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Thread: Difference between Ultra Series mouthpieces?

  1. #21
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    Having played on the 4X pretty intensively for three weeks, going back to the 4AL has made me realise that the things I initially found attractive about the 4X - ease of articulation and ease of moderate high register - are areas I have it within me to improve without recourse to equipment changes. Therefore it is back to the Kopprasch and Vizzutti studies and back to an organised practice routine.
    1983 Boosey & Hawkes Sovereign
    Denis Wick SM4 (original series)

  2. #22
    Simes,

    While it is never a bad idea to go back to fundamentals, I find the mouthpiece makes a difference. My Heritage or SM4U do make articulations clearer. They both have a sharper inner rim, and that matches a characteristic described in the Bach mouthpiece manual. I find the mouthpiece is affected by all the common things, like cup depth and diameter, throat size, backbore shape, etc. But I've been surprised that a small difference in the inner rim can change my articulations! To your point, I can work harder on the 4AL and get similar results, so I'm not left out in the cold, articulation-wise.
    Dave Werden (ASCAP)
    Euphonium Soloist, U.S. Coast Guard Band, retired
    Adams Artist (Adams E3)
    Alliance Mouthpiece (DC3)
    YouTube: dwerden
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  3. Quote Originally Posted by davewerden View Post
    I've returned to my 4AL more times than I can count. It is really a pretty good mouthpiece!
    ^^^this all day long. I've been on a long and expensive circular route back to the 4al over more than a decade just to find out what I was doing was fine (did enjoy the alliance dc3 and wick sm 4.5 though)

  4. #24
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    Mar 2007
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    Indianapolis area
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    What's the difference between an SM3, an SM3U, an SM3UX, and an SM3UXCQDX/12AX7? About $25 for every additional letter.

    PS--two brownie points to anyone who knows what a 12AX7 is.
    Last edited by Snorlax; 07-30-2016 at 08:15 PM.

  5. #25
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    Quote Originally Posted by Snorlax View Post
    What's the difference between an SM3, an SM3U, an SM3UX, and an SM3UXCQDX/12AX7? About $25 for every additional letter.

    PS--two brownie points to anyone who knows what a 12AX7 is.
    You're in my wheelhouse now! A 12AX7 is the Army's 12th version of its ubiquitous Attack Helicopter, with eXperimental, 7th generation night vision devices on board. Give me a hard one!
    John Morgan
    The U.S. Army Band (Pershing's Own) 1971-1976
    Adams E3 Custom Series Euphonium, 1956 B&H Imperial Euphonium,
    1973 F. E. Olds & Son Studio Model T-31 Baritone
    Adams TB1 Tenor Trombone, Yamaha YBL-822G Bass Trombone
    Year Round Except Summer:
    Kingdom of the Sun (KOS) Concert Band, Ocala, FL (Euphonium)
    KOS Brass Quintet (Trombone, Euphonium)
    Summer Only:
    Rapid City Municipal Band, Rapid City, SD (Euphonium)
    Rapid City New Horizons Band (Euphonium)

  6. #26
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    Indianapolis area
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    John, your 12AX7 is much more elegant than the one I had in mind!...I was thinking more of the old--but still popular--class A amplifier tube that sits in a lot of my old Hammarlund and National ham radio receivers!


  7. #27
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    Ah, Jim, actual vacuum tubes still in service! Nothing wrong with that. I have a Sony receiver that I have used and still use with all of the other components that I have replaced multiple times. Got it before my son was born (1971), and it still works like a charm. I suspect there might be some vacuum tubes inside, but I have never had to look! How is that for reliability!?
    John Morgan
    The U.S. Army Band (Pershing's Own) 1971-1976
    Adams E3 Custom Series Euphonium, 1956 B&H Imperial Euphonium,
    1973 F. E. Olds & Son Studio Model T-31 Baritone
    Adams TB1 Tenor Trombone, Yamaha YBL-822G Bass Trombone
    Year Round Except Summer:
    Kingdom of the Sun (KOS) Concert Band, Ocala, FL (Euphonium)
    KOS Brass Quintet (Trombone, Euphonium)
    Summer Only:
    Rapid City Municipal Band, Rapid City, SD (Euphonium)
    Rapid City New Horizons Band (Euphonium)

  8. #28
    Join Date
    Jan 2006
    Location
    West Palm Beach, FL
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    Quote Originally Posted by Snorlax View Post
    (snip)
    PS--two brownie points to anyone who knows what a 12AX7 is.
    That's a blast from the past for me! We had plenty of these type tubes in the old radars sets in the USAF and the FAA. Amplifier tubes. The 12AX7 had the highest output, 12AT7 had a bit lower output and the 12AU7 had a bit less output than AT's. I imagine it's hard to find these anymore but don't know.
    Rick Floyd
    Miraphone 5050 - Warburton BJ / RF mpc
    YEP-641S (recently sold)
    Doug Elliott - 102 rim; I-cup; I-9 shank


    "Always play with a good tone, never louder than lovely, never softer than supported." - author unknown.
    Symphonic Band of the Palm Beaches
    El Cumbanchero (Raphael Hernandez, arr. Naohiro Iwai)
    Chorale and Shaker Dance
    (John Zdechlik)

  9. #29
    Join Date
    May 2016
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    Truro, Cornwall, UK
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    Quote Originally Posted by Snorlax View Post
    What's the difference between an SM3, an SM3U, an SM3UX, and an SM3UXCQDX/12AX7? About $25 for every additional letter. :
    Ha ha! Make sure you get your lafreque plates first and your fancy "bespoke" springs or otherwise you won't feel the benefit of the new mouthpiece. Oh, and it only works on Besson Prestige euphoniums. And the large one at that. But you'll need a travel mute to get used to it.
    1983 Boosey & Hawkes Sovereign
    Denis Wick SM4 (original series)

  10. I got a used 4UX a while back and have been using it off and on for various types of performances -- I've settled it on being my "endless outdoor gig" mouthpiece, because it's a little brighter than some of my other mouthpieces (since I'm usually the sole euph player who'd otherwise disappear under a dozen trumpets) and I don't seem to wear myself out on it too easily. I still prefer my basic Yamaha 48D for anything that requires any kind of finesse or subtle playing, though.
    Last edited by jimpjorps; 07-31-2016 at 06:10 PM.

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