 59, Bach 1g, and Bach 1 1/2g and find the Schilke to be the best fit of the three. fwiw

I use a Hammond 20BXL on my Getzen 1052FDR (with dual bore slide)

Love the rim and the consistency from top to bottom

Josh Wirt

bloke wrote:Try a Schilke 59. That model seems to work reasonably well for everyone on every bass trombone.

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