Good All–Purpose Tuba Mouthpiece for a HS Student?

[Jedi Master]

Hey folks,

I know that this has been discussed before, but I tried to do a search, and it would not work, because all of the search words were too common!

What do you suggest for a good "do it all" HS mouthpiece? I was thinking Bach 18 or 24.

What are your thoughts, considering price, as an issue?

Thanks!

[jamsav]

Conn 7b seems to suit my students best
Not a fan of the 24 or 24w

[TubadudeCA]

I used my Bach 18 for everything in HS. Marching, concert/symphonic band, and Jazz band.

[Trumgottist]

Please excuse my ignorance, but what's an HS mouthpiece? (I tried googling it, but ended up with a Selmer clarinet mouthpiece, and I don't think that's what you all are talking about here.)

[iiipopes]

High School. I also second the Conn 7B suggestion.

[tubacrow]

I have had good results with beginning students on Bach 18 and 24. The big thing to remember is a wider rim spreads the pressure over a greater area, and will allow for an increase in stamina. The answer also changes with the specifics of a student. This may be why companies put a middle of the road mouthpiece in with student and intermediate tubas. That being said, there is no one perfect mouthpiece for everyone. Personally I started on a Miraphone C4,and it felt very comfortable for me.

[cctubaneeds]

Search the 24AW inversation on here. There is lots of info there. I would post a like but I am using a iPhone.

I like the Yamaha peices that come with the horns. 66 or 67C4. I have also hear mixed results on those as well. Others I have hear are the wick pieces. I started on a 1L and a 2L but they are big. I think I have ear of people starting students on the 3 or 4 right?

I don't hate the 18 for students...

Ray

[goodson]

Bach 18 all the way.

[GC]

Some of the Bach copies are very good and cost less. I've heard a lot of recommendations of the Benge 18. I have an Image 24AW that I like as well as any 24 I've ever tried..

Several of my friends have used Wick 2 and 3 mouthpieces with high schoolers and 4's & 5's with little kids and are very happy with them.

[elihellsten]

Helleberg?

[Rick Denney]

I tried to respond to this yesterday on my iPhone, but apparently it didn't take.

The Bach 18 and the Conn Helleberg (the regular 120S, not the 7B) are the standards by which other mouthpieces are measured. I would choose one or the other based on the instrument. Neither is optimal, probably, but for high-school players, optimality is pretty broadly defined. They are cheap, common, and well-copied by even cheaper brands. Neither will prevent the development of good fundamentals, and neither will be a constraint for high-school players (and many adult players, for that matter). If a player can't get a good sound with either of these, the mouthpieces isn't the problem.

High-schoolers have full-size faces and don't need a 7B. Also, the 7B is too small for many mouths, including mine. The 24AW is a poor choice in this application--the wide rim and overly rounded edges might be okay for someone playing with braces, but it makes playing with too much pressure too easy, and does not promote good fundamentals. Ask me how I know. Just because the British have figured it out, for use on their very different instruments, doesn't mean it works for the typical mostly self-or-band-director-taught high-school kid.

Rick "who'd allow experimentation, but only with an 18 or plain Helleberg" Denney

[tclements]

Bach 7 or 12. Conn Helleberg (NOT the 7B). Mirafone TU-29.

[toobagrowl]

Bach 7 or 12.

Only if he/she has a big mouth & lips. The Bach/Benge 7 is like a coffee cup - it's a wide-open bowl mpc. Too big for most kids, even many adults...

[tclements]

Respectfully, I would disagree. I have had excellent success with even younger players on those mouthpieces.

[toobagrowl]

Respectfully, I would disagree. I have had excellent success with even younger players on those mouthpieces.

Yeah.....we'll agree to disagree.

[Lee Stofer]

I've heard recommendations for almost every common mouthpiece out there. One other very good idea would be to have the student try out a Kelly mouthpiece, which is available as a Kellyberg model, 18, 24AW and 25. The lexan polycarbonate mouthpieces may not have the same "ring" to it's sound that a silver-plated brass mouthpiece does, but neither does a stainless steel mouthpiece, not quite. The strong points for the lexan mouthpieces are that since they are molded, every one is the same, so there's no problem with consistency. Also, I have tested them and found that chop fatigue is reduced - period. They do not feel cold or hot, which helps further with chops lasting and playing better in weather extremes. The lexan is very durable, so a dropped mouthpiece is not ruined. And, they are the most affordable mouthpieces out there, in addition to being fun, as they are available in colors (and glow-in-the-dark), as well as clear, black and white.

I think it would be wise to have a student try out the Kellyberg and the 18, see which style works best, and the cost of both would be less than one metal mouthpiece. Then, if he/she really likes one, they can purchase a metal example, and keep the lexan mouthpiece for marching band, buzzing, a back-up mouthpiece, etc. I have sold a Kelly set of representative mouthpieces to band directors to keep in their office, to use when starting brass players. The Kelly set has the most popular sizes from cornet to tuba, and the band director can take this set, a bottle of Sani-Mist mouthpiece cleaner and Kleenex, etc., and test every starting band member, and can recommend a good starting mouthpiece for each player.

I started my youngest daughter (trumpeter) on a Kelly 5C cornet mouthpiece and a large-bore King cornet. My thoughts were that this set-up would be easier for her to play than a Yamaha, etc., student trumpet and generic 7C mouthpiece, with the exception that she'd have to put more air through the instrument. The hunch worked, and after a year I moved her to a Bach Strad ML trumpet, which is still her main axe. I let her try mouthpieces, and now that she's grown a lot and is a developing runner, she picked out a Kelly 1C, and at 15 she's gunning for 1st trumpet in the high school band and playing in a professional concert band this summer. I'm sure there will always be nay-sayers about the lexan mouthpieces. All I have to say is, just try telling my daughter they don't work!

[Tubaryan12]

Bach 18 or 22

[TheConnsequence]

PT-88 gold plated. The gold plate helps the tone. But really, I would suggest a pt-88, pt-48, or pt-50. They have the same or a larger backbore than a standard Helleberg and they have a deeper cup. The sound that can come from these are quite nice, but cost a pretty penny, or two. But in truth, the best all around mouthpiece is the one that fits your needs the most. (Cliched, I know, but true)

[Michael Bush]

The gold plate helps the tone.

Color me skeptical.

Gold plate helps the rim slip around some on the embouchure. Not noticeably more than stainless steel, in my experience, but more than silver. Other than that, it helps the mouthpiece match a lacquer tuba in appearance.

But tone? Meh. I'd like to see data on that. I doubt it very much.

[Donn]

You might have the reason right there - what if the way the mouthpiece is glued to your face influences the "buzz"? Look for the difference to be greater when playing loud, less or none when playing quietly. This would apply to other surfaces too, e.g., polycarbonate. Speaking of which ... Kellyberg! Crystal green. Or blue, but I believe most experienced players prefer the green.

I used to have a Bach 7 and I liked it, but that was back when I could barely play above the middle of the bass clef.