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I have been looking at different mouthpieces for my old Western German Eb. So far it seems to play best on medium width cups (32ish) with a medium deep bowl.

One mouthpiece characteristic that I am unfamiliar with is throat size. There seems to be a wide range of throat sizes associated with the same size rims or similar cup depth.
http://www.dwerden.com/Mouthpieces/tuba ... pare=32.50" target="_blank

What influence does throat size have on mouthpiece design?

vespa50sp wrote:What influence does throat size have on mouthpiece design?

Considerable!

If you happen to have a twist bit drill set, that's one way to gauge the throats on your mouthpieces. (Just slip them in there, not chucked into the drill, of course.)

The Bach Mouthpiece Manual (PDF) goes into these matters. Everyone has opinions; theirs might not be right, but at least they have some standing in the matter. You will note that there's also a back bore that may count for as much or more than the throat - but is real hard to observe or discuss, as is the throat for that matter, so we usually just talk about the cup diameter as if it were the only thing that mattered.

Donn wrote:

vespa50sp wrote:What influence does throat size have on mouthpiece design?

Considerable!

If you happen to have a twist bit drill set, that's one way to gauge the throats on your mouthpieces. (Just slip them in there, not chucked into the drill, of course.)

The Bach Mouthpiece Manual (PDF) goes into these matters. Everyone has opinions; theirs might not be right, but at least they have some standing in the matter. You will note that there's also a back bore that may count for as much or more than the throat - but is real hard to observe or discuss, as is the throat for that matter, so we usually just talk about the cup diameter as if it were the only thing that mattered.

Thanks for the link, it helps clear up the mechanics a bit, though backbore seems to be the big mystery. I might give the Perantucci Pt64 a second chance. The bowl is not as deep as my Hercon, but the rim is a bit larger. Plus since I only paid $28 for it I can stick it in the drill press and shave the american sized shank down to a small tuba/large bass trombone shank without feeling too badly. http://www.amazon.com/Perantucci-Mouthp ... B000Y044IA

For many decades, I have drilled out my trumpet mouthpieces to a modest drill No. 24 (.152") (3.86 mm). Vincent Bach has written in favor of modestly larger throats in certain circumstances. (The standard trumpet mouthpiece throat is drill No. 27.) Excessively large throats, say drill No. 20, can increase volume but sharpen the upper register, increase fatigue, and make it a little more difficult to play pianissimo. My No. 24 drill has proven to be a good compromise for symphony work.
Caveat: For many years, I have used a Bach 5G for my tenor trombone (.547" bore). Recently, I drilled it out to just a tiny fraction larger. Result? Ruined the top register! Anyone have a used 5G for sale?

Ace