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I am playing Bydlo with my C Tenor Tuba (euphonium). The stock mouthpiece that came with it give me a bright sound that I’m not comfortable with.

So in looking for a darker tone, should I get the Roger Bobo TT mouthpiece and call it a day?
How about a Schiller 60? Or a Bach Megatone 1.25G ?

I'm not convinced changing to a bigger mouthpiece will make much of a difference to a listener. Feels darker internally for the player, but I'd wager the sound will still be about as bright.

I see a Miraphone 186 in your stable. It would be nice and dark on that.

Todd S. Malicoate wrote:I'm not convinced changing to a bigger mouthpiece will make much of a difference to a listener. Feels darker internally for the player, but I'd wager the sound will still be about as bright.

I see a Miraphone 186 in your stable. It would be nice and dark on that.

Hi Todd,
Yes you're right! It would sound great except for the G#4 which has to be nailed after a quarter rest. I fear chipping that note.

Bach 3G

Ace

pauvog1 wrote:What did it come with? Have you tried any other mouthpieces?

If you are looking at / set on bigger mpcs, maybe look at Helleberg 5E too.

The mouthpiece is a no name, no number stock piece. I am sorry to say that I don’t know enough about bass bone mouthpieces to know exactly what I need to produce the more resonant sound I’m seeking. I’m sure that maybe a Bach megatone or a Stork could May well give me what I’m looking for.

Bigger rim might not be right since that will also diminish the high range. Remember for Bydlo, I need to play G#4 with confidence.

Giddings Ron Wilkins

So I just played pictures in March. I don’t currently have an f tuba, so I used my Wessex Festivo for Bydlo. I had been messing around with a few mouthpieces. I was using a 3AL at first because I could get a bigger sound, but in rehearsal I found that going cold to euphonium with the 3AL after playing several movements on CC wasn’t cutting it. After many tests of playing the solo completely cold, I found a smaller mouthpiece would ensure I hit the G# even if it was 6PM and the first time that day I touched the horn. I settled on a 5G, but my bach 5G and my gidding euros, wasn’t getting the darkness and thickness of sound I wanted. I ended up picking up a Shires 5G, and man was it perfect. It has more mass to it than the Bach and that did wonders for the sound Listening to the recording, it’s about as close to a bass tuba richness I could hear without using an f or a legit German tenor tuba.

I would have liked to give a Shires 3G a try, but I didn’t have the time or money to get another mouthpiece and experiment with cold playing and try it in a rehearsal too.

It might not be as bright out in the hall as you think it is from up close. If it were me....I'd take it somewhere where you could record it from the hall and see what you think.
I also vote for a 5G, but I use a Kelly. Some will shrink in horror but I'm sure I'm not at your level.

Ears you trust in the hall are better than a recording, what with mics, speakers...
I had my friends in the 'bone section tell me their impressions.
If you're not 100% certain there's no shame in giving it to a utility trombone.
Some people even have had it written into their contracts.

CranstonTuba wrote:So I just played pictures in March. I don’t currently have an f tuba, so I used my Wessex Festivo for Bydlo. I had been messing around with a few mouthpieces. I was using a 3AL at first because I could get a bigger sound, but in rehearsal I found that going cold to euphonium with the 3AL after playing several movements on CC wasn’t cutting it. After many tests of playing the solo completely cold, I found a smaller mouthpiece would ensure I hit the G# even if it was 6PM and the first time that day I touched the horn. I settled on a 5G, but my bach 5G and my gidding euros, wasn’t getting the darkness and thickness of sound I wanted. I ended up picking up a Shires 5G, and man was it perfect. It has more mass to it than the Bach and that did wonders for the sound Listening to the recording, it’s about as close to a bass tuba richness I could hear without using an f or a legit German tenor tuba.

I would have liked to give a Shires 3G a try, but I didn’t have the time or money to get another mouthpiece and experiment with cold playing and try it in a rehearsal too.

I can get a Stork 4 with 26mm rim and deep cup. Very similar in shape to the current Stork BT4. Dave Werden's comparison chart states that the BT-4 has a rim of 27.5mm, but the seller says that his BT4 is 26mm.

I can possibly have this by my next rehearsal, or 2nd at the latest. Only 5 rehearsals left until the concert.

I'm pretty sure that I don't want a Yamaha Roger Bobo TT mouthpiece since its rim is 32mm.

So I did some more digging around my house and found two more large shank mouthpieces. Play tested each of the with a tuner, and now have a better choice for Bydlo. Here are the specs on the three I have...

(1) no name that I have been playing until now (specs are close to Bach 4C, 5G)

• Rim ID is 1.008" (25.6mm)
• Rim Thickness is .264" (6.7mm)
• Rim Contour-semi-rounded interior edge, comfortable exterior edge
• Throat Bore .265" (6.7mm)
• Bowl shaped cup

(2) Marcellus

• Rim ID is 1.015" (25.78mm)
• Rim Thickness is .280" (7.1mm)
• Rim Contour-completely rounded interior and exterior edges
• Throat Bore .250" (6.35mm)
• Bowl Shaped cup

(3) no name (Throat is similar to a Stork T2 or T3 and Yamaha 47)

• Rim ID is 1.028" 26.1mm)
• Rim Thickness is .220" (5.59mm)
• Rim Contour-90º interior edge, absolutely flat rim
• Throat Bore .232" (5.9mm)
• Conical shaped cup

So #1 is harder to center high pitches, and I still have fear of nailing the G#4. I will discontinue using this one.
#2 is more comfortable than #1 or #3, high pitches are stable, although overall I have to lip up all pitches, still fear nailing G#4. This one will become my current back up.
#3 is not comfortable at all, high pitches are very stable without lipping up, G#4 sounds every time I nail it. This one will be my Bydlo mouthpiece unless I happen to find another more suitable.

It sounds as if you are a bit anxious about playing the Bydlo high notes. I don't blame you. Nothing wrong with that kind of anxiety. As an alternative, could you turn the passage over to a good euphonium player, perhaps someone in your trombone section? As I recall, that seems to be Gene Pokorny's advice in his Orchestral Excerpts CD. Whatever you decide, I wish you the best. Your friend in music,

Ace

The one time I did it I played it on a Yamaha 621 F with a Doug Elliot cimbasso mouthpiece and that worked very well. The resulting sound was, in my mind, probably something close to what Ravel would have heard in his day and I was more than happy with that. Any other performances I do will see a trombone player finding it on their stand and me happily relaxing.

Many years ago, after a concert in which trombonist Ron Borror kindly covered that solo for me on a borrowed euphonium, a elderly italian gentleman from the violin section came to me and said "you played-a-that solo so nice!"