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I own a York Monster Sousaphone (1936) and a King Giant Sousaphone (1929) and have been trying different mouthpieces that I have to find the right one that will help me in the upper registers when I play them. I've tried a Bach 24AW, a Bach 7 and a King 26. I was just wondering if a few of you out there that also own one of the larger sousas, or have played one, might have some advice? Thank you very much!

The 24AW is an oddball design, to put it mildly. It isn't likely to help you (or anyone) with high register playing.

The 7 has a normal-shaped bowl cup but it's wide and deep, and, again, won't help much with high register playing, but it's certainly more accessible up high than with the 24AW.

Might be a good time to try the old standard Bach 18. Blessing and Faxx sell inexpensive copies that are made with more precision than the "real" Bach 18.

The King 26 is also endowed with an unusually open throat.

I'd say Conn 2, if they still made them. The Conn 7B is close, just has a flatter rim, and there's a Faxx copy of it too.

When I had the use of a Conn 38K, I used the bowl Perantucci 82 as it gave the best intonation, projection, and consistency of tone from register to register, doing what it is generally described it is designed to do. General rule of thumb: the larger the bore and bell throat, the shallower the mouthpiece to retain articulation, projection and evenness of tone.

This question reminds me of a lunchtime discussion with Rex Connor at a regional conference when I was a 19-year-old trying to cope with a kaiser Cerveny BBb for all-around playing. He said, "I'd rather play a large tuba with a smaller mouthpiece than to try to play a small tuba with a larger mouthpiece." Due to the physical differences in all of us, trying to promote one mouthpiece as the best for everyone and every situation is not realistic. I would suggest trying a not-so-large mouthpiece, funnel or bowl shape inside, with a not-so-large bore (venturi, backbore) so that you can send a more focused vibration into the instrument and have a little more resistance to help in the upper register. The very-large American Giant/Jumbo/Monster sousaphones really were not designed with upper register as a priority, but more as massive sub-woofers for the band. However, with a smaller mouthpiece (doesn't have to be shallow, either, just not large) and with the proper venturi, these sousaphones can play well in the upper range. I know of a really good all-around mouthpiece, but will not mention it here.

Thank you folks for all of the advice - much appreciated!

Lee Stofer wrote:This question reminds me of a lunchtime discussion with Rex Connor at a regional conference when I was a 19-year-old trying to cope with a kaiser Cerveny BBb for all-around playing. He said, "I'd rather play a large tuba with a smaller mouthpiece than to try to play a small tuba with a larger mouthpiece." Due to the physical differences in all of us, trying to promote one mouthpiece as the best for everyone and every situation is not realistic. I would suggest trying a not-so-large mouthpiece, funnel or bowl shape inside, with a not-so-large bore (venturi, backbore) so that you can send a more focused vibration into the instrument and have a little more resistance to help in the upper register. The very-large American Giant/Jumbo/Monster sousaphones really were not designed with upper register as a priority, but more as massive sub-woofers for the band. However, with a smaller mouthpiece (doesn't have to be shallow, either, just not large) and with the proper venturi, these sousaphones can play well in the upper range. I know of a really good all-around mouthpiece, but will not mention it here.

Indeed. with the 32.5mm cup and 8.2mm throat, one of the fun moments of playing the 38K was to play "The Thunderer" march and go all the way up to the top of staff B nat with perfect intonation. No other tuba or souzy/mouthpiece combination has ever been as responsive, from the top of the staff all the way down to the true pedal BBb. If I were a young man, I would have made arrangements to keep the 38K souzy. But as it is, my Bessophone with a blokepiece and modified adaptor and H-II 32.6mm rim functions for me well, indeed.

Kiltie - which mouthpiece do you use on your Jumbo?