TubeNet

Is that a PT88 or RT88? Since they are so different. I know the 8.8 projects better because the dot between the eights stretches the overtones so they reach out into the hall better.

According to precise scientific measurement, the tone of the silver plated floats higher in the hall than the tone from a gold plated mouthpiece, which sinks to the bottom. This is due to the density of gold being roughly double that of silver. The real question is round shank vs slightly dented shank.

I'm sure Mr. Tucci himself will chime in and give the definitive answer.

I prefer a Rocket 88

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gbfnh1oVTk0


or maybe a Delta 88

Just googled "88". Golly this thread could degrade very quickly.

Just to keep it away from that, Sir Stirling Moss retired at age 88...

I like this '88:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fka3jWvQfvw" target="_blank

One reason for the new RT series, instead of PT, is apparently that one distributor may be selling mouthpieces called "PT", but are made elsewhere. The RT stuff has had a few small updates, and is guaranteed to be real.

First there was the Olds 88, then there was the famous 426 HEMI, then the great Sterling Moss whose biography is titled "All but my life.", then various comments on the Tube Net and now, my response. The "88" along with the "50" makes for one of the most successful contrabass tuba mouthpieces in history. It requires some application and can be an exceptionally good mouthpiece. Over the years there have been several versions. The first was the PT-20 followed by the PT-88 made for us by Bruno Tilz. Bruno will celebrate his 88th birthday in August (add this to the list...) still works at his shop now run by his daughter and granddaughters. Their ages added up might come close to 88.

In 1995 I began moving mouthpiece production to a CNC machine. Since then the 88 has received much development. This was followed by the 88+ heavy shell model and more recently, by the 88L intermediate weight shell model. The refined and proven cup is used for the Canadian Brass Heritage Series MB-88, also for Dan Perantoni's 8.8 and for the new RT-88 and RT-88+.

From my own considerable experience and with the many tubas we have here, one or the other mouthpiece will enhance the response, sound and power in a given case. My PT-6P is an early-production one with hand-made body bows, lighter in overall weight. The 88L works fine on this instrument. My Fafner, quite a heavy instrument, comes alive in a new way with the MB-88. Arnold Jacobs used many different mouthpieces depending on the sound he desired for the music at hand. He also said: "Mouthpieces are cheaper than tubas".

Our former distributor last purchased genuine Perantucci mouthpieces from me in October 2016. Since then they indicated that the mouthpieces they offer are from another source. I have not yet seen one of these and therefore cannot vouch for the musical or manufactured quality. Such offerings should be very carefully inspected and evaluated prior to purchase. Genuine "Made in Germany" Perantucci mouthpieces are available from my online shop; the full line with thirty-four models in two different shank sizes.

Arnold Jacobs ofter said: "Don't work on the problem, work on the solution." My solution to "cheap" and questionable quality was to create and now market a new line of Euphonium and tuba mouthpieces under my own name. That would put me in the same category as Denis Wick who will be 88 next June!

I will be in attendance and participate in the U.S. Army Band Tuba and Euphonium Workshop. The program is impressive and it will be exciting, also for me. As for the final 88 of the day, your author is already on Seventy-Seven Sunset Strip.

Thanking you for your attention to these remarks, I remain faithfull to the 88!

Bob Tucci

bort wrote:and is guaranteed to be real.

This quality is so underestimated.

Donn wrote:

bort wrote:and is guaranteed to be real.

This quality is so underestimated.

The idea that Custom Music is peddling fake or low quality PT mouthpieces is ridiculous.

I said "apparently," but I believe the person who told me. If Bob Tucci found it necessary to take the steps he has, that also says a lot to me.

In the end, people will always decide for themselves what and where to buy their stuff.

bort wrote:I said "apparently," but I believe the person who told me.

Told you that they're made in a different factory, than where they used to be made. Then

kmorgancraw wrote: The idea that Custom Music is peddling fake or low quality PT mouthpieces is ridiculous.

... is a reasonably true statement? Unless the quality of mouthpieces depends on their having been made in the same factory. As a general principle, the notion that some enterprise might peddle low quality mouthpieces is fairly easy for me to swallow, but I don't see any particular reason to say that in this case.

Unless Custom is also replicating the genuine boxes they sell the PT mouthpieces in then I might agree. They have/had a huge surplus of them and I have bought several from them that come in as genuine as you can get. I think the above statements are disingenuous at best for a reputable company. The knockoffs that Bob is talking about are not marked or engraved with any numbers or letters on them and can occasionally be found on eBay or other parts of the web. (Oh yeah 88 posts, LOL)

Im not sure what I said about quality, but whatever.

bloke wrote:This may have been my best troll ever.

Excellent work sir.

BLOKE YOU DID IT AGAIN

bloke wrote:This may have been my best troll ever.

Priceless!

Custom Music's web-site is a joke. A person who visited the place not too long ago said the address as presented in Ferndale is now an empty building and at the new address, none of the instruments shown are available. Seems they are now selling plastic flowers.

Too bad, it was once a really great place for tuba players.

Eugene

E. Green wrote:Custom Music's web-site is a joke. A person who visited the place not too long ago said the address as presented in Ferndale is now an empty building and at the new address, none of the instruments shown are available. Seems they are now selling plastic flowers.

Too bad, it was once a really great place for tuba players.

Eugene

The address in Farmington Hills is legit, I think Ferndale is the old address. I suppose believing everything you hear online could be the issue here, plastic flowers? Any proof of that?