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I recently acquired an original Conn Geib mouthpiece. Besides being a cool piece of tuba history, I'm actually finding that it plays really well. I don't know if I can claim it plays "better" than the Geib copies that I've owned (Stofer and Kanstul), but it plays a little differently.

First the Conn has a distinctive sound to it. The tone is a bit fuller and more colorful to my ear. However, it seems to be at the expense of having slightly less clear articulations, and maybe a slightly smaller dynamic range. I attribute those changes to the mouthpiece having a pretty small throat. It took me a day or two to really figure out HOW to play with this thing, and I'm not there yet, but getting used to it. If you blow HARD and straight through, it will completely back up, and it sounds just dreadful. If you relax and let the mouthpiece do more of the work, it works great. Frankly, the articulation thing is as much me as it is anything else. So, I can easily make it work, I just need to build up automaticity with it.

I'm not sure what differences there are physically, if any, in the Stofer and Kanstul from this one. If there are any, they are very minor, and if they exist, they only modernize this vintage classic, from the days when tubas and brass sections were, well, quite a bit different.

Although it's a different situation altogether, I think the color/clarity difference here reminds me of the difference between gold brass and yellow brass. I wonder, were mouthpieces from the 1930s(?) made with any different kind of brass than is used today? (Like the Kanstul York concept...?)

Maybe this is all in my head, but I've spent quite a bit of time the last few days doing A/B testing (as blindly as I can do on my own), and I think I can tell the differences... good and bad. Apart from playing with something that seems a little smaller, it's just an awesome mouthpiece, and it works crazy good on my Willson.

Curious of any other experiences with these rare mouthpieces. Also, does anyone know (or want to guess) how many of these even exist?

Finally, as cool as this is, I'm slightly terrified of it. Dropping it would be a sin. Going in public with it scares me. If it got lost or stolen, I know it's irreplaceable and it would be heartbreaking. But I think it's equally as bad to let this great mouthpiece be banished to a shoebox in a closet, and used only for show and tell. So, I don't know. I'll have to sort that out on my own what to do with it. But for the near future, it'll be used in my Willson here at home.

Send it to Stork Mouthpiece in Vermont and have a copy made with which you can then feel less apprehensive about publicly playing with it. I had them copy a custom H.M White mpc from the 1920's and they were very accurate in duping it - and a tad pricey.

Not a bad idea, thanks. I'm extremely careful with my stuff, but even still, you can only do so much.

Thanks for the PMs and emails. Keep them coming, I'm interested to know what other people can tell me about the original Geib mouthpieces.

You can probably find a copy of that mouthpiece just lying around somewhere.

Play it. It's worth way less than your tuba. Buy a really nice super duper protective mouthpiece pouch for it. Don't just leave it in the tuba during breaks when you are out playing. Take it with you. It will be fine.

Thanks... my first venture into unique/vintage mouthpieces, so it just feels a little different.

I forgot to mention, compared to the Kanstul Geib, for me, the Conn works slightly better. The Kanstul seemed to "buzz" or "buzz back" a bit, if that makes any sense. The Conn has a tight low range that requires some focus, but otherwise is a real joy to play. The Kanstul was really good and a really close copy, but has a slightly more open low end and slightly less color. Again, could all just be in my head.

Why didn't Conn make more of these, or ever re-release them? Just weren't popular enough, or just were eclipsed by the Helleberg? Or a victim of timing, with the Depression and then the war? (I don't even know the timeline of Mr. Geib very well either.) Sounds like a research project.

Curmudgeon wrote:Some of the "Geib" mouthpieces were made by Gratz. Conn made also made some of them and those seemed to have survived better. Mr. Geib was canned by the NYPO in 1928 and replaced by Toscanini's cook, Vincenzo Vanni, who also played tuba in Dallas. No kidding. Conn may have stopped (reduced?) production at that time.

All new to me... Thanks!

Conn-Geib tuba mouthpieces are still shown being for sale ( along with the Chief, Helleberg, etc.) in their 1935 catalog. New ' old stock?' or new mouthpieces?
Mark

Now you're sorry you sold that Milnarik mouthpiece pouch, aren't you?

ghmerrill wrote:Now you're sorry you sold that Milnarik mouthpiece pouch, aren't you?

I sold a Milnarik double pouch. I kept (and have used) my Milnarik single pouch all along. Really is the best protection that I've seen in a pouch.

(And I'm always surprised by how much people remember! )

Definitely the best mouthpiece pouches I've ever seen. I've got one single and one double. Would like to get another double for trombone mouthpieces (even if it would be a little big), but it looks like he's not making them any longer. They're listed, but not in stock for a long time now. Too bad. GREAT pouches.

Curmudgeon wrote:Some of the "Geib" mouthpieces were made by Gratz.

Who is or was Gratz?

I don't have my scan of the back of the Geib mouthpiece flyer to double check, but I believe that the Gratz mouthpieces were Geib's own configuration, which is significantly different from the Conn namesake design.

There are other threads on this (one started by Art Hovey, with a scan of the front of the flyer). But briefly, those mouthpieces have a huge backbone (really, no backbore) to accommodate sleeves that really provided the backbore. Also on the 2 I have seen, the shank is very large (larger than modern Euro shanks), to fit the receivers on found on some of the early Sander tubas.

Just didn't want anyone to think the Conn was interchangeable of the other period Geib.

Oh wow, that's right, I forgot about the sleeve version. Totally remember reading about that. Thanks, Mike.

This Conn Geib is really great.

Been thinking. Sure would be neat if Conn would put out a commemorative series of some of their "celebrity mouthpieces' from the Golden Age. The Chief, Del Negro, Geib, Helleberg & The Giant and I'm sure there are others. I can think of a few CNC machinists who would probably love to scan these and turn out a limited edition.

Paul, that's an excellent idea.

If Conn had any interest in making modern professional-level tuba stuff anymore (they don't make the 5xJ anymore, do they?), it would be an awesome idea, and they would sell a bunch of them, for a bunch of money, to people like us.

Curmudgeon--I agree completely. I have an original Geib played by a famous player for many years, with the throat opened up, but all appearances, with a screwdriver....

There is a mouthpiece in my collection stamped:
Fred Geib
318

I'd be quite interested if anyone knows anything about it.

It is quite similar to a Conn Geib, but very slightly different. It's one of my favorites.

cjk wrote:There is a mouthpiece in my collection stamped:
Fred Geib
318

I'd be quite interested if anyone knows anything about it.

It is quite similar to a Conn Geib, but very slightly different. It's one of my favorites.

318...March 1918???