At home...

[Rick Denney]

So, I found myself in Texas a few weeks ago, and, by good fortune, for a day and a night in Austin. That meant a visit to Chez Lynch--always to be enjoyed.

Of course, Mike and I played some tubas. I had brought my glow-in-the-dark Kellyberg, and at the conclusion of the playing session, he announced that I really sounded "at home" on his Miraphones.

One of them was the "tuba that started it all"--the Miraphone 186 BBb that Mike used in high school. (I also used a Miraphone my last year in high school, borrowed from Rice University because the Houston schools didn't have anything decent, which is the three degrees of separation between Mike and I at that time--he was friends with the director of bands at Rice, who was friends with my high-school band director.)

I got back to Virginia and spent some time with the Hirsbrunner. Then, on a lark, I stuck the Kellyberg in it.

And I was "at home".

So, I dug through my stash o'mouthpieces, and found an old-enough-to-be-real Conn Helleberg from my past, and have been playing it for the weeks since. My range is better, my intonation is better. Flexibility is about the same, tone is a little better, ability to play through the tremor that is ruining tuba playing for me is better. Low range is not as robust, but it's good enough. The main difference between it and what I had been using was diameter--the Conn is smaller. I'm finding that my face has changed, maybe, but the smaller mouthpiece is feeling kinda good.

In the Symphonic Winds last night, the other guy wasn't there (and he's much better than me, tempting me to hide behind him), and I found myself making tone I liked and matching intonation with our good trombone player perfectly, without either of us thinking we had to work miracles to make it so. (I love our post-Covid band which is more wind ensemble than band, including the ability of those who are showing up.)

The only issue is that it goes in a bit too far, and the tip of the shank is sealing against the leadpipe inside the receiver, instead of against the taper of the receiver, and it wobbles very slightly. I'd need to shave off about a quarter-inch off the taper to fit, and I'm pondering that.

Rick "glad I don't have to go out and find a Miraphone" Denney

[bloke]

bravo to all

When I play on my kaiser, I use a funnel cup ‘piece, so I guess we discovered the same things about the match-up.

[donn]

I think you have in the past considered the Helleberg style cup to be "woofy"? Is it different with your current face, or are you embracing the woof? Not that there's anything wrong with that ... I guess I don't know for sure what it means. I have this idea that the personal preference aspect may have something to do with air stream angle, like maybe the people who prefer a rounder profile cup play at more of a downward angle than I do.

[bloke]

Kaisers are odd tubas.
I’m not sure that there’s a whole lot of stuff they have in common with other tubas, other than “they are also tubas”…
… and they vary enough from each other so as it’s even difficult to make blanket statements about kaiser tubas…
… but yours and mine are sort of similar.

[Rick Denney]

I think you have in the past considered the Helleberg style cup to be "woofy"? Is it different with your current face, or are you embracing the woof? Not that there's anything wrong with that ... I guess I don't know for sure what it means. I have this idea that the personal preference aspect may have something to do with air stream angle, like maybe the people who prefer a rounder profile cup play at more of a downward angle than I do.

Woofy on the Holton, sure. But the Hirsbrunner Kaiser doesn’t make woof easily.

Rick “the Holton leans Geib” Denney

[the elephant]

Before I traded Mark Jones my Alex for his Holton, he was using a Stofer Geib. In that tuba I have for many years used my first-run, one-piece "blokepiece" that became the initial "Solo" model. That Holton *loves* that mouthpiece. I still have the excellent "Lee-piece" and like it in my Kurath F, except in the very upper register. I have found that that tuba *also* likes that same one-piece Sellmansberger Solo.

The two pieces are not much alike at all, but both tubas like them, when they like little else. How weird…

Anyway, my 1960s Conn Helleberg and my Sidey SSH both produce copious amounts of "woof" in the Holton and have focus issues above the staff on the F (but not on the Holton). However, I still like them both, quite a bit. (Same with my Kelleyberg.) My 186 loves these mouthpieces, in addition to the stock version Sellmansberger Symphony.

My conclusion is that the Conn Helleberg (and copies) seem to work well with rotary tubas, especially my two 186s, and that the Geib and the Solo both work better — for me — in the two large piston tubas.

I am not much of a mouthpiece guy. I like a few fairly current pieces and still stand by my old favorites. I have a Blessing 18 that I love for certain things, too. All that other stuff you can get today? Not really interested.

[the elephant]

… are you embracing the woof?

Donn has given us the caption for our first TubaForum teeshirt:

EMBRACE THE WOOF!

[bloke]

EMBRACE THE WOOF!

...and an accompanying picture:

WOOF !.png (155.04 KiB) Viewed 628 times

[Doc]

… are you embracing the woof?

Donn has given us the caption for our first TubaForum teeshirt:

EMBRACE THE WOOF!

@LeMark
@ParLawGod

A minimum of six is needed to start an order (if there is a better tuba graphic, that can be uploaded).

820E2086-F9C5-4B80-A543-444461DB796F.jpeg (121.85 KiB) Viewed 521 times

[the elephant]

I love it, Bill. BAHAHAHA!!!

[jtm]

I got to meet Mike this evening, which was delightful. I’ve recently been recruited into a brass band, and that’s one of the things that Mike does.

He had a lovely Miraphone rotary F for the occasion, and I … didn’t. This is Texas, and I’m new to brass bands, so I’ll be allowed to play Eb parts with a C tuba. The two guys on Bb were using C tubas, too, so there may be no rush to change.

Mike had what looked like a gold-rim Blokepiece, but I didn’t ask.

[tofu]

.