New Yamaha 621 plays really sharp, (?)

[Lew]

I have copied down "The standard tuning of our instruments lies at 443 Hertz, which is standard for Europe. We also make instruments tuned to 440 Hertz for the United States." I think that was a Miraphone quote, but it may be something like that...

That is a Mirafone quote, and to add to that, they offer to Fit it to A440 for free minus shipping. This would be worth contacting Yamaha about.

Tuned to 440 for whom? In my experience different players have very different intonation tendencies on the same horn with the same mouthpiece.

I've always thought that tuning to 443 with the slide all the way in would be better than 440, as long as there was enough slide to pull. I would rather have the standard tuning slide position pulled at least a half inch. That way there is room to push it in if need be to adjust for temperature.

[windshieldbug]

I would rather have the standard tuning slide position pulled at least a half inch. That way there is room to push it in if need be to adjust for temperature.

And I've always assumed that a horn tuned for 440 would be mean exactly that... meaning that a horn tuned for 443 would have to go out even further for 440

[Paul S]

This is my experience on my 1989 621F as well. A PT-50 actually allows me to keep the tuning slide in and has a great scale but not exactly with the sound for an F tuba in my mind. The Bobo solo (bowl) and Canadian Brass Replica (shallow funnel) offer near perfect intonation (makes sense considering the history of the horn) but tend to require the main slide out to a good extreme and do not open the horn up as nicely as a mouthpiece I am trying now.

Which mouthpiece are you trying with your YFB621?

Mauro,

I am using both my standard SSH mouthpiece and a LOUD LM-15 double cup with an SSH screw rim on my 621F. http://www.angus1.com/ssh



Chriss2760 e-mailed me last night stating that using the standard SSH mouthpiece on his 621CC seems to have helped his intonation problem there now as well.

[Chriss2760]

Ok. A follow-up and closure on this thread: I bought one of Paul Sidey's new mouthpieces, the SSH (Stainless Steel Helleberg) and the pitch problem was resolved. I did work with my tuner and all of the other mouthpieces I own, (10), and found that most of them play higher in pitch, two of them notably so. The shank of the SSH is slightly smaller than the others, (fits a bit further into the horn,) and that may explain the difference in pitch. Normally I would be reluctant to commit to one horn/mouthpiece combo, but the SSH is just what I like in a mp: Flat rim with a nice, sharp inner corner, deep cup, open bore and ample diameter. I like it a lot! This mp makes the big jumps necessary when you are transposing across registers, is strong in the bottom end with out going flat up top, and really speaks when you want to "bring it." I don't feel at all constrained with it.
Thanks for the input, gentlemen. The replies got me thinking along the right path. And thanks, Paul. This mouthpiece is just what I've been looking for.
Chris.

[Wilco]

The shank of the SSH is slightly smaller than the others, (fits a bit further into the horn,) and that may explain the difference in pitch.
[snip]
This mp makes the big jumps necessary when you are transposing across registers, is strong in the bottom end with out going flat up top, and really speaks when you want to "bring it." I don't feel at all constrained with it.

In my experience it allways makes a difference how far a mpc fits into the receiver. Generally. Further in: better slotting, quick response, a more centered tone. Further out: better flexibillity, wider tone, slower response.
I like my mira 186 best with the mpc pretty far out....

[Donn]

In my experience it allways makes a difference how far a mpc fits into the receiver. Generally. Further in: better slotting, quick response, a more centered tone. Further out: better flexibillity, wider tone, slower response.

That's intriguing. Grasping for some physical explanation, I'm thinking a shank that goes farther in, must be a looser fit with the receiver at the tip -- larger gap around shank at the bore exit -- which would do ... something to the acoustics, I guess.

I commonly wrap a shank in a bit of thin plastic film, because it makes for a more positive seal and I hate it when my mouthpiece falls out. Might be interesting to add a little more bulk there and see if I can tell the difference. Can't vary the exit diameter difference that way, though, so I guess according to my theory I won't hear much difference.

[Paul S]

Ok. A follow-up and closure on this thread: I bought one of Paul Sidey's new mouthpieces, the SSH (Stainless Steel Helleberg) and the pitch problem was resolved. ..................... Normally I would be reluctant to commit to one horn/mouthpiece combo, but the SSH is just what I like in a mp: Flat rim with a nice, sharp inner corner, deep cup, open bore and ample diameter. I like it a lot! This mp makes the big jumps necessary when you are transposing across registers, is strong in the bottom end with out going flat up top, and really speaks when you want to "bring it." I don't feel at all constrained with it.
Thanks for the input, gentlemen. The replies got me thinking along the right path. And thanks, Paul. This mouthpiece is just what I've been looking for.
Chris.

Chris,

Thank you for the vote of confidence with the purchase and also with sharing your comments here. I appreciate both very much!

Paul

[Rick Denney]

That's intriguing. Grasping for some physical explanation, I'm thinking a shank that goes farther in, must be a looser fit with the receiver at the tip -- larger gap around shank at the bore exit -- which would do ... something to the acoustics, I guess.

I suspect it has to do with the turbulence at the tip of the shank in relation to the turbulence at the joint between the receiver and the leadpipe.

And it's the idea behind the Dillon Adjustible Gap Receiver. Dialing it into to close the gap seems to have just the effect mentioned above, from the accounts I've read.

Rick "noting that any edge in the sound path will create a reflection" Denney