aluminum tuba mouthpiece?

[iiipopes]

http://www.finishing.com/384/92.shtml

????
did i miss something?

Yes. Reactivity. Most places have some sort of calcium or lime in the water, and we ingest that, then it makes its way into the horn. With the slightest bit of acid, of whatever source, even perspiration, it will react with the player and the brass of the horn. Because of the reactivity, bare aluminum is not a good metal. Think about every recipe you've ever seen that uses tomatoes - it says use a non-reactive pan, meaning non-aluminum, because of the acid in the tomatoes or other foods. I have not tried the anodized mouthpieces listed above, because if the anodizing ever becomes compromised, the mouthpiece will again be reactive and not suitable.

I'll stick with my blokepiece Imperial, thank you.

[Donn]

To be fair, silver tarnishes on exposure to foods that are about as much like our chemistry as tomatoes are. And I have more than one mouthpiece where the silver plating has been compromised, exposing brass - if anything more reactive than aluminum.

[Donn]

For that matter, what if the tuba player is not dense enough?

[Tom]

i have some old clear plastic mouthpieces that have aluminum shanks on them. They were designed to be able to view your embouchure by a tuba player who was in Montreal at the time. I don't recall his name, this is going back about 20 years now. Anyway If you leave the aluminum mouthpiece in the horn for any length of time, say a few days without taking it out, the brass and the aluminum react in such a way that the mouthpiece will become stuck and is very difficult to get out.

Sounds like those were the old Ellis Wean mouthpieces.

I haven't seen or heard of one for a long time. My recollection is that they were intended as more of a "limited use" teaching tool than as a constantly-used rehearsal and performance mouthpieces. I had forgotten those shanks were aluminum.

[sailn2ba]

bloke wrote:http://www.finishing.com/384/92.shtml

Interesting thread with a great "finish".

[iiipopes]

To be fair, silver tarnishes on exposure to foods that are about as much like our chemistry as tomatoes are. And I have more than one mouthpiece where the silver plating has been compromised, exposing brass - if anything more reactive than aluminum.

I have also worn out mouthpieces. I either sent them to be replated or sold them so they wouldn't react with my body chemistry. I don't have that problem with bloke's Imperial.

[Ulli]

You know, that aluminium is in connection with Alzheimer's disease? (Causa alu cookware)

[Donn]

You know, that aluminium is in connection with Alzheimer's disease? (Causa alu cookware)

Used to worry about that, and there really may be a connection between aluminum and Alzheimer's, but it's really just that they sometimes find elevated levels of aluminum in the brain. My understanding is that currently we're pretty sure cookware has nothing to do with it. http://www.alzheimer.ca/en/About-dement ... e/Aluminum

[Jose the tuba player]

Update: I made a mouthpiece out of aluminum, its more of trombone mouthpiece (or even smaller) with a tuba shank (because there was no larger diameter rods). ill play test it tomorrow. might just work for making strange noises on tuba or playing ridiculously high notes. anyone know something i could use to coat the rim and bowl?
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B8f8FF ... sp=sharing" target="_blank
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B8f8FF ... sp=sharing" target="_blank

[sousaphone68]

I would paint the rim with some clear nail varnish.

[Jose the tuba player]

so i can only play from the high Bb and up "play" being subjective because it sounds horrible.
this mp is scrap ill go buy some larger diameter stock and maybe make one out a different material like stainless steal.