The New SM ULTRA Mouthpiece

[daruby]

The New SM ULTRA Mouthpiece

Christian,

Let me know! I have been playing the Alliance E3 I bought from you but switched back to the trusty Wick 4AL because the Alliance was too hard on my chops even though I preferred the sound with my new Sterling. I am VERY interested in the Wick SM4 Ultra.

Doug

P.S. How is Georgia?

[JTJ]

The New SM ULTRA Mouthpiece

Got a silver SM3U yesterday, ordered from the UK from a company named Band Supplies. Very nicely made piece, seems as refined an item as a Greigo or Greg Black mouthpiece.

Played it last night on the 5050 in a church with good acoustics as we rehearsed a Christmas performance. First impressions:

* Looks and feels like a heavier Alliance E2, with a more funnel shaped and slightly shallower bowl than the E2. It's not a heavyweight piece, but is somewhere in between.

* The rim seems closest to a Doug Elliott standard rim, and the mouthpiece feels slightly smaller on the face than the 3AL, SM3 or E2.

* Slots very well, especially up high where the notes are close together.

* Good warm, rich, complex sound, especially in the mid to upper range, which on first play I liked better than the other 3 mentioned above. Maybe not as open, though, as the 3AL or E2; but on a par with the SM3. At times while playing, I would think that this is a Brit interpretation of a Yank preference in euphonium mouthpieces -- for some crazy reason 51D kept creeping into my mind, which is not how the piece plays at all.

* I am going to banish all other mouthpieces for a while why I play this one and get its measure.

It's good.

John

[RickF]

The New SM ULTRA Mouthpiece

Just read this review on the new Ultra:

Reactions to the new Ultra Mouthpieces

[JTJ]

The New SM ULTRA Mouthpiece

I read the endorsements, but I'm having playing feel problems with the piece because I would like it to be more open. For me, the E2 is the leader in the open sweepstakes.

The sound is good, though.

John

[JBrassLee]

The New SM ULTRA Mouthpiece

Does anyone know if the new Ultra is depper than standard Wick SM's? I currently use an SM4 but I am not happy with the diffuse sound and my inability to lock the mpc into my embochure. However, I dont want to get the SM4U and find out it is too big for me to handle as my lips are on the thinner side.

Anyone know?

[RickF]

The New SM ULTRA Mouthpiece

Hi Lee,

I just purchased an SM4U a couple of weeks ago. I don't have an SM4 any longer to compare -- but I do still have a Wick 4AL. The cup on the Ultra is just a bit deeper than the 4AL. I dropped a quarter in both mpcs and can see it goes a bit deeper on the Ultra. Measuring this depth with digital calipers shows (as best I can tell) the dept of the surface of the quarter on the Ultra to be .45" vs .41" on the 4AL. Of course you must realize that the surface of a quarter is not smooth, so this is not a real accurate measurement. But I measured this about 8 or 10 times and there is a difference. Having said that, I never liked the 4AL for me as there was always a bit of 'fuzz' in my tone. That fuzz is barely noticeable on the Ultra. The throat size of the Ultra looks to be the same as the 4AL. But personally I like the Ultra so much better than the 4AL.

After having said that, for now, I'm sticking with my Doug Elliott setup (102 rim; I-8 cup; I-8 shank). For me, this DE setup STILL has a more focused, mellow tone... but the Ultra is really close. I had a tuba playing friend of mine listen to me in a big room and he said the DE was still better for me... but only slightly different.

In case you're wondering, no, I don't want to sell the SM4U yet. I'm holding on to it. I might be selling the 4AL though.

Hope this helps some.

[JTJ]

The New SM ULTRA Mouthpiece

The SM4U and the SM3U both have essentially the same depth, and that depth is in between an SM3 and an SM4. They only differ in rim size. But the cup shape is different, a little more of a V in the new design.

I play the SM3U some, and find it feels smaller on the face than the SM3. The SM4U is worth a try

I have a gold SM4U which I would let you try. Would sell it for 1/2 new price. PM me if you are interested.

[RickF]

The New SM ULTRA Mouthpiece

John just pointed out something that I noticed too...

The Ultra feels a bit smaller on my chops than the 4AL. When I measure rim width with digital calipers, it shows the two as being the same (102 mm).

The Ultra has more mass in the lower portion of the cup and the cup shape (like John states), is a bit more of a funnel or 'V' shaped.

[Euphinator]

The New SM ULTRA Mouthpiece

Anyone know why the sm ultra's are not on mouthpiece express?

[davewerden]

The New SM ULTRA Mouthpiece

Originally posted by: Euphinator Anyone know why the sm ultra's are not on mouthpiece express?

Arranging for dependable distributors with good wholesale terms can be tricky. Perhaps that's why. But there are 4 models in the Euphonium-Tuba Store that I manage for Amazon:

Steven Mead Euphonium Mouthpiece