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Now that I've had the Neptune for a few weeks, I'd like to start considering some other mouthpiece options. Currently I'm using a Kanstul Geib, which is a really nice mouthpiece and it worked well for me on my Rudy... on the Neptune, it's good, but it's also the only mouthpiece I own right now.

I like a lot of things about it, and the size is pretty good for me (diameter, rim is comfortable, etc.).

The biggest thing I don't like is that on the Neptune, I get some "buzz-back" on it. Not quite sure how to describe it, but sometimes on normal-weight silverplated mouthpieces, you get a little bit of a "buzz" feeling or "ringing" to it. Something I never get with a heavy mouthpiece or a stainless one.

I generally prefer silverplated mouthpieces over stainless.

So, I'm looking for some recommendations:
-- What did B&S "put in the box" with these? (If a PT-xx, I'd be interested to try a "+" version of that.)
-- I've heard to not go too large on mouthpieces with this horn.
-- What have you other Neptune owners found to be effective?

Thanks!

Bort, please do yourself a favor and e-mail or phone Joe Sellmansberger. He came up with a stainless steel cup, rim and shank combination that works very well on my rotary Neptune. He'll work with you, as Joe understands the quirks of the Neptune.

I also have a Kanstul Geib, which I do like, but the 'scale' and intonation is better with the Blokepiece. The low end isn't quite as strong (the Geib is bigger), but I let the largeness of the Neptune do the work. Further more, I get a 'darker' tone quality that blends better with the BBb tubas that I play next to in our community band. I think you'll find Joe's Blokepiece a better match.

Barry

bort wrote:...but it's also the only mouthpiece I own right now.

cjk wrote:

bort wrote:...but it's also the only mouthpiece I own right now.

Well, I guess I forgot about my OLD Bach 18 I used for marching band. That works well with sousaphones, but has never been the best option for anything else for me.

Thanks Barry and Mark for the Sellmansberger recommendation -- that is definitely on the list. I've owned one before and it was great on my Miraphone 188. I just don't like stainless mouthpieces as much as I used to. I may well give it another shot, but silverplated typically works a little better for me.

The Bach 18 is the perfect mouthpiece to use until you've fully 'learned' the Neptune.

Unsolicited advice offered with sincere respect and kindness:
If a Bach 18 doesn't work for you on a given horn it's not the mouthpiece that's the problem.

P.S. If you can get past the plastic feel the Kelly 18 plays nicer than the originals from Bach.

I don't have a Neptune, so you can completely ignore this as totally uninformed and irrelevant, but here are a few pieces you may like if the Kanstul Geib is the sort of piece you generally like:

Schilke Geib. My personal favorite of any of the Geib mouthpieces out there. I find them to be quite different from the Stofer Geib and the Kanstul. Laskey's 30G is similar (and I really like those too) but the Schilke seems to have a little extra "something" that I like vs. other Geibs. These can be purchased new or used.

Doug Elliott with R cup setup. Helleberg style. Many rim options to suit your taste and shank sizes to suit your tuba. Can be purchased new from Doug or buy older stuff from for sale section or eBay.

Dillon M1CB (along with various Geib varieties). These are now "vintage" mouthpieces that haven't been made for several years. The "B" versions are made of bronze and are said to provide the benefits of a heavy mouthpiece within the shell of a 'regular' mouthpiece. The M1CB (L shank) is not a small mouthpiece. Works, I think, very well on the Alexander 163 CC, and may be worth a try on the Neptune. Find these used in the for sale section.

Blokepiece. Already mentioned, but worth repeating. Many combinations available. Bloke has all of the new stuff, but there seem to always be buy/sell/swap posts in the for sale forum for various, uh..."bloke parts."

The problem with the Bach 18 is that I don't think the shank will fit the receiver properly.

Bloke solo cup.
Appropriate sized backbore/shank
Profundo rim of your choice, to deepen Bloke Solo Cup (that should be a song)

Bloke orchestra grand / grand orchestral cup
Appropriate sized backbore/shank
Standard depth rim of your choice

Thanks everybody! Lots of great suggestions for me to try out, I really appreciate it!

Time to pick out a few to try, see what happens, and report back.

Thanks!

The new Dillon Olka CB2 worked very well for me in a Rudy 5/4. Might be worth checking out since the Neptune and Rudy are similar instruments.

I use a Wick 3L, and use the ML leadpipe. Works great for me.

I probably own about 15 or so mouthpieces that I've tried with the Neptune and here are the ones that have worked the best:

GW Bayamo (heavyweight): If you have to play loud and low this may be your ticket. It takes a lot of air and the overall sound is pretty dark, but can be surprisingly agile for a big piece - it's a good complement to the Neptune's surprisingly easy high range.

Laskey 30G: Definitely brightens up the sound but at the cost of some bottom end compared to other pieces. I believe that the Neptune benefits from mouthpieces that tend more toward the Geib (bowl-shaped cup) side of the spectrum, as it adds some definition to the tone. For my applications the Laskey leans just a little to bright for me.

PT88 and 88+: Provides a big sound with a lot of depth and more definition than the Bayamo. I always felt that the PT88 "added" more low end, but others have told me that it just sounds darker. Either way, it creates a big full sound with the Neptune and seems to be reasonably air-efficient. The heavyweight 88+ dampens some of the vibrations that you would normally feel, so it's hard to say how much of an improvement there is. I always felt that the standard weight PT mouthpieces were already heavy enough.

Blokepiece Symphony: I studied the comparison charts available from the Houser web site and found that the Symphony had a cup profile that was very similar to the PT88 but with slightly more of a bowl shape, which is just what I was looking for. I bought a new 3-piece model, which is rather light weight (I generally don't like light weight pieces). The sound is well-balanced and it provides that bit of definition that I felt was missing from the PT88. But from under the bell, it seemed as if I wasn't getting the same bottom end compared to the 88. After a lot of play testing and comparison recordings it appeared that the Symphony was putting out just as much sound. I also discovered that the Symphony did a better job in providing an even response in the notes around the bottom of the staff (I find that the "resistance" or impedance can vary a lot in this range).

I ranked the choices above in ascending order of success for me. The other pieces did not fare as well. I suspect that I will probably try some of the new Profundo rims with the Symphony to see if I can get a little more weight (physically and sonically) with the Neptune.