Sellmansberger Orchestra Grand Ultimate is here - later on: Beatles chat

[bloke]

I have used this model myself in the three-piece stainless steel (both the cup and the back-bore), and/but - in this one-piece silver plated brass version, I've made some subtle changes to both the cup and back-bore that (at least) please me. Again, I'm not a scientist, I'm not an "air flow" expert. I'm just a tuba player who works with his hands, and who never quite found what I was looking for in stock mouthpieces.

I've been using the "rough" prototype of this new model with (ok: "in my opinion") great success (at least, "great satisfaction") with BOTH my 6/4 contrabass and my 4/4 contrabass tubas. The cleaned up production prototype (pictured just below) exceeds what I've been enjoying with my own rough prototype.




This is the blurb that I posted on other places on the web:
You are looking at the
Sellmansberger Orchestra Grand Ultimate production prototype.
It's similar to the original Orchestra Grand interior shape but with a few tweaks, and with a modified #2 profile (narrow fall-away shape, with 32.9mm embouchure opening) rim.
In silver plated brass, the limited production first run mouthpieces will be priced just as were the first runs of other models of one-piece Sellmansberger silver plated brass mouthpieces at $150 + postage (whereas subsequent runs will be priced at $195 ea.)
The first run versions will be offered in standard shank.
In particular, those who have used something like a model 50 mouthpiece with a contrabass tuba, we would respectfully encourage those players to consider this as an alternative.

tubaforum friends...
Three of the first small batch are already spoken for (as of this posting at the close of 2-25-25). I have given myself until Friday (2-28-25) to increase the quantity of the first production run, but - by then - all of the first production run absolutely need to be fabricated, polished, packed, labeled, and mailed for silver plating.
I should have them plated, back here, and ready to ship out by the middle of March (for receipt in purchasers' homes' mailboxes) by middle-of-March + typical-number-of-mailing-days-from-western-Tennessee.

[bloke]

It's been about twenty hours since I finished testing the prototype, and there are already several orders. The quantity I outlined for the first run would only allow for just about as many more orders. I can increase the number manufactured in the first run through Friday morning.

The rough prototype (created here at my shop, on which the shown production prototype is based) is a mouthpiece that I have been using on the 6/4 size Miraphone model 98 rotary contrabass, as well as the 4/4 size piston Holton (same exact size as York, subtly smaller than a new-style King B-flat or Eastman 4/4 C) piston contrabass. It offers a little bit more so-called "core" type of sound (ie. not quite as "pretty", yet similar) compared to the Symphony model that so many people have purchased. It's smoother and nicer sounding than a reference (model 50) mouthpiece here (another maker's model that so many people apparently purchase), requires less work than a 50 with better results - in my experience, and is a very friendly mouthpiece for legato playing and slurs (which is a mouthpiece really needed for my model 98, which is not only rotary, but also .835" bore).

Not seen in the picture will be a dollar sign stamped on the ring just above the insertion shank, which reminds the owner that the shank size is $tandard.

Parenthetically, another of the features that I changed a little bit from the original OG is the throat shape.

Off in the future, there could be (??) some variants, as well as a user-customizable version. So many people who have tried this particular rim profile like it and so many people seem to like this embouchure opening, that this version will be it, for now.

[bloke]

We're getting really close to orders using up the entire first run...
They will be packed up for plating on Friday, so - if any more firm orders (beyond "interested" which, btw, are very high compliments, which we appreciate), it would be good to know by Thursday (tomorrow) evening.
ie. We can increase the first run quantity if we know by Thursday night.

[Heavy_Metal]

@bloke , put me down for two.

[bloke]

I'm sure it shows that I'm pretty excited about this mouthpiece. I've been using my rough prototype on both of my contrabass tubas - which are quite different in size.

The manufactured prototype is just a little bit smoother sounding, and the fact that the shank exterior is true is definitely a bonus .

I truly appreciate all the orders so far. It looks as though I'm going to be doubling the quantity of the first run.

[bloke]

I just doubled the quantity of the first production run to accommodate orders.

funny plating story:
The production prototype in the picture is to be silver plated locally, so I'll have it sooner (for my personal use). The others are being sent off to Anderson. This production prototype was supposed to be ready today, but the guy with the small (yet good quality) plating rig spilled his copper (for the copper strike). He won't have it replaced until Monday or Tuesday...
...At least, he didn't spill his $$$ilver solution.

[bloke]

I may have mentioned this above but I doubled the first run quantity based on how quickly the orders were coming in for it. The mouthpiece stuff doesn't make me wealthy, and yes I make a little bit off of it. ....It's sort of like playing a few extra gigs every year.

I am actually excited/eager when I come out with new stuff to find out what people are going to think of it who purchase it. Mouthpieces are really personal things for musicians.

The last mouthpiece I introduced was my attempt to make a Helleberg II shaped cup (a cup shape that I've never been excited about) palatable to myself enough to where I would actually like playing on it. I didn't quite achieve that, but - when I play on that model ("Sellmansberg II") - I'm much more satisfied playing on it than with any other version of that cup-style of mouthpiece, so I consider it a success - particularly since others seem to agree with me that it's an improvement over any of the others.

This "Orchestra Grand Ultimate" mouthpiece, though, is something that I'm using daily with both of my B-flat tubas: both the 6/4 and the 4/4, and am really REALLY liking it... and yes, I have gone back over and over and done A/B comparisons with other excellent mouthpieces here. Those are fine, but I myself - and everyone who listens with me - picks this OG Ultimate - at least with these particular instruments.

[bloke]

Got a text from my machinist buddy today. They've been run off and all that needs to happen after this is lightly buffing the already light machine marks out of the rim and sending them off to Anderson for quality silver plating. I like the looks of the light machine marks on the outside as seen above, so those will stay.

The marks are so fine that I could imagine polishing the silver making them disappear over time.

[arpthark]

Not sure how I missed this. Are there any still up for grabs?

[bloke]

Not sure how I missed this. Are there any still up for grabs?

Since I doubled the quantity of the first run last Friday, there are now still a handful available.

' you want on the list?

(Just fwiw...I'm not making a ton off of these...If my memory of costs vs. committed sales is correct, an order from you might possibly ...?? define the "break even" point...which includes me working for free only my own crappy lathe on the "rough" prototypes.)

What do I get out of these discounted first run sales?
- another model entered into CAD
- at least one "nice" one for myself
- customer feedback and chatter

[arpthark]

Not sure how I missed this. Are there any still up for grabs?

Since I doubled the quantity of the first run last Friday, there are now still a handful available.

' you want on the list?

(Just fwiw...I'm not making a ton off of these...If my memory of costs vs. committed sales is correct, an order from you might possibly ...?? define the "break even" point...which includes me working for free only my own crappy lathe on the "rough" prototypes.)

What do I get out of these discounted first run sales?
- another model entered into CAD
- at least one "nice" one for myself
- customer feedback and chatter

Sign me up, boss.

[bloke]

...I'd be particularly interested to hear from everyday model 50 / 5.0 users who end up with one of these, and their thoughts on how they compare...

[tadawson]

Eh, what the heck . . . . Sign me up for one as well, please.

[bloke]

Eh, what the heck . . . . Sign me up for one as well, please.

It won't be the worst mouthpiece you ever bought. Thank you very much.

If you would be so kind as to send me anIf you would be so kind as to send me an email to the address and the signature below and offer up your mailing address.

[the elephant]

Gimme.

(PM me so I can gibs yoo da monies.)

[the elephant]

That is,

if I made it in time.

If not, it's my loss...

[bloke]

I sure hope you like it, Wade; there are three or four left.

I'm trying to put off sending people invoices to pay too early before they're back here from being plated, because I like to give people product really soon after they pay for stuff, but - in just a few short days - I'm going to send out all the links to pay at once.

[bloke]

I picked up a pretty terrible head cold several days ago, which (needless to say) with a new toy (ie. this mouthpiece) was pretty disappointing.

Today, I picked it up the now: plated production prototype of the "OG Ultimate" for the first time
(I drove an hour in the rain both ways and played a Mardi Gra$$$ job last night on the King fibreglass sousaphone - I'm thinking I used a "Kellyberg" or some such with it...even though I would have preferred to stay in BED - "filthy lucre" etc..., so - as I did that yesterday - I damn well oughta get my cool new mouthpiece out, stick it into the huge/costly B-flat tuba, and give it a whirl TODAY...)

Just as I remembered (with the rough prototype) the previously "you had better concentrate and be careful" 8th partial 2-3 pitch (F-sharp up in the staff with a B-flat tuba) is "just another pitch". ...I'd really be curious (C players) how 2-3 A-flat (top of the staff) responds with this mouthpiece - particularly those of you with very large instruments.

Also, once I began to blow out the cobwebs (sorry to be so specific, but throat nasties and also getting my Eustachian tubes to open up - so I could actually hear what I was doing) I remembered the other really nice characteristic of this mouthpiece, which is "all that sound withOUT all that work"...
ie..."Hey, that's a big sound !!!, but withOUT "Hey, I really blew the crap out of that" in order to achieve "Hey, that's a big sound !!!"

admission: My rough prototype really didn't feature a particularly great example of my #2 rim profile (as does the production version, which is nice and accurately turned, and actually features MORE outside edge falloff than does the "classic" #2 rim profile. This (obviously) better-made example of what I was trying to achieve allows the (ok: ~my~) embouchure to "find" the frequencies more easily with more accuracy and more quickly...so more "first times through" passages sound good enough to (well...) go on and work on subsequent passages.

Less practice repetitions for acceptable/marketable results = "good".

something else about my rough prototype:
It began with a mouthpiece with an oddball (too cylindrical) shank...analogy: Think of a Conn "Remington" trombone large shank vs. a regular/common-taper trombone large shank...so (with the production prototype) it's just nice to have the proper taper on the shank exterior, and - thus - the mouthpiece NOT rattling around within the tuba's receiver. ...and no, I couldn't "correct" the rough prototype's shank's exterior taper, as the small end was already at the target diameter (ie. approximately in the .525" range).

I've always played "catch up" with contrabass tuba - as I owned nothing but an F tuba for quite a few years, so (ok...) I tend to spend more energy on workarounds/shortcuts for contrabass tuba playing improvement, as that's where I've always needed to (well...) improve more...and (for those who are truly familiar with F tuba, whereas it's a "home" instrument to them, and not a "double") contrabass tuba playing is always more work and requires more player precision, yes?

cosmetics live-and-learn:
Prior to the silver plating of the prototype, the brass (down within the laser engraving, sported that cool (yes?) black burned-brass look...but the silver plating went right over the burned brass and covered it up with beautiful silver plating. For future runs, I believe I'm going to have the laser engraving done AFTER the mouthpieces are silver plated...so it will burn right though the silver plating, burn down into the brass, and (yep) leave the "cool-looking" black burned look down in the engraving.

[bloke]

I'm posting way too much about this mouthpiece (OK...I'm enthusiastic...a bit excited...?? about it...)

Having now played on the "good" (production) version for just a bit now, it's probably the LEAST "mouthpiece aware" mouthpiece I've ever played.

Is that a "good" thing?
I suspect that it is, as I always strive to find (at least, for myself) mouthpieces that tend to NOT attract my attention to them while playing on them.

...continuing to post about this thing, at the risk of a "shut up and take my money" reaction, as well as possibly over-promising. After all, it's just a mouthpiece...

[bloke]

Something else...

Ledger-lines-below-the-staff diminuendos from crazy-loud to crazy-soft (not suddenly, but over a couple of measures) are a bit easier to control - BOTH in regards to sonority AND pitch - compared to other "very good" mouthpieces I own/use.

wild guess:
Since I still suck, I'm guessing it has something to do with it a combination of the conservative throat size and slightly backing off of the cup diameter at the juncture with the rim.