I figured I'd reach out and see what they're all about, considering they're local to me, as I've heard nothing but good things about the Jacobs and Cooley models. On Saturday, I drove over there with a few horns, and a lot of free time.
Ian (the owner) is a wonderful host, holds a wealth of knowledge from his time studying, working, and playing in the Chicagoland area, and has a really neat collection of tuba related items, music, and memorabilia, as well as some outstanding instruments.
We started with my Eb, chatted about what I'd been playing on recently, and he suggested a few pieces from his CHI line, as well as some outliers. It was really nice to have a second (trained!) ear as I was playing these different pieces. Especially on a relatively new to me tuba. On this instrument, I played:
CHI IR-1 in both standard and A-shank
CHI Jacobs 2 in standard shank
CHI JR Helleberg in standard shank
Perantucci PT-66 in standard shank
I *really* liked the CHI IR-1, which is Ian's own design specifically for Eb tubas. Not only that, but it sounded the most clear, comfortable, and right for me and my particular tuba. Interestingly, the other CHI models we ruled out pretty quickly. They just didn't work. The Perantucci was a good #2, certainly gave the tuba some different qualities than the IR-1, but ultimately didn't sound as clear to me.
I'd been using only American taper pieces in this tuba, and was surprised that I felt most comfortable with the standard (.530) shank. That little extra gap must be helpful for me.
After that, I moved to my big horn. I've gone on a bit of a safari with this one since I've owned it. To my understanding, most 2165's want a true Euro shank mouthpiece. I'm stubborn, and have exactly ONE Euro mouthpiece which I've been saving for my Holton 345. Anyway, all that to say I have been sticking American shank pieces in that tuba. That's what I have.
With this one, I played:
CHI JS Helleberg in both standard and E-shank
CHI Cooley 3 in standard shank
CHI R Helleberg in standard shank
CHI Sergio Carolino prototype in E-shank
Pretty quickly, we agreed the JS Helleberg was a really good match for this tuba, particularly the Euro version. The Cooley 3 is nice, but that particular cup and rim aren't a match for me or my 2165. Similar story with the R Helleberg - the JS was the standout by far. Then, I joined the illustrious club of about 5 people who have tried the Sergio model prototype. That one is a winner too. Not available yet, but I'll pick one of those up when it is. I really liked it, and I'm not usually a heavyweight user.
Ian also has a pretty rad Nirschl 5v Eb tuba, which is really cool, and plays like a million bucks. It's very rare to see one Eb tuba in America, let alone TWO non-comps in the same room, and a Besson 982 in there too.
I decided to purchase both the IR-1 and the JS Helleberg. I suppose you could call me a CHI Brass "Artist" now.
I always like meeting new people in our small world, sharing stories, showing off my unique tubas, and finding new stuff that works well for me. Great products, great designs, highly recommended. Thanks for reading.
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My new gear - CHI JS Helleberg, CHI IR-1
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With the beasts in my tuba room
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Sergio prototype - Rad design, plays nice with my 2165.
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Nirschl Eb, 2141 Eb. The Nirschl is physically larger, and set up exactly like his York model and 4/4 model. Great horn, and we both scored these for great prices.
