PT-36: What is it?...

[greenbean]

I have been using a Perantucci PT-36 mouthpiece for the past couple months. I like it. But... what is it?

By that, I mean: Where does this mouthpiece fall in the world of mouthpiece types and sizes? It seems to be about the same size as my Miraphone TU-29. Perhaps more funnel-shaped? I am not sure if these are smallish, medium, large, shallow, deep, etc.

Can someone help?...

[Donn]

Here's what I get, from the apparent owners of the "Perantucci" mark in the US (only.)

PT-36

• CUP CHARACTERISTICS: 33 mm. diameter - Deep - Funnel-shaped.
• RIM CHARACTERISTICS: Width 7.5 mm. - Medium sharp inner edge - Well-rounded outer edge
• THROAT BORE: 8.3 mm.
• Model PT-36 produces the depth and volume of sound required by today's symphony orchestras. The relatively narrow rim provides remarkable flexibility for a mouthpiece of this size. This is a very popular mouthpiece.

Of course, most of this is very ambiguous. Deep and funnel shaped - but compared to what? I've never seen one, but the sides are a bit rounded, aren't they? not strictly funnel shaped, and maybe less so than other mouthpieces you may have. This rounding can happen in two ways - at the top, where it makes a straighter sided profile, and at the bottom, where it produces a flatter bottomed profile - and I think the two are likely to be really different. As far as I know, the latter (alone) is rare in modern mouthpieces, but the two combined is fairly common. The sales materials never go into any of this, and if they did it probably wouldn't help much anyway.

[Lee Stofer]

I don't drink coffee, but I take Bloke to have said that endless discussions of technical aspects of mouthpieces really make no difference, if you have a mouthpiece that you like, and works well for you.

Several years ago, I was privileged to have lunch with Paul Haugan in Chicago at one of Al Capone's favorite hangouts, and during the course of lunch he talked "mouthpiece tech talk" until I was almost cross-eyed. He could have written a doctoral dissertation (for either science or music) on brass instrument mouthpieces. As we were parting, I asked him if he'd like to try one of my Geib model mouthpieces. He briefly looked it over, asked how much it cost, and when I told him, he replied, "I don't want to pay that much for another mouthpiece." As he was already a customer, I offered to let him just take it on approval, and he did. Two weeks later, I received a phone call from him - (Paul) "You're a pretty shrewd salesman." (Me) "What are you talking about, Paul?" (Paul) "You sent me home with this mouthpiece. I've used it in the orchestra both on my F-tuba and the big horn, and your mouthpiece has something that none of my 170 other mouthpieces has. I must buy it." What did my mouthpiece have that his other didn't? I honestly can't tell you. There are a number of variables working together (or not) in every mouthpiece made, and there are virtually endless possibilities of tweaking those variables. One can make themselves (and their local tech) crazy by trying to explore all of those possibilities. If you have a mouthpiece that you can get a good sound with, and play well on, I'd say you're doing well. If you are dissatisfied with your mouthpiece, I'd suggest trying something different, looking for a mouthpiece that maybe does not necessarily give you the most prodigious high range, low range, the most volume, etc., but look for a balance that helps you come closer to being able to do all things well with the instrument. I personally have found that I tend to sound better on a deep, bowl-shaped mouthpiece with a thin rim, and a medium backbore. With a little research, and as you play more and gain more experience, you can determine what's best for you.

OK, concerning your PT-36 - it is a Bruno Tilz mouthpiece from Germany, produced under Custom Music International's Perantucci name. The 33mm cup opening is relatively large, cup depth is unknown at this point, but likely deep, as they say. The rim width is what I'd call medium, thicker than the 7mm rim on my Geib, but not a fat rim. It should offer a good attack with the medium-sharp inner edge, but be pretty comfortable with the well-rounded outer edge. The throat bore of 8.3mm is large, so you'll need to use plenty of good air support to fill up the horn and play in-tune. I hope this is helpful.

[greenbean]

Thanks so much to all of you. I also received a PM a well-informed individual. This has been very helpful.

One thing you all said - and I fully agree with - is the idea that whatever mouthpiece works well, feels good, and sounds good is a good mouthpiece. So, the PT-36 is a very good mouthpiece for me. I like the rim. The inner edge is definitely sharper than the outer edge. My Helleberg is wider and flatter, and my TU29 if wider and more rounded.

I wasn't extremely concerned about its place in the world and I have decided to completely forget about it and just keep practicing. My tuba playing is coming together - relatively speaking.