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I'm confused about tuba mouthpiece sizes. I am looking to buy a mouthpiece for my son who plays in tuba his high school band. Right now he is playing on a Helleberg (no #'s). Would any of these mouthpiece be comparable, and also be something he could still use in college and beyond?
Bach Corp 18
Schilke 66
Jupiter 24AW
RSB size 18 or size 22
Kohlert 18C
Glory Statndard Silver Plated 22

Can you shed some light on any of these or tell me what you would recommend and why? Any help you can be will be greatly appreciated.

If he sounds good on the Helleberg, just stick with that.

With that being said, all of the mouthpieces you have listed have a slightly smaller inside diameter than the Helleberg. If he wants something just to try another mouthpiece, get the Bach 18.

The RSB, Kohlert, and the Glory Standard are just copies of the Bach 18 and Bach 22, with varying degrees of quality.

The best way to pick a mouthpiece is to actually play them. Until then, it can be a very expensive guessing game to find the one you actually like. (trust me, I know from personal experience)

If you live near one of the big tuba sellers in the country, you can take a road trip and try a lot of mouthpieces all in one sitting.

Thank you very much for your advice. I am just looking for an affordable mouthpiece as a second mouthpiece that is similar to what he has, and the ones I mentioned previously are what I've found on Ebay.

I am guessing from what you have said that the RSB 18 and the Kohlert 18C would be the closest in size to the Helleberg that he has now. Is that correct?

Are one of these a better quality than the other overall - the RSB or Kohlert? The RSB is priced at $18.99 and the Kohlert is priced at $22, and they both are new, and I can buy them at that price now. Would either of these be decent mouthpieces? There is also a Jean Baptiste MP18C mouthpiece for sale now for $29. Which one should I go with, if any??

The Bach 18 is used, and is in the auction process on Ebay for $40 as of now.

If it helps, his Helleberg mouthpiece that he has now has an inside rim diameter of 33mm, and I believe a Bach 18 is 32.10mm, so am I to assume that the RSB and Kohlert 18 mouthpieces are very similar in diameter? I had no idea there was this much difference between mouthpieces, or that they were this expensive!!

Would you mind to give me your advice once again? I'm hoping to buy a mouthpiece ASAP, because it is for my son's birthday, which is in about 1 week.

Thanks for any help you can be!

Yes, until a teacher would recommend something different, a Conn Helleberg is just fine. Faxx makes a good, well, facsimile. Depending on the tuba, unless it is a King 2341 or other full 4/4 sized tuba, one of the 18 variants may sound grainy or thin.

Yes, Conn Helleberg 120S or the Faxx version.

Hi Susan,
Although 1 mm might not seem like a lot, in choosing a mouthpiece it is. The Helleberg is a fine mouthpiece and many pros use them. If your son likes his Helleberg, he should stick with it. There are also copies and variations of Hellebergs too. If you are looking for a mouthpiece as a backup, I would strongly recommend a Kellyberg mouthpiece. Kelly mouthpieces are made of lexan and are great for outdoor use. They are also reasonably priced, very comfortable to play on and they come in a variety of colors. I have 3 Kellyberg mouthpieces that I use for outdoor gigs. Most musicians wouldn't be able to tell the difference in hearing a Helleberg from a Kellyberg. They are fine mouthpieces. Check out the web site.

http://www.kellymouthpieces.com" target="_blank

Thanks for all the replies and help. I think I need to explain a bit better.

I am looking for an extra mouthpiece that he can use at home for practicing and sometimes recording music for band quizzes. His band allows him to have a tuba at school and one at home, but only one mouthpiece. He often forgets to bring his mouthpiece home, so I am trying to alleviate this problem. So out of the mouthpieces that I've listed what would be the best choices?

The tubas at home and school are the same brand, I believe, but the school one is a 4 valve vs 3 valve at home. I'll keep looking for a reasonable priced Helleberg then. Thanks for the advice!

If you're paying $22 for a new mouthpiece you're getting a paperweight at best.

I note with relief that the Kellyberg is $34, direct from kellymouthpieces.com - and it isn't a paperweight anyway, as it's too light! I like mine pretty well. In addition to the virtues Bill Troiano mentioned, its light weight makes it less likely to fall out of the tuba accidentally, less likely to be damaged in a fall and less likely to damage other things (i.e., dent the tuba.) And it sounds fine.

Thank you very much for all of the replies and information!! I've learned a lot and now feel I can make a more informed decision. Thanks!

Can anyone tell me how to determine what size Kelly mouthpiece I would need ? I need to try plastic since I've developed a skin condition around/on my lips that's (recently) aggravated by my current mouthpiece. The mouthpiece lip is pretty badly scratched) My mouthpiece is a 'Miraphone C-4", but I don't know what the equivalent Kelly would be (they seem to offer 4 different types, and I'm not sure how to read "bore type", etc.). I just want one similar to what I have. Thanks for the help!

MaineRick wrote:Can anyone tell me how to determine what size Kelly mouthpiece I would need ? I need to try plastic since I've developed a skin condition around/on my lips that's (recently) aggravated by my current mouthpiece. The mouthpiece lip is pretty badly scratched) My mouthpiece is a 'Miraphone C-4", but I don't know what the equivalent Kelly would be (they seem to offer 4 different types, and I'm not sure how to read "bore type", etc.). I just want one similar to what I have. Thanks for the help!

No Kelly I've seen is ANYTHING like a C4 in rim or cup depth. My advice is to get another C4 with a nice fresh rim. Unless you have a real allergy you'll be fine. If you want to change mouthpieces, that's a different story...

To the OP.
I'm surprised nobody has mentioned this, but your son should probably keep the mouthpiece the same in and out of school. Even if the tubas are different, he ought to keep the rim the same as this is the interface between him and his tuba.

Save a few more weeks and get another Helleberg (or post in the For Sale section asking for one used).

There are ways to fix a scratched rim. If it's a very valuable mouthpiece, a professional can make it slightly better than new - fill the scratches, polish and replate.

The cheapest and fastest way is ordinary fingernail polish. Choose a fun color, or clear. I find it surprisingly to apply smoothly. I spread it out on a smooth, hard surface, and dip the rim in the puddle. Repeat for a thicker coat. This gives you a smooth material surface that has been abundantly tested for human safety. If all that safety seems boring, you can also get a can of acetone, to be used for removing the nail polish.

The C4 is an unusual mouthpiece, not often copied. Yamaha 67C4 is supposed to be similar, but of course the usual silver plated brass.