Baer MMVI on a Kaiser BBb

[bort2.0]

I don't remember if I ever tried the combo of a Baer MMVI on a Kaiser BBb tuba.

I used a MMVI for about 5 years solid, no switching around, when I had my old Miraphone 1291. Not like it was the world's most perfect work of mouthpiece art, but it was solid and it worked really well for me.

Think it might be a decent match on a large BBb? I'm not expecting to hear it's anyone's first choice, but would be interested to know if it just doesn't match up at all

In general, I think medium sized mouthpieces are okay on 6/4 piston tubas. But on huge rotary tubas, I really prefer a.pretty large* mouthpiece.

Open to other suggestions too, just starting from a place that I remember. I sold off all my tuba stuff, so all I have now is a Bach 18 megatone that I bought in HS. Not the best match for the huge horn.

*Large = deep and backbore over 8.5mm or so. Diameter still has to be under 33mm and a thin sharp rim.

[Mark E. Chachich]

As I understand it, Connie Weldon (my teacher at the University of Miami) used a Bach 12 on an Alexander 164 BB flat when she played in the Concertgebouw Orchestra.

That said, a Bach 18 may be good with a Kaiser BB flat. I used a Bach 18 for around 10 years (Alexander 163) before I switched to a Bach 7 and thought that it was an excellent mouthpiece. It really is all about what works for you.

best,
Mark

[bort2.0]

Thanks Mark! I've had the Bach 18 for over 30 years now, and it was the only mouthpiece I used at all for the first 10 years of playing.

Come to think of it, I think the issue may have been that I need a Euro shank, and the Bach is American shank. I used to have an adapter, But well, you know, sold that...

The 18 is a little smaller in diameter than I'm used to these days, though.

[bloke]

Before I was doing anything myself with mouthpieces, I bought one of those Laskey 30H (Hb-II style) things because everybody else was and then - because I was taking a few lessons with Mr. Baer - I bought one of those mouthpieces that you mentioned. It didn't work for me at all. It's probably really good for some people. At the time, I noticed the rim was bothering me, but - if the throat is that large, I'm sure I was having to deal with that as well.

I've also never had any luck with a Helleberg II style mouthpiece, but others obviously have had great success with them. (As an 11th grader and knowing nothing, I remember saving up money so that I could buy a Conn Helleberg mouthpiece, and didn't know that there were two sizes. When I found out that I had ended up with a 7B - basically a Helleberg II - and compared it to my friend's larger one, I was pretty disappointed.)

[bort2.0]

Thanks Joe! I seem to remember re-trying the MMVI a few times over the years, but never quite fell for it the same way I originally did.

The best large-tuba mouthpiece that I had was my Thein RCC, but that's long gone, and was pretty obscure to begin with.

I really don't want to play the mouthpiece game again, but I guess I'll do what I've got to do.

[Thomas]

The Perantucci AMH Paul der Große Pro seems to feature your needs except for the diameter. It's larger but very appropriate giving the size of instruments it's meant for. Intonationwise, size parameters seem to be very much balanced.

The form factor should be not so far away from the Thein RCC you mentioned, although a bit larger.

I had the opportunity to play this piece on a representative selection of "the" high grade large B-flat tubas discussed here (not just checking, also for workshop classes), so I dare to consider it as a good match for those instruments.

Given the still moderate cost for the silver version, the AMH Pro is worth a strong recommendation. According to Andreas, it's designed to provide a quick and light response plus a wide dynamic range and sound (I'd describe it with a lot of "presence"). That's what it does.

[Sousaswag]

I think he designed that with his 6450 in mind. I like it and wouldn’t mind hunting one down to try with my 6465. Maybe a better match would be something along the Rt-88 line, or Tindall’s 3U I think was designed for rotor tubas, though the 88 is like $100 shipped.

[bloke]

I don't know if you know this, but I'm doing some brass mouthpieces now and I have what I believe is a slightly improved (not that I don't still like the stainless steel version's inside dimensions) version of my Orchestra Grand cup and shank, and the one-piece brass version features a slightly thinned (though it was already thin) 32.9mm version of my #2 profile rim. I guess you would call my B-flat tuba that I'm playing now a "kaiser"... It's a Miraphone 98, which is basically a classic rotary kaiser with a bell mounted on it which is the same shape as a Holton 345 bell... so I guess if a Cerveny 601 B-flat is a kaiser - and if you would refer to a Rudy 5/4 as a kaiser... even though both of those are wide-belled, then this one certainly is as well. I love this mouthpiece used with this instrument, and I also like it on a compact tuba that I built out of one of those 32-inch tall 19 inch bell Holton/York instruments (also B-flat).

I charge $175 for those mouthpieces. If someone's very careful and doesn't mark up the shank, I'll take them back if they don't like it. I need someone returning one of these to cover my postage there and cover their postage back to me. (I'll eat the credit card processing fee.) Besides the one-piece brass featuring a specific rim, the main thing I changed about the rest of it was the throat contour, which I was able to have more freedom with, since it doesn't screw together at that juncture.

I also have created a silver-plated brass version of that same mouthpiece which is threaded for rims. Even though it costs me just as much to produce, I only charge $150 for it, since people are going to have to buy (or own) one of my stainless steel rims to go with it. Personally, I've been using the threaded version and screwing on a stainless steel 32.9 #2 profile rim, because they remain so very smooth and slick ... Even though I always shave right before playing, my beard stubble (yes, even when it's shaved down level with my skin) tends to put tiny scratches in silver plated brass, which I soon end up experiencing as less slick.

[Sousaswag]

I think I’d like to have one of those… Let us know when they’re ready.

[bloke]

I think I’d like to have one of those… Let us know when they’re ready.

Thank you. I'll put it in the forum "Retail and Repair Marketplace" where those of us who sell stuff for our living advertise when they are back from the plater. I apologize for carnival barking, but this mouthpiece is really working out well for me.

[bort2.0]

I think I’d like to have one of those… Let us know when they’re ready.

Thank you. I'll put it in the forum "Retail and Repair Marketplace" where those of us who sell stuff for our living advertise when they are back from the plater. I apologize for carnival barking, but this mouthpiece is really working out well for me.

I agree, sounds cool, and I hadn't heard of this before.

I had a few unexpected costs this week, so things are now delayed a little bit. Someone* stepped on my laptop and broke the screen... a new laptop isn't in the budget, so I bought a black-Friday sale external monitor which seems to do the job pretty well. Except now, it's way more awkward to sit on the sofa with my computer.

*There's a 99% chance it was me. Or the dog. But he's not quite screen-breaking weight now is he?

[bloke]

I wouldn't say they're "consumer mouthpiece"-priced, but they're only about $70 or $75 more than the consumer mouthpieces like Bach, Conn, Schilke, and PT.
I like making something off of a mouthpiece, but I don't need to make $200 or $300 profit off of a mouthpiece.
(and making that much of a mouthpiece would sort of make me feel like a predator of the customers, rather than a friend)

Personally, I like the threaded version with my stainless steel rim that's the closest to the rim on the one-piece. I actually like the rim on the one piece better (slightly narrower than #2 profile) but I like the forever slick feel of the screw on stainless steel (the closest to the rim on the one piece being #2 profile 32.9 rim). Of course, it costs more that way, but I'll offer a $25 break on the silver plated threaded "frame" (even though the machine shop charges me the same for those) to help the customer pay for a rim.

[TheBerlinerTuba]

Hello bort,

if it's any help from Germany, the vast majority of us who use a kaiser tuba in a professional setting tend to use one of the following.

Bruno Tilz WH-B1 or WH-B2

Werner Schmidt WH-B2 (this is my personal mouthpiece)

Perantucci PT-88

Windhager: There are so many sizes, I would just ask, what is similar to a PT88 or a WHB2 etc

Of course a mouthpiece is a personal taste issue, and there are plenty of players here who use something different than these, but from what I've seen in various professional settings these particular models seem to be commonly used. If any of my colleagues have a different opinion, please share what your experience has been.
Cheers from Berlin,
TheBerlinerTuba