Dr. Young Mouthpiece Test

[TheConnsequence]

Hello everyone (anyone who reads really), I just received a Dr. Young mouthpiece in the mail today to test out, what should I look for in the qualities of a good mouthpiece that would fit a person. (Like articulation and other stuff.) Also,has anyone else tried one of these mouthpieces before?
--Justin Coker

[Michael Bush]

Two thoughts:

1. I'm of the opinion that it's best not to test one mouthpiece at a time. Find someone (teacher?) who has good ears to make blind notes about what they hear as you play a horn that is familiar to them, using different mouthpieces, including the one you're most curious about. It isn't perfect, because you have some motivation to make the one you like for other reasons sound as good as possible, but if you really want to know an answer you can try to neutralize that.

2. Other mouthpiece options notwithstanding, that one seems like a bit of an outlier to be trying to test by itself. It's so extreme in size and shape that it's hard to imagine it being the best fit for general purpose playing for any player and horn no matter what. Of all the mouthpieces in the world to test alongside others that are less extreme, that would seem to me to be the first.

[Dan Schultz]

I also own one of those Dr. Young mouthpieces. It's sort of fun to fart around with but will never become my primary MP. I seriously doubt if anyone else you ever run across with tell you that it's the best thing since sliced bread!

[Lew]

I used to own one of those, the operative phrase is "used to." I bought it on a whim when I found it for a relatively low price and thought it would be fun to play around with. I found absolutely nothing to recommend it. It was so cavernously deep that I found it almost impossible to get any decent articulation on it and intonation was incredibly variable throughout my range, meaning I couldn't get it to play in tune on just about any note. Someone may like playing on it, but it is not a mouthpiece that I think the average player would be comfortable with.

[Dean E]

Recommend sitting down with an Excel spreadsheet and tuner. After warmup, chart the intonation throughout your chromatic range 3 times per instrument / mouthpiece combination. Excel nerds will want to create graphs.

We owe it to our ensembles to be in tune.

Hope you find some good use for Dr Young's mouthpiece!

[TheConnsequence]

So far, it seems like I'm getting a decent scale out of it, although I am listening by ear. As for articulation, also decent. It doesn't seem to have the bite that my pt-88 had though, which in my opinion is okay in certain situations. As for the sound I can get out of it, I've yet to try, first I have to find an adapter to my King Sousa Leadpipe, then I'll see where it blows from there. Only major problem I see so far is the shank, it doesn't seem to fit quite correctly. I feel less resistance in the lower register, which is usually what I look for. I can still squeak out a double Db which is surprising but yet not as I usually seem to do better on deeper cups, and this one being cone-shaped, should help. My true opinion on where this could be used? Probably a marching band, for the one who drops an octave, or anyone playing a 4/4 instrument in the orchestra (like I said, in my humble uneducated 18 year old opinion.) just to add extra darkness that is usually absent in a smaller tuba, or at least the smaller ones I've played. Anyone else have any more opinions, words of advice? I'll gladly take it!
--Justin Coker

[ftempas]

I got one for free, tried it the same day in rehearsal. My colleagues encouraged me to banish it to paperweight duty. My own perspective on it was that it had basically no high harmonics in the sound. It might be good for band/orchestra work when you don't actually want to HEAR the tuba, just feel it. Dr. Young told me that was pretty much the point of it.

[MackBrass]

I own one and bought it knowing I would never use it. I just thought it was so unique that I had to get it so it is a conversation piece. Although I feel there is nothing good that comes out of it, sound, control, response and even the low register sucks so bad, they are just plain cool to have. Yes, it is a novelty and I would not recommend using one for anything as there are too many other mouthpieces out there that do a great job. If your looking for a great mpc, talk to Bloke. Initially bought two from him because of the amazing craftsmanship and never had the intention on useing them. When I decided to give them a shot, I was sold and now I own three that I use all the time and my other mouthpieces will sit on the shelf along with the Dr Young monster.

[TheConnsequence]

I got one for free, tried it the same day in rehearsal. My colleagues encouraged me to banish it to paperweight duty. My own perspective on it was that it had basically no high harmonics in the sound. It might be good for band/orchestra work when you don't actually want to HEAR the tuba, just feel it. Dr. Young told me that was pretty much the point of it.

Which should theoretically work for me considering I'm naturally loud. I love being able to hear the tuba, but I love rattling things while being able to hear it more.

[TheConnsequence]

I also auditioned on the Dr. Young mouthpiece today, it seemed to resonate with everything the room slightly more than the pt-88 did and almost didn't seem to get lost but rather just stick around as velvet after-resonance. Then again, I'm eighteen, not much experience, but my two cents. Anyone else here play at any gigs, auditions, bands with it?

[Dan Schultz]

I finished assembling another King 2341 recording bell tuba this afternoon. Keeping with tradition... I will play it several times before putting it up for sale. In light of this discussion... I took along my Dr. Young MP along with a Bach 7 and a Mike Finn 3B. I used the Dr. Young MP for the entire two-hour rehearsal and it performed just fine on the King. After about a half-hour, I realized what it was that I really didn't like about the MP.... the sharp inner rim.

[TheConnsequence]

That's also my beef, I prefer the round rim of the pt-88, but I suppose the sharp inner-rim helps with articulation. Also, about the King, what size is it? And the bell flare, is it drastic or gradual?

[musicman26]

I bought a Reynolds 12 mouthpiece a few months back that says on the side that it is a Dr. Young model. I find it to be excellent on my two four valve Eb tubas. Full sound, quick articulation, easy slurs, good in all ranges, and it blends well with my section which is all BBb tubas except for me. I liked it so much that I just bought a second one from ebay so I would have a spare. I played tuba in high school in the 1960s. During that time we all were using either a King 25 or a King 26. Much smaller than is fashionable today. When I got to college they handed me a Bach 18. Everyone had to use the Bach 18. Terrible mouthpiece. No wonder their 24AW outsells the 18. I finally got to the point where I started playing french horn because the Bach 18 just would not work for me and that was what I was being forced to use by the tuba teacher. After 40 years on horn, I'm back on tuba. Fewer fast notes and fewer solos to worry about now that I am 67. Has anyone ever heard of or have for sale a Franklin tuba mouthpiece? It, too, is on the smaller side, and mine was stolen years ago. Now that I'm playing tuba again a Franklin might prove helpful to have around. Thanks. Wilbert

[Lew]

I've got some Chinese copies coming in, if anyone is interested...

http://www.aliexpress.com/store/product ... 55732.html

Actually those are much smaller than the Dr. Young I had...and maybe more useful as a mouthpiece.



It may not be that obvious from the photo, but the interior of the Dr. Young MP is a funnel that goes the length of the MP, all the way to the top of the shank.

[jkt6tuba]

All these posts prove how different everyone is. Dr. Young lived nearby and I occasionally played at his house. He was using a silver plated model and I did not realize the inside of his mouthpiece was as conical as a French horn mouthpiece until he turned his horn slightly and I could see the inside of it. With my curiosity piqued I asked him if I could try it. He had an acrylic one sitting next to him and he handed it to me. I played one note and was blown away by how the sound exploded out of my horn! I immediately bought one and I have used it for somewhere around 30 years. Now that I am 66 years old and the lungs aren't quite what they used to be, I think about a smaller mouthpiece, but I am not ready to purchase one yet.

For reference I used that mouthpiece in concert bands and a Dixieland band exclusively for all those years. Some of those gigs lasted up to five hours. I think practicing was the reason I was successful. Imagine that!

[GC]

Do the length and volume of these mouthpieces lower the pitch of the horn?

[PaulMaybery]

I'm also the "proud owner" of a Dr. Young mp. (the long one)
I have found that it works in some, but not all of my horns. For me, because of its length it does lower the pitch and on one horn in particular, lower than can be managed.

I like to do a lot of cross training on various mps. Simply put, when I get too comfortable on a piece, I notice that I start playing by feel, rather than listening to and then producing the actual pitch and focus ... and in the process, my pitch and tone centering begins a "sloppy slide on a slippery slope."

I've never felt that I would want to play it on a concert, but it does require a different effort, which when going back to my "go-to mp" seems to make things easier and more focused. Because the throat is so open and little if any taper in the backbone, I need to work really hard to produce a rich sound, with a few (at least) more vibrant harmonics.
At the very least I find it a great exercise tool. It seems to have little resistance, which I personally need to compensate for in the focus of the embouchure. I think there in is the principal issue.

Like several others who have posted here, I keep it as a curiosity piece. I had the chance to buy one in the 1960s when in HS, but opted not to. Then about 15 years ago I saw one for 5 bucks in an antique store and grabbed it. I'm one of those "MP Nerds" that has to have about 50 mps on my rack, and keep switching back and forth. But I always seem to use the same two for performance.

[bort]

But I always seem to use the same two for performance.

Which two are those?

Paul, when I tried your Young mouthpiece last year, my first impressions were that it was going to take a lot MORE work from me as a player to get the same output. That's not to say that after some effort and some learning I couldn't get to a good place with it (perhaps a great one?), but when I tried it for a few minutes, I didn't want to spend many more on it.

[barry grrr-ero]

I don't think copying the proportions of a horn mouthpiece makes a whole lot of sense for the simple reason that a hornist is playing on the very high partials of a very long and very narrow tube. The Bach 25 was a very deep and narrow funnel, and I found it very difficult to play and control the extreme low and high pitches on it. Nice tone though (or am I think of the 22? - it's been so long).

Also, you have to keep in mind that Dr. Young has two full hands worth of valve combinations on his tuba, so he can correct pretty much any pitch.

[PaulMaybery]

Bort. Sure does take extra work, which can be a good thing, like training with lead weights in your shoes. I don't think of it (the Dr. Young) as something I really need to get used to, but rather a diversion, to give additional perspective to what I tend to gravitate to. These days I use mostly a Monette Prana 94 and/or the BMB Helleberg that came with the BMB. Almost identical is the Sidey Classic Helleberg which I have with the Titanium gold kote, which is similar to the Conn Helleberg. All of these have slighly different throats and the resistance is never quite the same. When I am working on a lot of solo repertoire, I go to the Monette 94 F (a solo MP) or the Sidey Solo. This saves the chops a bit while I learn the literature. I also have the Wedge "Sasha Johnson" solo MP, the GW Beltane and Churada, as well as a number of vintage Mirafone F, C4, Getzen Jacobs model from the 1960s that are fairly shallow and small throated. The Monettes and Sidey's have a similar rim diameter and don't mess things up to much with the embouchre setup. For a similar effect of using a larger bucket to refresh the embouchure, the Holten 52 Revelation, and the PT 88 plus, have a similar stimulus to encourage one to blow stronger and widened the muscle groups in the embouchure. It is easy to go back to something smaller. The "Dr. Young" is also excellent for "warming down" after an exhaustive playing session. Lots of fundamental, it helps to get blood cirulation going back in the chops. Maybe it's ADD, but something keeps me from using the same MP all day during 4 to 5 hours of playing. I feel I need some diversity. Other's may like stability. But I feel my chops need to work independent of whatever MP is in the horn.