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Thread: Good Mouthpiece for a Euphonium Player Switching to Tuba

  1. #1

    Good Mouthpiece for a Euphonium Player Switching to Tuba

    Hello all! I'm not too sure if this is the right place to post this. I am currently a Euphonium player switching to Tuba to help my University band out because we have 9 Euphoniums and only two Tubas. I was wondering if there was a good mouthpiece that would help me out. The mouthpiece I'm using is a Yamaha 67C4 which feels too big for me. Any help would be awesome! Thank you.
    Al
    Valencia College 2013
    UCF (GO KNIGHTS!)
    Studying Music Education as a Major

    Weapons of Brass Destruction -
    Euphonium - 1969 Besson Imperial with a Denis Wick SM3U Mouthpiece
    Tenor Trombone - 2011 Getzen Eterna with a Schilke 51 D Mouthpiece


    I play in various ensembles at Rollins College, the University of Central Florida, and anywhere else that needs either a Trombone or Euphonium player in the Central Florida area.

  2. #2
    When I started doubling on tuba my college tuba/euphonium teacher said a standard Helleberg was a good place to start. He was right, and I still use it for tuba doubling. These mouthpieces are plentiful and you'd probably be able to borrow one from a teacher or fellow student to try it out.
    King 2280SP euphonium
    Conn silver 4-valve double bell euphonium
    Mirafone 186 BBb 4/4 tuba
    Bach 42G convertible trombone
    Holton TR-181 bass trombone

  3. #3
    A couple of suggestions: (1) check out the tuba mouthpiece spec sheet on this site (2) if you want to experiment cheaply, you could try one or more of the Kelly Lexan mouthpieces -- they're patterned after typical mouthpieces, and you'd have pieces to use outside (even if it's not cold where you are).
    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

  4. #4
    If you are thinking about a Helleberg, you might especially want to look at the Kelly mouthpieces Frank referenced. They have a Helleberg clone. Here is the Lexan version for tuba, for $31 from WWBW:
    http://www.wwbw.com/Kelly-Mouthpiece...-i1417987.wwbw

    If you like it, you can get a silver-plated Kelly for $91 or stainless steel for $129. I've played the ss KELLYberg on my E-flat tuba and found it a very good mouthpiece.

    In any case, $31 is pretty cheap for a tuba mouthpiece to try!
    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

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Dec 2011
    Location
    Central North Carolina
    Posts
    2,369
    I'm pretty much in line with these other recommendations. For Kelly, the best candidates would be either the Kelly 18 or the Kelly 25 -- both clones of Bach mouthpieces (which I really don't like, but I've use the 25 and it's okay and I'll be getting another for cold weather work).

    If you go for a metal mouthpiece, I would recommend a Miraphone TU-17, except that it is quite expensive. But it is an excellent German-style bowl-shaped mouthpiece of moderate dimensions that I think you would be comfortable with. Alternatively, what I played on for years (and still have one as well), is a Schilke 66. Again, this a moderately-sized mouthpiece that I think you'd like, but it is Helleberg (funnel) style. If you have a German tuba, I'd go with the bowl-shaped one. If American, try the Helleberg.

    Another alternative would be a Wick 3L.

    I would also strongly advise that you TRY before you buy. There are several places online that offer such an opportunity that often will cost you just the price of shipping each way if you return some. And several of these places let you try three or four mouthpieces at once. If you go the Kelly route, they're cheap enough to just buy one outright.
    Gary Merrill
    Wessex EEb Bass tuba (DW 3XL or 2XL)
    Mack Brass Compensating Euph (DE N106, Euph J, J9 euph)
    Amati Oval Euph (DE 104, Euph J, J6 euph)
    1924 Buescher 3-valve Eb tuba (with std US receiver), Kelly 25
    Schiller American Heritage 7B clone bass trombone (DE LB K/K10/112/14 Lexan, Brass Ark MV50R)
    1947 Olds "Standard" trombone (Olds #3)

  6. #6
    There is a decent-looking Helleberg 7B tuba mouthpiece on eBay right now for $86:

    http://www.ebay.com/itm/HELLEBERG-7B...item2331093b12

    And another one for $50:

    http://www.ebay.com/itm/Conn-Hellebe...item1c37e688a9
    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

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Dec 2011
    Location
    Central North Carolina
    Posts
    2,369
    The Conn Helleberg 7B would probably be a very good choice. Better than the Conn Helleberg 120S which I find tends to suck the air out of me. I also would not go with the Kellyberg. I have one, and it is a 120S clone. But I think that, if anything, it is a tiny bit larger than the Conn 120S. Nice sound, and I like the feel of it, but just too big for me.
    Gary Merrill
    Wessex EEb Bass tuba (DW 3XL or 2XL)
    Mack Brass Compensating Euph (DE N106, Euph J, J9 euph)
    Amati Oval Euph (DE 104, Euph J, J6 euph)
    1924 Buescher 3-valve Eb tuba (with std US receiver), Kelly 25
    Schiller American Heritage 7B clone bass trombone (DE LB K/K10/112/14 Lexan, Brass Ark MV50R)
    1947 Olds "Standard" trombone (Olds #3)

  8. #8
    This is a little late in replying but.............you mention the Yamaha mouthpiece feels too big. I think there will be a period of time that any tuba mouthpiece will feel too big. I remember starting on Baritone horn and when it came time to switch to tuba it took a couple of months before a new "norm" was established with the larger horn and mouthpiece. Putting in a lot of hours of practice can reduce this time down but there is still a transition period with any mouthpiece. I think the recommendations about "try before you buy" make sense if you have the opportunity. The inexpensive Kelly mouthpieces are great options as well. I played a Helleberg for years and ended up liking and playing on both a Perantucci PT-44 and a custom Doug Elliott Mouthpiece. Both of which I like much. There are many options and mouthpieces are pretty personal things. I wish you well in your search.

  9. #9
    I'm doubling with a PT-66. It's a big mouthpiece and initially felt too big, but I've practiced into it and now really like it. Rather than risk buying a suitcase full of expensive mouthpieces I've decided to learn to play the one I've got.

  10. #10
    Quote Originally Posted by Pat View Post
    I'm doubling with a PT-66. It's a big mouthpiece and initially felt too big, but I've practiced into it and now really like it. Rather than risk buying a suitcase full of expensive mouthpieces I've decided to learn to play the one I've got.
    That's a great decision! They aren't cheap. I wish you well.

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