oedipoes wrote:
'They' 'say' that a DW 2L has a 'Helleberg style cup', whatever that means.
'They' 'lie', in my opinion. But it's complicated - you could more accurately describe cup shape with maybe three parameters - wall, floor, throat transition. The 2L resembles a Helleberg a bit in the throat and floor, but has `vertical' upper walls, and in the end, to my ears, it doesn't work the way a Helleberg should.
The Schilke "Helleberg" is a little this way - not as noticeably, though. I wish I had a Schilke Helleberg II, to compare the two - I think it's supposed to be an improvement.
The Wick 2L is NOT a Helleberg. The Wick 1L is a Helleberg-style, but still a little different. The Wick 2L is more of a hybrid cup. I'm sitting here with one right in front of me.
I like Hellebergs for the 3/4 size tubas. They have enough depth of cup to give these small tubas, like the King 1141, the smaller Conn, and such, some real tone. They sound good, including the Schilke HII, on a small bore souzy like the King or the Jupiter.
The shallower 7B is a great starter mouthpiece, and also works well on a 14K.
I have played a Conn Helleberg, off and on, for over 35 years. Some years ago, I participated in a seminar on mouthpieces, where each player used several mouthpieces on their own instrument, behind a screen, and a panel judged the sound. The panel was unanimous that I sounded best on my Alexander with the Helleberg.
This year, I spent over $1000 on mouthpieces, looking for one that made the dark but cutting sound I wanted from my Nirschl. After all that, I ended up back where I started, with the Helleberg. The Sidey Helleberg comes very close, but it does not play as well as my 1971 Conn.
I also recently modified a Laskey 30F to a Helleberg rim, for my F tuba. It works much better now.
BTW, I presume everyone here knows after whom the Helleberg is named?
Sandy Keathley, DMA https://mckinneyfirearmstraining.com
Yamaha YFB-822S F
Gnagey Holton/King CC
Gone but not forgotten: Alexander 163 CC 5V, Mirafone 186-5U CC, Nirschl 5/4 CC
I play a King 1241UB that I bought in 1972, and that I have kept in reasonably pristine condition over the last 37 years. I think 1241s are pretty "mouthpiece tolerant" instruments. That having been said, I tend to use my Conn Helleberg when I am playing in a large wind ensemble with two or three other tubas. It seems to provides a reasonably rich, full tone with strong fundamentals, and blends well with the other tubas/low brass instruments. When I am the only tuba playing in a small ensemble, I seem to prefer my blessing 18. For me, it provides a more nimble, brighter and "sweeter" tone that emphasizes more of the overtones. It just seems to work well in small groups. But at the end of the day, my 1241 sounds like my 1241, and I pretty much sound like me, regardless of what mouthpiece I use. The changes in tone, intonation and articulation are VERY subtle, and probably only heard (imagined?) by me.
Last edited by TubaBobH on Wed Sep 30, 2009 10:38 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Bob Horuff
King 1241UB
MF-2B / Conn 120s / Kelly 18
If I should ever die, God forbid, let this be my epitaph:
The only proof he needed for the existence of God was music."
[Kurt Vonnegut]
