Former or current NEO players--what mouthpiece?

[Snorlax]

Hi, all...
I now own a Yamaha Neo...it so far seems rather sensitive to mouthpiece selection.
I'm wondering what you currently use or previously used.
I'm trying three: A Giddings EXL (likely too small for me or Neo), an Elliott EUPH J, J9, N104, and a Wick 4AL.
I didn't like the Yamaha piece that came with it.
Opinions?
Jim

[DEF1]

I can't help with mouthpiece choice but I'm thinking of getting a Neo, any feedback you can provide on how you are finding it will be appreciated.

[JTJ]

Hi Jim, I've been playing a Neo for a while now. For me, the Alliance E2 (the mouthpiece which ships, or did anyway, with the Prestige) has been a great match.

John

[Art Lewis]

The Giddings & Webster Kadja is the perfect match for me. I´ve benn playing the Neo for nearly two years now. The first couple of month I used a SM4X, which works fine too. But I prefer a darker and more sonourous sound.

[daruby]

Hi Jim,

I would think that either the DE Euph-J9-N104 or Wick 4AL would work for you quite nicely. Those two mouthpieces are very similar. It depends a bit on the sound you want to hear. My "go to's" are the 4AL (for over 30 years) but I am also using almost the same DE on my Adams E3 as yours. I find that my Adams plays more like a NEO than like my Sterling and I have been using it recently for wind symphony where the other two euphers play Yamaha.I know several performers who get a nice sound out of the NEO with a 51D, but I suspect that rim size is too small for you. The Yamaha 53HL (comes with the 842S Custom) is a larger mouthpiece similar to a Wick 4 or 3 series. I had one until recently but felt my sound was a bit rough with it vs. a Wick.

I use the standard Doug Elliott wide Euph 104 rim instead of the narrow N104 since it feels more like my modern 4AL's. A 38 year old 4AL in my inventory feels like the N104 with a narrower and sharper rim.

[superted]

4AL did not work for me. Conceptually I feel the 4AL provides feedback from mouthpiece and the horn as one unit, so where you control the horn feels like somewhere towards the bell or even beyond the bell.

The Neo felt like it wanted to respond with what is happening inside a mouthpiece. The point of control is inside the mouthpiece. So there is a mismatch in feel and the 4AL won't give you the feedback you need to work this horn effectively.

I also tried a DE 103 J Cup and if I had my time again I would go for an H or I cup. Try something shallower that would provide more feedback/control at the mouthpiece.

This horn doesn't need a deep mouthpiece to make a beautiful sound. In fact going too deep I feel is counter-productive and a source of frustration. If you can organise a trial get something with a 4G rim with a 5G cup.

[Snorlax]

Thanks for the opinions, everyone! I played a concert today with the Indianapolis Brass Choir using the Elliott setup. As of this writing, I am still a member of the group. People actually liked it.

[Clayton M.]

Hehe. That’s good to know!

[spkissane]

6 1/2 al

[Jasonium]

How do you find the Wick 4AL? That's my go-to mouthpiece and it played very well on the Neo in my testing.

[Cameron J.]

I am currently using an SM4 with mine. Seems to work okay.

[cbz]

I use either a 51D or an SM3U on my Neo. Great horn! I used this same mouthpiece combination on my older model 642 as well.

Arul

[Snorlax]

Thanks, everyone...I'm sticking to the Elliott setup for now.
I have a Giddings EXL that I want to swap for a Helseth solo
Jim

[YamEuph]

Hi Snorlax,
I'm new to the forum but have been reading the posts for quiet a while and think its a great website.
Regarding your mouthpiece question, I play a Neo euph now for the past 3 years having previously played a Besson 2052. Tried a SM4U, 4AL, and a DC3. The DC3 is what I decided on and think this is a great match for the Neo. Now I'm only an amateur player but for me anyway this mouthpiece gives the best sound.The mouthpiece that ships with the instrument is best avoided I think, too small. The DC3 sound is nice and dark, maybe requires more work but definitely better sounding.

[Jasonium]

How significant is the difference between the 4AL and, say, DC3 or SM4U? I don't have a large collection of mouthpieces to compare with, only the 4AL and the Yamaha MP the Neo came with.