Am I destined to play a Conn/Helleburg forever?

MaryAnn · Post by **MaryAnn** » Tue Jul 11, 2006 1:19 pm

I'm of the school that says you match the mouthpiece to the instrument.

I happen to use a PT64 on my F and 3/4 CC tubas (Miraphone 184, like someone said.)

However, I also played Sam Pilafian's Besson CC tuba with the PT 64, and he said, quote, "That is a good mouthpiece for that tuba."

I think the bowl shape of the PT64, as opposed to the funnel shape of the Helleburg, is just not working on your tuba.

I find I have very bad mouthpiece mismatch problems on euphonium...one mouthpiece makes it play very sharp, another one makes it play very flat, another one yet has it sharp in the high register and flat in the low register. I haven't found one that works yet, and it may be that I just have a bad instrument (not the case on horn; there are pitch "tendencies" that require moving the tuning slide, but not these off the wall high here low there problems.)

Klaus can comment extremely intelligently on effects that things like bowl shape, backbore, etc have on the tuba intonation response. Those of us who are not in his league just have to experiment until we find a good match.

MA

Donn · Post by **Donn** » Tue Jul 11, 2006 1:53 pm

pjv wrote:A mpc should make things better, not worse. It should have advantages. Some mpc's are great if you play them a certain way (for ex. a helleberg mpc has a very different responce in the low register than a C4 type cup mpc).

Coincidentally, if both make it to tonight's practice, one of my tuba playing colleagues will have a Conn Helleberg and the other a C4, both on Bb Miraphone 186. They sound surprisingly similar, too, though indeed the C4 guy does tend to take the upper part if anyone does. I have a C4 and never want to see another mouthpiece anything like it, but it works for him.

TexTuba · Post by **TexTuba** » Tue Jul 11, 2006 11:59 pm

bloke wrote:There may be worse fates...

Nah, I don't see saxes so it can't be TOO bad.

Ralph

XtremeEuph · Post by **XtremeEuph** » Wed Jul 12, 2006 1:21 am

yeah....I would say if your tuning slide is all the way out, try putting it back in

.

Donn · Post by **Donn** » Wed Jul 12, 2006 1:52 am

Donn wrote:Coincidentally, if both make it to tonight's practice, one of my tuba playing colleagues will have a Conn Helleberg and the other a C4, both on Bb Miraphone 186.

But he went and made a liar out of me, bought a used TU29 for peanuts and played that instead of the C4. From a quick peek inside, it looks like a Helleberg.

Allen · Post by **Allen** » Wed Jul 12, 2006 1:43 pm

There is one other thing to consider: Some tubas have alternate main tuning slides available. A shorter slide for A=443 and higher, and a longer slide for the right pitch (A=440). You might ask someone who is an expert on your particular tuba. A technician at a dealer who sells your brand of tuba is a good place to start.

TubaSteve · Post by **TubaSteve** » Wed Jul 12, 2006 3:33 pm

I am one of those guys that do switch from time to time. I have just put my Conn/Helleburg in the case as I have used it so much that the plating is now mostly worn off of the face and it has a sharp edge. (I've been playing on it for many years.) I have switched to the stock mp that came with my MW-25. I find that it there was some getting used to, and I still have to work at the lower registers more with the meinl mp, but it is very brite and clear. I use an old Bach 18 in my Reynolds sousa phone that works great for that horn and it is also convient to have it there when I need it. I probably will either end up sending the Conn out for plating or replace it as I do think that the lower regisers are easier for me on it.
Steve

iiipopes · Post by **iiipopes** » Thu Jul 13, 2006 6:25 am

I agree that an 18 is a great souzy mouthpiece. I use the Kelly version on my souzy. Since the field and street need projection and presence, I have a hard time understanding why anyone would use a funnel cup of any style, including a Helleberg, for show/parade?

Donn · Post by **Donn** » Thu Jul 13, 2006 3:33 pm

iiipopes wrote:I agree that an 18 is a great souzy mouthpiece. I use the Kelly version on my souzy. Since the field and street need projection and presence, I have a hard time understanding why anyone would use a funnel cup of any style, including a Helleberg, for show/parade?

You haven't tried a Marcinkiewicz H4, I take it. Coincidentally, I plugged that into my very full sized Bb sousaphone last night for a little practice. The H4 is really for my Eb helicon, and it's a little bright for the sousaphone, but it's a bracing and vigorous sound. For that tuba I guess the H3 might be a better compromise.

I think some of what we think of as typical funnel sound is really due to depth. Without the depth, the funnel still rounds off a certain edge. Or rather it doesn't add an annoying artificial edge like the bowl shape does - what you put in, is what you get out. That's how it seems to me. Most funnel shaped mouthpieces are on the deep side, but there's the H4, and Laskey 30F and others I haven't seen.