Ames0325 wrote:The only reason we make instruments out of brass is because it is so easy to work with. The sound of a tuba comes from vibrating air, not vibrating metal.
Question if this is true why then does the material seem to make so much difference in Mps?
Or perhaps I am misunderstanding something.
I thought the G&W mouthpieces were excellent when I tried them at the Army conference. One thing I liked about the stainless steel is that it had the same smooth feel as gold-plating but without the wear. But if there was something about the mouthpiece that worked
because it was stainless steel, I missed it. In the end, I kept the mouthpieces I was using, because the G&W's, when compared carefully, didn't do anything my regular mouthpieces didn't already do.
I've been told that the difference between the steel and titanium mouthpieces is noticeable. Let's just say I'm skeptical on that one.
Titanium has about half the stiffness and density as steel. Machined the same dimensions, therefore, titanium would be half the weight and half the stiffness of the steel mouthpiece. The brass mouthpiece would be about the same weight but about half the stiffness. Stiffness and weight affect how it vibrates, but we are talking tiny differences. If I can play a plastic Kellyburg and get decent results, given it has perhaps one tenth the weight and stiffness of a regular metal mouthpiece, I'm having a hard time thinking that different metals would make all that difference in the sound.
But they do
feel different on the lips, and that counts for a lot.
Rick "thinking strength is not an issue unless you drop it" Denney
