Which mouthpiece for F-tuba ?

[besson900]

I would love to find an affordable 4+2 F tuba, I'm hoping Wessex comes out with one soon.

I don't understand why many of You are saying that wessex or Jinbao or other similar companys are producing good tubas in this price range.This kind of instruments are good just in 1st or max 2nd year of playing,after this valves are noisyer than tuba and working fast like snile.You can't buy good NEW instrument under price range like Cerveny

About mp:I have Canadian Brass mb64 and Romera brass segio carolino signature and both of them are great but MB64 is more useful in orchestras or bands

[bisontuba]

I would love to find an affordable 4+2 F tuba, I'm hoping Wessex comes out with one soon.

I don't understand why many of You are saying that wessex or Jinbao or other similar companys are producing good tubas in this price range.

Because they are!! JinBao -Wessex, MACK, Dillon, JZ, etc., BMB, Packer, Wisemann, Eastman, etc. do produce very good tubas, and are improving all the time....

[Wyvern]

I think what is so often forgotten regarding Chinese made tubas is how fast things are moving on. When I first started selling Wessex almost 5 years ago, poor finish and rough noisy valves were all too common. However over that period things have moved on so fast that the tubas now coming out are unrecognisable as coming from the same factory. As it is well known, I go to the Jinbao factory every 3 months (I am there now) and carefully check and play test every single horn before accepting, as well as having meetings with the Production Manager to discuss any quality issues and new model developments. I have now been doing that for the last 18 months. In that time there has been very little change in the mostly young workforce. They have learnt by their mistakes and numerous comments we have given to improve what they do in every respect. The finish is considerably better, but so is the craftsmanship in manufacturing. Where once a pipe would have been bent oval to fit, that tuba is now rejected. I have honestly not come across one noisy valve or poor valve thread and the materials and process of construction is exactly the same as expensive German tubas as far as I can see. One slightly slow valve is quickly taken away and lapped to our satisfaction. The slides are aligned and the once rough edges are now smooth. They still make mistakes (like most recently spotted miss-numbered valves on a cimbasso), and there is still room for improvement - but every aspect where there are problems or complaints, corrective action is being taken. I have little doubt that like Yamaha rose in the past, over the next 5 years Jinbao (working with Wessex and others) will become one of the best brass factories in the world. They certainly have the equipment, enthusiasm and commitment!

[marccromme]

It is really amazing how far you guys can take a thread on F-tuba mouthpieces. Well, I'd apprecieate if threads where not hijacked, but since this one now is, I have to speak up against Wessex trashing.

I have dealt with Wessex before, and are owning an euph and a bass trombone from them, the euph I got used. Both are well-playing instruments, both have well-functioning valves and a good slide, and both have small quirks as every other instrument has. They serve me well, and I am perfectly happy with them. And they play considerably better than any other instrument for the same price, and even better than quite some other instruments of the double or triple price.

In addition, the Wessex service is superb, I had one complaint with the bass trombone where plating on one part was too thin. This complain had been taken seriously and had been dealt with to my full satisfaction. I will not hesitate to buy another instrument from Wessex, and see forward to try the coming Eb 5+0 rotary tuba.

[marccromme]

I think you can just stay with your Denis Wick 5L, especially if you want a small diameter. You can also try the Denis Wick 3SL, with a shallow cup and an inside rim diameter of 31.25mm. http://www.deniswick.com/all-products/i ... nly/ths3sl" target="_blank" target="_blank

Hi Rudy - great idea with the DW 3SL - I'll check that one out. Thanks! MC

[ColeGAnderson]

If you're still looking for a mouthpiece, i've found that the Roger Bobo solo by Yamaha, it is relatively inexpensive, at least up here in Canada, it has a pretty shallow cup and can give you good punch if you put it on a CC tuba.

[latuba]

As you are located in Europe, try the Perantucci PT-64/65/66 or Bruno Tilz M5, M7, M17, M19… or similar
You might also consider giving Bob Tucci (located near Munich, southern Germany) a call. He just sent me over a whole bunch of mouthpieces to try out and also is a great person to have a nice talk on the phone!

[marccromme]

As far as an F tuba mouthpiece is concerned, here sits an available Schilke 69C4 with silver worn off the shank and a reasonably smooth rim for about half what a brand-new one would cost from the various mirror "big box" websites. That's a good F tuba mouthpiece for starters for many people.

69C4: 1.290" ... 32.7 mm ... that is too large a diameter for me .. thanks MC

[marccromme]

If you're still looking for a mouthpiece, i've found that the Roger Bobo solo by Yamaha, it is relatively inexpensive, at least up here in Canada, it has a pretty shallow cup and can give you good punch if you put it on a CC tuba.

Yamaha Roger Bobo Solo Signature Tuba mouthpiece, GP Series, silver plated with gold plated rim, inner diameter: 32,20 mm, rim contour: semi flat, cup depth: semi shallow, throat: 7,50 mm, Backbore: standard

... might be a tad on the large inner rim side for me, but I'll test it when I find one in the local brass store. Thanks! MC

[SaintPeteTuba]

I'd recommend a Bobo Solo, that thing was made for the F-Tuba.

[cjk]

A schilke 62 has a under 32mm inner diameter and a narrow rim.

You might look into a Wick 3sl, 4l, or 5l.

[PaulMaybery]

I use my F on over half of my gigs. I find the mp greatly depends on the sound I need to deliver. For instance on an up an coming concert, there is Mendelssohn "Mid Sommer" which is an ophicleide part (with no trombones,) and the far extreme is a work by Prokofiev which is more of a BBb tuba type of sound. Then there is a Venezuelan "Conga" which needs a rather brilliant and colorful sound and a contemporary work that also calls for a mute. The orchestra is a good size at about 80 players, so I get to play out a bit which is nice.

I suppose I could use one piece for the whole concert, but that would not be as much fun.

Mendelssohn - a Delrin "Wedge" SJ Solo (pretty shallow - and the plastic offers a lighter sound that helps mimic the ophicleide.)

For the Prokofiev I'm using the PT 88+ (rather large and deep and helps to mimic the BBb)

Everything else will be on a Monette 94 Prana which (cup wise) is fairly close to a basic Helleberg. (whatever that is)

My F tuba is pretty large, BMB 6/4 F. It responds well to almost anything with regard to mouthpiece, but the results will be a bit different between a shallow solo piece and a deeper full size one.

For just general playing I usually pop in the full size Helleberg. But if you are in Europe, I venture to think that the standard sound for an F tuba may be a bit different than here is the states. I lived in Copenhagen in the late 1960s and the fellow in the Opera orchestra, Hr. Fredericia I believe, used a fairly small F, but what a punch he delivered. Things have changed greatly since then.

I think you will find that there are many diverse opinions on what is enjoyed on an F tuba.
It is all rather personal, but the journey of discovering what is a good fit is actually rather fun.

Best wishes. Paul

In my opinion, I really do not believe that the mp has all that much to do with intonation. That in my mind is in the chops and the ears. Of course various shank sizes will sit further in or out of the receiver, so intial tuning needs to be adjusted. Yes, the volume of the cup may give more or less "wiggle room" for pitch and to be quite honest, some mps just do not work that well.

To my ears the F and Eb tuba have been traditionally rather different beasts, but today it seems as though their sounds are pretty close. I was told that my BMB F tuba is really a great Eb, only that it is pitched in F. It does resemble the Besson Sovereign in some regards.

Sorry that I did not really give you specific brands and models but rather a broader comment.