Thank you Doug Elliot
Posted: Wed Feb 15, 2017 7:54 pm
Big thanks to Doug Elliot. In late 2014, I suffered a groin/back injury that almost put me out of a job. I slowly recovered and started playing professionally again in 2016. Throughout 2016, I have changed the way I play and thus have been searching for the right mouthpiece. I have tried multiple mouthpieces but haven't been able to find one that I wanted to keep for longer than 3 or 4 months.
I got a hold of Doug the Wednesday before the Army(Go Navy beat Army) tuba conference and told him what I was looking for in a mouthpiece. Primarily, I was looking for something similar to a conn helleberg. A funnel/cone shape cup but with a larger throat(but not too large to be a air hog) and a deeper cup (but not to deep to kill my articulation), and a flat rim. I sent him some pictures of me buzzing my mouthpiece in certain pitches and he suggested a R cup, Flat rim, and M Shank(miraphone shank). Upon receiving my mouthpiece on a Saturday the shank bottomed out in my Miraphone 1292. I used some plumbers tape and emailed Doug right away. He suggested I use a hirsbrunner shank. He not only made it that weekend but after traveling to Alabama for a gig found time to mail it to me on Monday so that I would have it ASAP.
The mouthpiece is awesome. To compare it to a helleberg wouldn't be doing Doug Elliot any justice. It is better than any helleberg set up I have played. The low range is rock solid and alot of fun to open up on but I don't loose any articulation like one would think playing on a deep cup with a large throat. The mid and high range are clear and resonate very well. The overtones are very evident and everything comes out clear. Its a good match for my Miraphone 1292. The rim feels great after 6hrs of rehearsal a day for the past week(and that's saying something because I have big lips and its hard to find a mouthpiece that is comfortable). The craftsmanship is top notch. I couldn't find a blemish on the mouthpiece if I tried. I have tried stainless steel mouthpieces and even though they are great mouthpieces I have always liked the feel(the grip) of silver or gold better on my chops.
If you get a chance give Doug a call and if you can set up a skype call. Thanks again Doug for answering my barrage of emails and phone calls.
I got a hold of Doug the Wednesday before the Army(Go Navy beat Army) tuba conference and told him what I was looking for in a mouthpiece. Primarily, I was looking for something similar to a conn helleberg. A funnel/cone shape cup but with a larger throat(but not too large to be a air hog) and a deeper cup (but not to deep to kill my articulation), and a flat rim. I sent him some pictures of me buzzing my mouthpiece in certain pitches and he suggested a R cup, Flat rim, and M Shank(miraphone shank). Upon receiving my mouthpiece on a Saturday the shank bottomed out in my Miraphone 1292. I used some plumbers tape and emailed Doug right away. He suggested I use a hirsbrunner shank. He not only made it that weekend but after traveling to Alabama for a gig found time to mail it to me on Monday so that I would have it ASAP.
The mouthpiece is awesome. To compare it to a helleberg wouldn't be doing Doug Elliot any justice. It is better than any helleberg set up I have played. The low range is rock solid and alot of fun to open up on but I don't loose any articulation like one would think playing on a deep cup with a large throat. The mid and high range are clear and resonate very well. The overtones are very evident and everything comes out clear. Its a good match for my Miraphone 1292. The rim feels great after 6hrs of rehearsal a day for the past week(and that's saying something because I have big lips and its hard to find a mouthpiece that is comfortable). The craftsmanship is top notch. I couldn't find a blemish on the mouthpiece if I tried. I have tried stainless steel mouthpieces and even though they are great mouthpieces I have always liked the feel(the grip) of silver or gold better on my chops.
If you get a chance give Doug a call and if you can set up a skype call. Thanks again Doug for answering my barrage of emails and phone calls.