Alto Euphonium

[bloke]

Thanks for the suggestion…
An old was-rattling-around-in-a-box standard shank Schilke 51 (not C, D, nor E) - with two small chiggers on the face of it - works darn well with this instrument.
For really low-range euphonium playing - such as covering bass trombone parts (mixed in with tuba parts) at church gigs and ophicleide parts encountered at orchestra gigs (with low C’s, B’s etc.) I have a large-bore compensating euphonium and quite a scavenged array of large cup mouthpieces for it.

[iiipopes]

Thanks for the suggestion…
An old was-rattling-around-in-a-box standard shank Schilke 51 (not C, D, nor E) - with two small chiggers on the face of it - works darn well with this instrument.
For really low-range euphonium playing - such as covering bass trombone parts (mixed in with tuba parts) at church gigs and ophicleide parts encountered at orchestra gigs (with low C’s, B’s etc.) I have a large-bore compensating euphonium and quite a scavenged array of large cup mouthpieces for it.

I agree with the 51. Good mouthpiece. For younger and community band players, I have seen players get good results with the slightly smaller 50, which is also similar to a 6 1/2 AL, especially on Yammy horns and similar.

[Bob Kolada]

That is a cool little horn!

A guy in the South Shore Brass Band had a York alto thing. Front valves, fixed recording bell, looked just like a mini American baritone. I subbed with the Chicago Brass Band once (on 'solo' trombone, played awful), one of their alto players had a custom FIVE valve Eb. I don't remember how it was setup but I do remember not understanding it when he explained it to me. eyesrollingback.gif I also remember one of the Eb tuba guys had a 4 valve Alex Eb. He was able to describe in great detail the different 2nd valve slide positions he had to use.

off-topic:

My slightly-beat-up-but-great-playing YEP-321 (recently "found" in the shop attic, and fixed up "good-enough" to use on a gig) features REMARKABLE #1 slide alignment. It might be worth putting a trigger on it, so that the on-the-fly/in-tune chromatic range is extended down to D.
E-flat: 1T + 4
D: 2 + 3 + 4

bloke "The bore size (only .571") and small-shank receiver (thus small-shank mouthpieces) really doesn't lend itself to playing nice phat/round 'low C's' anyway."

You should also be able to get Db with the kicker, no? To my recollection 321's have a short 3rd valve slide so C probably ain't happening. Didn't Steve Ferguson offer new versions of the 3rd slide kicker for a while?

Still want to get a fixed bell, front valve King, swap in a leadpipe with a large shank (my cimbasso has a large shank pipe leading to a .562 valve set) and role-play as a German polka baritone player. Bass line or stratospheric finger wiggling, nothing in between.

[WC8KCY]

off-topic:

My slightly-beat-up-but-great-playing YEP-321 (recently "found" in the shop attic, and fixed up "good-enough" to use on a gig) features REMARKABLE #1 slide alignment. It might be worth putting a trigger on it, so that the on-the-fly/in-tune chromatic range is extended down to D.
E-flat: 1T + 4
D: 2 + 3 + 4

bloke "The bore size (only .571") and small-shank receiver (thus small-shank mouthpieces) really doesn't lend itself to playing nice phat/round 'low C's' anyway."

I suggest you try a Wick Ultra Steven Mead DW5880B-SM6U in the proper shank size. It is essentially a 6 1/2 AL, but with a deeper cup and better backbore so that the low register speaks with authority and is not grainy, while retaining the lyric nature of the middle register and security in the top register.

The Wick Ultra Steven Mead looks like an intriguing piece. I also have a YEP-321S and had Schilke custom-make a tenor-shank 58 for me. Thus equipped, the low range speaks with real authority--including the privileged-tone 2-3 B natural--but it's too much work to play above high F. I've long wondered if there was something between the 6.5AL and the 58 that would allow me to get up and down the entire range of the instrument with equal aplomb.

[WC8KCY]

Thanks for the suggestion…
An old was-rattling-around-in-a-box standard shank Schilke 51 (not C, D, nor E) - with two small chiggers on the face of it - works darn well with this instrument.
For really low-range euphonium playing - such as covering bass trombone parts (mixed in with tuba parts) at church gigs and ophicleide parts encountered at orchestra gigs (with low C’s, B’s etc.) I have a large-bore compensating euphonium and quite a scavenged array of large cup mouthpieces for it.

I agree with the 51. Good mouthpiece. For younger and community band players, I have seen players get good results with the slightly smaller 50, which is also similar to a 6 1/2 AL, especially on Yammy horns and similar.

I use a Yamaha 51B for "normal" euphonium playing...consistently great results from minimal effort.

[Kirley]

To my recollection 321's have a short 3rd valve slide so C probably ain't happening.

My 321 has an absurdly long 3rd valve slide. It's an older one. I believe they eventually made the 3rd valve slide the same as the 1st valve slide (like same part number). But I probably read that on the internet so...

Either way, you'd need some fancy triggers to be able to kick both the 1st and 3rd slides simultaneously.

Still hoping to see a Bloke modified 321 some time.