Q for Alex owners: super large shank mouthpieces

[arpthark]

Outside of Doug Elliott, is there a modern mouthpiece brand that's offered in super large shank? What do you use in your 163/164?

[Sousaswag]

My default answer would be don’t mess around with mouthpieces and just put a new receiver on it

I know… No fun!

[MiBrassFS]

Tilz makes some unusual adapters. Might be an option.

https://www.thomannmusic.com/bruno_tilz ... n_tuba.htm

[Thomas]

I play a standard Giddings model (Szentpali) and Ivan made the shank custom fit for my 164. Before that, my local workshop customized my existing PT50+ with an additional layer of thin sheet brass and replated the whole mp. I must add, that to my luck the "local workshop" is a highly regarded trumpet maker with tuba experience and did a great job.

It's a 99% original pre-war 164 with no need for modifications. So I decided to go for customized mouthpieces. I spent money on the discussed adapters before but they did never fit both the instrument and the mouthpiece well, not to mention the playing position.

[MikeS]

Outside of Doug Elliott, is there a modern mouthpiece brand that's offered in super large shank? What do you use in your 163/164?

Fortunately, my experience is that those Alexes love the Doug Elliott R cup. Ron Bishop and Matt Good used them and, I believe, our own Mr. Elephant used one when he had a 163. It’s what I used when I had a 163 (although I failed to sound like the afore mentioned three).

[Stryk]

Only one of my Alexanders use the super big shank. I just cot off an old sousa bit and made an adapter. It works well, no issues, and cost me nothing. The other two horns use either euro or American.

[bloke]

In the past, I owned a super large shank 4 valve C Alexander. Sadly, it was before I did any repairs and a jake leg / alcoholic repair duo not only buffed a hole in the upper bow and put a big ugly patch on it when straightening it out, but also decided to put all the rotors up to a buffing machine and shine them up real nice (and ruined them).

That having been water under the bridge, I really feel like those oversized receivers are not particularly successful, and even with the proper mouthpieces. I had a gigantic though bunged up York mouthpiece that fit it, and I didn't enjoy the results at all. I did something later that was sort of like what Terry did with a king sousaphone bit with the Curve cut off, and it was just as bad. What I finally did was to grab a piece of Conn 88H trombone outside slide tube, taper it over 4 in, and basically installed (slip fit) a 4-in venturi with a formed receiver for a standard shank mouthpiece inside that long 4-inch straight typical to Alexander small end of the mouthpipe tube. Finally, I felt like I was playing an instrument that I could control... well, other than having to play pitches on doofus partials, but that's another matter.

[TheBerlinerTuba]

Hallo Arpthark,

If you would prefer not to modify the receiver, I would recommend one of the Bruno Tilz, Walter Hilgers series of mouthpieces, most likely a WH-B1 or the not for the faint of heart WH-B2. The newer B3 and B4 I haven't tried yet and have no experience with. These series of mouthpieces have extra large shanks and the one I have fits the 1930s Kaiser shank on my Alex 163. Warning though, Alex receivers are not 100% consistent so be careful.
Tilz also have adapters for such issues, but I'm sure you could find something state side if thats the case.
https://www.mundstueckbau-tilz.de/modell-hilgers.html
https://www.mundstueckbau-tilz.de/adapter.html (Adapter 912)

[the elephant]

Outside of Doug Elliott, is there a modern mouthpiece brand that's offered in super large shank? What do you use in your 163/164?

Fortunately, my experience is that those Alexes love the Doug Elliott R cup. Ron Bishop and Matt Good used them and, I believe, our own Mr. Elephant used one when he had a 163. It’s what I used when I had a 163 (although I failed to sound like the afore mentioned three).

I still have it. R cup, R8A+ shank, 4N-132 rim — It is a great mouthpiece for an older 163…