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Hey all!

I was wondering if anyone knew of any techs that do custom bends on tuba mouthpieces?

-Mark

Just my opinion, but I don't think a bend in the mouthpiece shank would be effective, unless it was designed that way for whatever reason). Is this some new fad or an ergonomic reason. If it is an ergonomic reason, it is way more cost productive and easier to move a leadpipe. Tony Kniffen angles all of his leadpipes with a slant upwards for example.

If you are looking for a custom mouthpiece that has this bend, Giddings Mouthpieces can replicate any mouthpiece with their system, so I am assuming they could do this as a design. I am interested in more about this.

Years ago, I was dumb enough to try to do things that I didn’t know how to do.
A talented amateur trombone player – actually a world-renowned cardiologist – had me bend a couple of mouthpieces, because I couldn’t talk him into letting me custom-make him a wider playing slide bow and wider playing slide braces, which would have taken care of the problem of his neck being jammed up against the gooseneck of the trombone.
Even when sliding a thick steel collet with a Jarno taper all the way up the shank of his trombone mouthpiece, it still ended up ovalling the interior somewhat. Thankfully, he was pleased (??), but I really was not at all.

What bloke said. For example, in my case, I have an overbite. Instead of having a mouthpiece bent, I had my tech reangle the lead pipe and receiver to match my overbite and torso length so my tuba sits comfortably on my lap and my embouchure fits the angle and height of the receiver comfortably. That may be cheaper than trying to find someone to bend a mouthpiece at the throat, which may damage the the mouthpiece by causing a warp internally.

Alas,

Ive had two mouthpiece bends performed by Dan Oberloh who really did stellar work, but he has seemed disinterested in doing it again.

I really didn't want to mark up my Bruckner as I would have rather done that to the gnagey, but that may be the only option.

Anyway. Thanks for the input.

Regardless of what is done, a bend is going to - inevitably - oval the bore somewhat, where as a cut will - inevitably - put a "corner" in the bore. I probably would chose a cut-and-resolder over a bend (though I would hate to braze it - which is the stronger way, which would also really screw up the finish on the exterior of the mouthpiece).

The inside of the defined angle (due to the cut) could be gently filed before the cut mouthpiece was soldered back together.

The trombone guy defined my bends as (not "steller", but) "amazing", whereas I judged them to be crap.

Not meaning to be insulting in the least (though my writing style is somewhat blunt) there are other ways to point a mouthpiece nicely to the embouchure without bending mouthpieces or unsoldering and bending mouthpipes, but most people don't seem to wish to hear of them.

Most only want to hold their instrument "just" this way, and that's that (etc...and I'm not referring to a playing stand).

ie. Tucking the instrument up closer-to or farther-away-from the crotch changes the up/down angle, and rotating the instrument more to the left-or-right adjusts the height of the receiver/mouthpiece. (Again, most don't seem to wish to consider these non-invasive adjustments.)

Interesting. What Dan had done was cut and resolder the piece and then plate it. Perhaps bend isnt the right phrasing.

I tried sitting the corner of the chair, a tuba stand and finally what did work was a sousy bit.

It worked until I got a gig with a bigger league (think one or two steps below major, but the best ensemble for my area in central pa)

I played with the bit in the first rehearsal and the conductor walked up to me and told to remove it because it made me look unprofessional and an amateur. My teacher who I was studying with the time also agreed it looked bad.

Being that I was so overwhelmed to be able to play in such a group I complied and messaged Oblerloh....


So yeah. Been a stupid journey.

near non sequitur:
A few years ago, I drove all the way to Middleburg, PA (about 950 miles from here) to purchase round logs which match those on my house (for an addition - well: more of a "tearing off redneck crap, and replacing it with what should have been there in the first place").
I pulled my two-axle trailer (w/electric brakes) all the way there and home with my 6-cyl. Chevy work van.
I saw some amazing places that I'd never seen before , and had to hurriedly drive past many more which I would have loved to have seen.
I made it into an exhaustive three-day excursion - staying with my daughter in Pitts on the way up, and my brother in DC on the way back.

playing position: You'll get it figured out.

bloke wrote: ↑Mon May 16, 2022 10:49 am Tucking the instrument up closer-to or farther-away-from the crotch changes the up/down angle, and rotating the instrument more to the left-or-right adjusts the height of the receiver/mouthpiece. (Again, most don't seem to wish to consider these non-invasive adjustments.)

Being increasingly horizontally challenged (100% by my own doing), I manage to find a way to hold everything where it needs to be, whether I use a stand or not**. I'm sure there are a few folks who have certain physical traits that might benefit from a different leadpipe angle or mouthpiece angle, mouthpiece rim contour, etc., but I don't have those issues - I'm just a fat ass. But (not poo-pooing them) I AM curious if the physical benefit of those bends/adjustments contribute to/take away from what comes out of the bell.

**When playing, I prefer a stand, but not for the angle of the dangle... and I don't use a stand at all for my Eb - just shelf liner to keep it in place on my leg. And the 20J just sits perfectly balanced on my leg with nothing.

Flex pipe??

Three Valves wrote: ↑Mon May 16, 2022 2:09 pm Flex pipe??

just a rubber mouthpiece shank

I will just have to have the leadpipe bent on anything I get; my neck is at an impossible angle for my chin to reach the rim, and I don't have an overbite, just quite a dip in the middle of my chin. I'd have to have the bow go right through me and stick out my back in order to get the tuba angled to line up with my face. Many of us are bent in funny ways to try to play with the usual straight-on leadpipe angle. I wish that leadpipe angle were an option, and I wonder how many people gave up because of neck pain trying to play with an impossible angle.