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Thread: Denis Wick

  1. Denis Wick

    I have wanted to change a mouthpiece for a while but until now never had the proper expenses to do so. I have been playing on a faxx 4G because I wasn't able to afford anything else that would be a good enough jump. I'm preparing for Senior Region Band auditions next year and after my school gets their new euphonium I have to adjust a lot to two new items and want to minimize the effect of two at the same time. But I needed to change mouthpiece size and so I decided after reviews on here and from other great musicians I'd try Denis Wick. I decided to test a SM2U because I had already tested a SM3X before which is almost the same size as the 4G just a little bigger. So I tested a funnel cup SM2 and bowl cup SM2U and was amazed and confused. I loved the improvements of the medium-deep 4G to a deep cup SM2U. And also there was a more characteristic tone from my instrument, even though it was an intermediate level instrument. But what confused me so much was how even though I made the jump, I didn't feel anything different though I know the SM2U is bigger in cup diameter and had a slight difference in throat by .19 millimeters unless that is actually a significant jump. But I didn't feel any change in range, or have to toughen my embouchre like I did from 6-1/2AL to 4G. But then after that I realized how much Heritage is advocated, so I looked for the SM2U Heritage "counterpart" the 1AL. Sadly I have never tested this mouthpiece but am aware some people have played on a Heritage that are on this site. What do you guys believe, SM2U or Heritage 1AL? And I'm open to any other options from other brands of mouthpieces. I apologize for the long post but thank you for reading all of this.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Mar 2006
    Location
    Hidden Valley, AZ
    Posts
    1,034
    You should use whatever fits your embouchure; Comfort, range, tone, and pitch.

    That is why there is a myriad of sizes available today.

    A Wick 2 anything is pretty big for euph, most play on something smaller.

    More lip in the cup isn't always the ticket, more active & controllable muscle is.

    Play many, buy one or two.

    DG

  3. #3
    I agree that a 2 or larger is getting pretty large for a euphonium. The sound loses a bit of the euphonium core, in my opinion. Some might disagree.

    It's not surprising that in testing you could play your normal range. But in actual use you would probably have endurance problems. You would need to build strength to overcome that.

    What horn are you using?

    I would think something in the 4 range would be best, and there are tons of options. You can accomplish a lot by trying different cup depths and throat sizes/tapers.
    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

  4. I agree, 2 seems quite large even though it worked well. But also, as you have said, I believe dexterity will be an issue as well, but I'm sure I can adjust some. Also I play an Andreas-Eastman EEP426, when really I feel like playing something with a bigger bore like the professional models I've been looking at for some time, .590 and .610, since I'm really limited on my instrument. Not the .571 I've been using. And my school will eventually get rather a Besson 2052, Miraphone 5050, JP Sterling, Yamaha 842, or Adams E2. May even get a Sterling Virtuoso.

  5. And also I have fulfilled all of those parts in my embouchre as highpitch had said but will keep searching to find anything that could possibly be better

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