Tuba doublers mouthpieces

[hyperbolica]

I've been playing more tuba recently. I have a small 3/4 BBb, in the Yamaha 103 range. I have a horizontal ridge of some sort right under my nose, or it might be a place where my upper lip is thinned out from trombone mouthpieces, but I can't put any mouthpieces in the 1/2" or so right under my nose, which limits the size of tuba mouthpieces I can use. Plus, I just feel lost in huge mouthpieces.

I've been bouncing between a Denis Wick 4 and a Kelly 25. The DW is about as small as you can get, but I have a better sound on the 25. I don't mind depth, but don't want to go too big on diameter. The 25 feels pretty good. My horn came with a Bach 24aw, which has a monstrously wide rim (don't like that). I have a Kellyberg which I think is too big in diameter. Also have a Kelly 18 which seems ok, but the 25 seems better.

I'd like to get a real metal mouthpiece. I have a P size cup for DE, but haven't been able to piece the rest of it together yet due to Doug being out of commission for a while and the general scarcity of DE tuba used market.

Any recommendations for size-phobic doublers?

[BGuttman]

Smallest Bach tuba mouthpiece I have ever played was a 32. I played a 25 copy for a while and then got into Hellebergs. i like the Schilke Helleberg (66?). Hellebergs have relatively small rim sizes and are very deep. The design came from August Helleberg, who played tuba in Sousa's Band, the New York Philharmonic Orchestra, and the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra.

[Doug Elliott]

I have a few CB series pieces in stock and they would work great for your purposes.
And you know I don't mind sending you stuff to try.

[dukesboneman]

I double alot of TRombone/Tuba.
On my 1928 Conn Eb I use a Miraphone Eb Mouthpiece (That`s all it says) It pretty small but really works on the horn
On my beat-up Pub Crawl Conn Bb I use a bored out Bach 24W
On my good BBb I switch between a Schilke 66 and Schilke 62.
I`m finding that the 62 is feeling better and better.
You don`t need to play a mall tuba mouthpiece if you double
You need to find one that works for you and practice to make the witch work for you

[SimmonsTrombone]

If Doug’s don’t work out, you might call Joe Sellmansburger who specializes in tuba mouthpieces. He’s good at analysis over the phone. Mid south Music 901-458-8791. That’s a published number, and his wife usually answers the phone.

[DougHulme]

I'd persevere with Doug he supplied me with a CB119 rim. CB N cup and N 8 2015 shank to play my BBb Contra bass on, I'd never used a big mouthpiece before but it works fantastically and just doesent seem so much of a stretch from the bass trombone mouthpiece. I dont know about your measurements and where this fits in but I would say this combination ''just works' and would surely work well on your tuba too?... Doug

[hyperbolica]

I'd persevere with Doug he supplied me with a CB119 rim. CB N cup and N 8 2015 shank to play my BBb Contra bass on, I'd never used a big mouthpiece before but it works fantastically and just doesent seem so much of a stretch from the bass trombone mouthpiece. I dont know about your measurements and where this fits in but I would say this combination ''just works' and would surely work well on your tuba too?... Doug

Thanks, that sounds good to me and it's kind of what I was thinking after Doug mentioned the CB pieces.

Doug E - what CB pieces do you have in stock? After comparing what I've been playing to your chart, I was thinking 120-122 Lexan rim, N cup with an American shank.

[deanmccarty]

I will have a DE 126/P/C (gold rim) for sale as soon as my new mouthpiece comes in… I’m going slightly larger with my Miraphone 282… I’ve had this DE for 9 years and it’s been great for quintet work. It has a European shank… but it fits in the Yamaha and Jupiter baby tubas at my school.

[Kevbach33]

One thing that hasn't seemingly been mentioned...

Maybe you're not feeling the larger sizes too well because the rim shape, even if slimmer than the 24AW (a shape I also despise), isn't narrow enough. This is something I discovered after getting a PT-36. It's not a small mouthpiece, but the more narrow rim (to me) improved everything I was feeling and playing over the piece it replaced (a King System Blue mouthpiece, which has a more normal width), and I found it more comfortable. It is in a completely different tuba than yours (an F. Schmidt 2103, a tall rotary BBb).

Just a factor to consider if your P cup is a TU size, not CB.

[hyperbolica]

Doug E sent a CB 122N which got me part way there. I screwed the TU P cup I had into that, and it works size-wise (although it doesn't match rim to cup) . It is a manageable mouthpiece for me and gives a reasonable tuba sound. So CB 122 P 16 I think will be the designation.

Doug E has been very helpful in the middle of everything else he has going on. Thanks also to Doug H for mentioning his contra mouthpiece arrangement.