Did Arnold Jacobs help design the Schilke 67?

[doublebuzzing]

I came across a used (funnel-style) Schilke 67 on ebay and it says Arnold Jacobs helped develop this mouthpiece with Schilke. I don't think I have ever seen a picture or video of Jacobs using the old funnel style Schilke. Supposing he really had a huge amount of mouthpieces, I'm sure he owned one but does anybody know how much of a role he really had in designing it?

here's the ad: http://www.ebay.com/itm/RARE-Early-Vint ... 3f3d17c968" target="_blank

[joshwirt]

I'm not so sure they are as 'rare' as the ad would make you believe they are. I own 2 of them...and my former landlord had 3-4 sitting around. In fact, he had several older Schilkes with that style.

I will say that when I need a big BBb sound on my Nirschl York, I'll plug in this Schilke 67

Josh Wirt

[bort]

No clue... the only one I've seen like this before is one that Kevin Ladd has used forever. Who is Gloria Dorff?

[Ken Herrick]

I won't 'swear" to the veracity of the claim but, it certainly has a familiar ring to it. Jake did have a close association with Ren and was involved in some mp development. Roughly 50 years after talking to them about such things memory could be blurred.

This one has just sold for $88.76.

[Donn]

This stuff is so 19th century, it seems absurd that anyone would seek credit for design. These days, I see trumpet players have water-jacketed mouthpieces, now that's an invention! (Schagerl "Apredato", don't actually know who the inventor was.)

[doublebuzzing]

Yes, my first thought was that if he helped design the thing he probably would have actually, you know, used it every now and then Anyone have a picture of him with a funnel shaped mouthpiece (which we can assume is a Schilke 67)?

[Billy M.]

Not only that, doublebuzzing, but wouldn't Schilke make some kind of point to say it in their description of the 67 on their website?

[Donn]

Note that "participated in development" and "approved of the outcome" are two different things, one does not imply the other.

[doublebuzzing]

Note that "participated in development" and "approved of the outcome" are two different things, one does not imply the other.

True. I guess it's not very marketable to say, "Arnold Jacobs helped develop this mouthpiece but doesn't approve of the outcome."

[tusabtuba]

No. It was one of Alice Schilke's mouthpieces. Alice was Ren's wife. The 67 is larger than the 1930s Conn Helleberg used by Arnold Jacobs

[Donn]

Schilke's wife played tuba?

[brianf]

It was one of Alice Schilke's mouthpieces.

I have heard this story, don't know if it was the Schilke 66 or 67.

[Donn]

I did the same search and found the same thing, guess I should have mentioned it when I posted the question.

[Alex C]

No. It was one of Alice Schilke's mouthpieces. Alice was Ren's wife. The 67 is larger than the 1930s Conn Helleberg used by Arnold Jacobs

It is encouraging to see an answer supplied which is factual and brings in additional insightful information.

I studied with Mr. Jacobs in the 1970's and had a Schilke 67. He did not like the sound I got with that mouthpiece (though he would rarely say no to a mouthpiece) and frowned when he played it himself. It is considerably wider than his Helleberg's, as if tusatuba needed support.

Great post.

[tusabtuba]

Yep, Alice played tuba, or at least Ren said she did. They copied one of her Hellebergs, which, by the way, came in large and small, not to mention those made by Giardinelli in NYC and others attributed to Helleberg. Legend has it that August Helleberg Sr. had a mouthpiece made for every tuba he had. Arnold Jacobs used 1930-vintage Conn Hellebergs, as did his teacher Phillip Donatelli. Tusabtuba

[tusabtuba]

PS. Arnold Jacobs did work a lot with Schilke on mouthpieces, especially skeletonizing them for soft playing, and the adjustable cup -- shallow to medium-shallow using the Schilke A cup as a start -- which he used throughout his career for Berlioz, Stravinsky, etc. and whenever he needed to lighten his sound for repertory reasons. Tusabtuba