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Thread: f tuba mouthpiece

  1. f tuba mouthpiece

    Short time follower, first time poster. Anyone have any suggestions for a mouthpiece for a late model Mirafone 181 f? Any f mouthpiece suggestions in general? What are you using?


  2. #2

    f tuba mouthpiece

    I don't play an F myself. so I can't address your question directly, but have you posed this question on TubeNet? A lot more tuba players hang out there than seem to here.

    --Frank
    Frank Manola

    Pan American Eb, Meinl Weston 20, Wessex "Solo" EEb, King 2341 tubas
    Besson New Standard, TE 1150 compensating euphs
    Park Street Brass
    Old South UMC Brass & Organ, Reading MA
    Wakefield Retired Men's Club Band
    Windjammers Unlimited

  3. f tuba mouthpiece

    I have not, but I sure will. Thanks for the tip, Frank. What tuba mp do you use on the big horns?


  4. #4

    f tuba mouthpiece

    Originally posted by: jimimus

    I have not, but I sure will.* Thanks for the tip, Frank.* What tuba mp do you use on the big horns?
    I mostly use a Bach 18 on my BBb (a MW 20). I have a small horn too, just not an F (a rather small Eb Couesnon). I use a Wick 3 on that.

    --Frank
    Frank Manola

    Pan American Eb, Meinl Weston 20, Wessex "Solo" EEb, King 2341 tubas
    Besson New Standard, TE 1150 compensating euphs
    Park Street Brass
    Old South UMC Brass & Organ, Reading MA
    Wakefield Retired Men's Club Band
    Windjammers Unlimited

  5. f tuba mouthpiece

    I use a Conn-Helleberg in my C (Yamaha YCB-661). I have a buddy with a coupld of Wick mps. I'll have to see if I can borrow them to try in my F.

    As per your suggestion, I joined tubenet, so I'll see what advice those folks have to offer. Thanks for the input.


  6. f tuba mouthpiece

    Depending on what you like, you might look at some of the Shilke mouthpieces. As a euph player turned tuba player, I find that I like them best.

  7. #7

    f tuba mouthpiece

    I have tested the KELLYberg tuba mouthpiece extensivelyl and like it a lot. It is available in stainless steel, but for about 30 bucks you can buy the Lexan (plastic) version to try it out:

    KELLYBerg Tuba Mouthpiece (Black)

    KELLYberg Tuba Mouthpiece (Red)

    Dave Werden (ASCAP)
    Euphonium Soloist, U.S. Coast Guard Band, retired
    Adams Artist (Adams E3)
    Alliance Mouthpiece (DC3)
    YouTube: dwerden
    Facebook: davewerden
    Twitter: davewerden
    Instagram: davewerdeneuphonium

  8. Premium Mouthpieces.

    I've been playing f tuba for 40 some years and love it. Mine right now is a large F - 6/4 - from Big Mouth Brass. I have been seduced by the Giddings and Webster Alan Baer "Beltane." It is not cheap at $235. If you are serious this one is a great piece. http://www.king-cart.com/Giddingsand...ct_match=exact

    I used it a few weeks back on the F and did the Shostakovich 5th (concert band version) and was able to produce a sound that lifted the band and in the soft sections was full of beautiful colors that it turned heads. Being an old Arnold Jacobs boy, I cross train on a number of mouthpieces so as not to get too comfortable on any one, but this one I hate to put down. I am also trying the G&W "Tephra" which is considerably less ($175.00) as it is not a signature MP. Both are what G&W refer to as "Solo F" mouthpieces but do not let that scare you away. Yes, they help the high register considerably, but somehow one can get enormous low register sonority from them. I also LOVE the feeling of stainless steel. They also work very well on my BAT 6/4 CC.

    I suppose I'm coming off like a testimonial. The piece (Beltane) has an interesting feature which I believe contributes to its unique qualities, that being a reversed taper in the backbore. The throat (for lack of a better term) is almost halfway down the shank and the upper part of the backbore starts large and tapers down to the throat, then a flare to the end of the shank. I have no idea acoustically what is going on, but it has me convinced.

    I realize these are rather expensive and are referred to as "premium" mps. If you have a great horn, it can only play better with a quality mp that both fits you and the tuba. I could never go back to the "garden variety" mp.

    Certainly there are others on the market, but I have not had occasion to try many of them. I do have a Wedge SJ Solo & SM Solo, and a Monette 94 F. They are all wonderful and I enjoy rotating them around.
    If I had to stick with only one, it would be the "Beltane."

    FWIW - that's my humble opinion.
    Last edited by paulmaybery; 10-14-2014 at 09:28 PM.

  9. #9
    I've often considered getting a Kelly, but the GW boys are local to me. But as a tuba player, in a pinch, I like the Mantanuska. It's considered a large F/Eb and their smallest Bb mouthpiece. I'm on the look out for another one of these, so if someone is holding one not being used, please message me.

  10. Quote Originally Posted by paulmaybery View Post
    ... I cross train on a number of mouthpieces so as not to get too comfortable on any one, but this one I hate to put down...
    Could you please elaborate on this concept and/or provide a link to more information on it? I have always thought that switching around on mouthpieces would do more harm than good, at least in the short term, but I don't have any proof of that.

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