How different are your mouthpieces?

[Peach]

Wondering whether folks here like to keep their rims identical (or near), or think nothing of a 31mm for bass and 33.5mm contra? Bass trom/euph to tuba in the same gig?

If you make big changes, can you do it instantly (ie: mid-gig) or do you need a period of adjustment?

Personally, I play bass trom and euph and tubas fairly interchangeably with a wide range of mouthpieces.
If I play euph/bone during the say for a time and then try to play contrabass that evening it takes me a while to loosen up.
I don't seek advice; I just wonder what others do. I know there's no concrete rules for all players here...

Opinions, comments?

[Bob Kolada]

I have the best luck playing when I go from large to small mouthpieces.

big tuba- PT48
small tuba- shallow 30mm noname thing
bass trombone- Yamaha 60B (28mm maybe?) and JK KBP2C (30mm) pretty much equally
euphonium and tenor trombone (rarely)- 3G stuff

30mm seems to be my trombone/tuba crossover.

[tubatom91]

Contrabass: pt-88
Bass: Mirafone C4

I like the sound they give me, I haven't had any problem switching back and forth. On my contrabass I like to use a gaggle of different mouthpieces (SS Kellyberg,C4,PT-36,Helleberg 7B,PT-88,PT-88+,drilled out Yamaha 67C4's) and eventually settle back to the PT-88.

[Peach]

I have the best luck playing when I go from large to small mouthpieces.

big tuba- PT48
small tuba- shallow 30mm noname thing
bass trombone- Yamaha 60B (28mm maybe?) and JK KBP2C (30mm) pretty much equally
euphonium and tenor trombone (rarely)- 3G stuff

30mm seems to be my trombone/tuba crossover.

Bob,
Do you mean you sound fine going from playing contrabass to bass but less good if you start the day on bone/bass tuba and then move down to contra?

Given the choice I'd always warm up on the big tuba first. Helps beef up my bass sound too!

[Bob Kolada]

Yes, at least now. Back when I played only bassbone and Eb it wasn't as much of a problem even though I played much different mouthpieces then (Schilke 60 and Bach 18).

Clarification- for me "bass" generally means small Eb and contrabass means huge Eb (my "bass" tuba is shown in my avatar). I do notice it though when I play an actual contrabass. Interestingly enough, my big Eb playing has really helped my actual contrabass playing.

[iiipopes]

For me: 1.28 inches, which is the same as 32.5 millimeters. Moderate "bite." overall rim contour doesn't mean much. Cup geometry or depth doesn't mean much, so long as it is matched to the horn, ensemble, and repertoire. On the Besson, this means a Wick 1 for general useage, and a Kelly 18 when it gets cold outdoors. On the 186, this means the Curry 128D for general usage, the PT34 for upper/solo work with the upright bell, and I'm having Kanstul make me a custom 18 with a 1.28 diameter instead of the traditional 1.26 for use with my recording bell. The 38K gets a PT82, like that supplied with the PT605 large 4/4-to-small 5/4 large bell throat rotor BBb. Also, on the 186, the throat of whatever mouthpiece I play on it needs to be pretty open, no less than 8.2mm with a good open backbore, or the high register will go flat. OTOH, anything larger than 8.4mm throat and I end up needing three lungs.

When Jeff Rideout came through town, I got to try the ENTIRE selection of PT mouthpieces. Yes, EVERYTHING! I had a pretty good idea that 1.28 was the optimal diameter for me from other mouthpiece tryouts, but this definitely confirmed it. High range? I can play all day from 4th line f to an octave above that on my Besson with the Wick 1, which is one of the deepest mouthpieces made (even considering the SSH); and on the 186, I can growl with the best of them with the PT34, which has a moderate depth rounded bowl, but not so shallow the horn goes "grainy" in the low register. Otherwise, the 186 is big, dark, and symphonic, looking east towards Alex territory, with the retrofit St Pete bell and the Curry.

For me, it really is all about the proper cup diameter and throat, and not much else: the Wick has a deep funnel; the Curry a hybrid cup; the PT34 a moderate round cup, as is the PT82, but a little different contour; the 18 is, well, an 18; the Kelly 18 is the same just a little deeper, etc.

When I had occasion to borrow an eefer some years ago, I got to try an MF4 on it. Magnificent mouthpiece for tone and consistency. This is the only mouthpiece that if I got another one, I'd have the really rounded rim slightly flattened to the "semi" contour.

If I did have occasion to play Eb or F on a regular basis, I'd get another MF4 and have the rim modified, and I also think the custom 18 I'm getting would do well, as on the 186 a standard Bach 18 with its 1.26 diameter does have great, smooth, singing upper range characteristics, as the Bach mouthpiece book says, but is just that bit too small for me to get enough lip into it to be really secure. Hence the custom mouthpiece.

But that is not to say that I get along with every 1.28 mouthpiece. As I said above, anything with a smaller throat just doesn't work for me. The Schilke 67 just didn't fit my horns tonally, as even though it has a really smooth mid to upper register, it was a little shy on the low end with my embouchure and breath support on my horns. But it would be great on something that had a really large bottom bow so that the lowest register tended to spread too much.

Likewise, I also really appreciated the razor-sharp intonation and "totally support the ensemble" tone that a LOUD LM-7 has, but it is so precise I found myself constantly pulling slides with the tight slotting. If I played with a wire choir and had to pull constantly anyway, I'd get it. But for the band-type ensembles I play in, I much prefer the wider slots and the mostly "set-and-forget" that the other more conventional mouthpieces allow me to do more with the embouchure and less with the slides.

[TUbajohn20J]

I use a PT-48 and Conn 1 on my BIG tubas (WIllson 3100 and Conn 20J). And on smaller tubas, or if i'm doing solos/extended high range playing on my BIG tubas, I'll use my Conn 2 or King 26. And for sousaphone (Conn 40K and 20K's), I'll use a Conn Helleburg. It gives me that edge that I want that can't be found on a PT-48. Now...for the "medium" sized tubas such as the new King 2341's...I'll use my PT-42 which doesnt have quiete as large of cup as the 48 does. Works real nicely on those horns.

[oedipoes]

If I practice both instruments after each-other, I start on the euphonium on a DW SM3.
After that I switch to the BBb tuba on my Tilz WH B2.
This gives me longer practice time than the reverse order. It's easier to loosen the chops than to tighten them again.

For once in a while, it doesn't matter for me:
I played a concert once, first 45 minutes on BBb, then euphonium solo after a 15min break and immediately back to the BBb. No problem.

Wim

[AndyCat]

Any BBb - MF3
Any EEb - MF4
Bull trom - Yeo Signature
Tenor trom/euph - Joe Alessi 2

[Dylan King]

Yorkbrunner = G & W Bayamo or Schilke Helleberg II
291 Bruckner CC = G & W MMVI
Yamaha 621 F = G & W Bora
Bass Bone = G & W Churada (yes, this is a tuba mouthpiece)
Trumpet = Monette M3 or G & W M1

[Donn]

Wondering whether folks here like to keep their rims identical (or near), or think nothing of a 31mm for bass and 33.5mm contra? Bass trom/euph to tuba in the same gig?

If you make big changes, can you do it instantly (ie: mid-gig) or do you need a period of adjustment?

Not that I should serve as an ideal for you to emulate, but Sunday while playing my old Eb "Giant", as it happens I did switch from a 33.6mm (per web site) Marcinkiewicz H3, to a Conn Giant that's maybe 31mm. And back, if I remember right.

I don't remember any extra difficulties, and the farting noises that issued from the tuba were similar in either case. My approach is to not practice too much, so as not to become overly accustomed to a particular mouthpiece.

[MartyNeilan]

Been doing one variant or another of the deep funnel / medium bowl combination for some time. Deep funnel works well as a large ensemble mouthpiece for contrabass, medium bowl works as quintet / solo mouthpiece for contrabass and for bass.

[Wyvern]

For both my CC tubas I use a PT-90 and on my F a PT-65, or Schmidt 322 (according to desired tone). All around 32mm and feel much alike to the lips (just differ in cup depth and throat).

I have wasted too much money trying out other mouthpieces, to always return to my faithful PT-90, so obviously the right fit for me. So now plan to stick with that line-up!

I now want to just concentrate on improving my playing by practise using what I have

[PhilSloan]

I have never gone so far as to make comparisons for rims shapes, etc. I tend to go with a general frame of reference starting with what I have been playing. From there I experiment with MOI's (Mouthpieces Of Interest!) with similar characteristics and check the effect of different cup depths/shapes, rims, backbores, etc. until I find what feels right. Not real scientific but much less brain strain! That said ... I am currently playing:

Tenor Bone, (Conn 88H): a Mike Finn 55R (Remington shank). This is after years of a Bach 4G
Bass Bone, (a Bach 50): Bach 2G, although based on reviews from friends I want to try a Greg Black
F. Besson French tuba: an MF 3 with a Euro-shank. Lee Stofer has this horn right now and more mouthpiece experimentation is likely once I get it back.
Rudy Meinl 3/4 CC: MF "H" after numerous years with a Schilke Helleberg II

An aside I have commented on many times over the years ... my experience is that playing tuba after trombone I tend to be much more focused in my embouchure and have cleaner attacks. Conversely, playing tuba and then switching to trombone I support my sound much better (seems obvious doesn't it?) Probably a result of doing it for the long haul but I have no issues switching from one to the other. I played in a few groups in San Diego when I lived there where we had holes in the sections and I would switch back and forth multiple times in one piece.

[WC8KCY]

I'm not really scientific about this, either. If it feels right and I get the tone, flexibility, endurance, and attacks I'm looking for, then it must be the right piece. Why make a simple thing hard?

Indiana EEb sousaphone, and most BBb tubas I've borrowed over the years: Holton (Bach copy) 12; 32.75mm cup; medium depth
Holton EEb tuba: Perantucci PT-62S; 32mm cup; small, rounded cup shape. I drove down to Custom Music Company and was able to select this one with the help of Jeff Rideout. It was a tough choice; there were 3 PT's that worked very well with this tuba.
Yamaha 321S euphonium: Schilke 58; 27.68mm cup; custom-ordered in tenor shank.
Blessing XL-CR cornet: Schilke 8E2; 16.15mm cup; deep funnel shape.
Besson BE-709 trumpet: Stork Vacchiano 5D; 16mm cup; medium-shallow depth.

[MartyNeilan]

Been doing one variant or another of the deep funnel / medium bowl combination for some time. Deep funnel works well as a large ensemble mouthpiece for contrabass, medium bowl works as quintet / solo mouthpiece for contrabass and for bass.

Just got my BlokePiece® today, to use as my "medium" mouthpiece. Contrasting that with the deeper, heavier, and more funnel Warburton-Neilan, I would have to say it is as though someone took a tone control and turned it to a 7 with the B-P, and to a 3 with the W-N. One has more treble and is slightly more responsive, the other more bass and thicker (or phatter).