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Taking Albert (Eb Bass) to Dillon’s on Saturday to visit his Uncle Matt for a cleaning. While I’m there I’m going to try out a couple of Mercer and Barker mouthpieces. I keep hearing good things about them so why not give them a try. I’m looking at the MB3 or MB4.

We’ll find out tomorrow.

How are they? I was also thinking about them.

My trip to Uncle Matt was complete with a chance to try the Mercer and Barker MB3 and MB4.

I wish I could have tried the MB4W or the MB3 Power. These were not in stock.

Liked the MB4 better overall. I think the shallower bowl with the larger throat of the MB4W might be what I’m looking for. The MB4 was easier for the upper range but muddled as I went lower. Didn’t have an issue with the rim.

They were indeed heavier and I felt like it was very easy to make my sound appear woofy.

I ended up not purchasing one. I’ll try the other two first.


Sticking with the 3L for now.

I bought the MB4W directly. Tried it. It was okay. Work in progress. Still using a Wick 3L on my besson sovereign 981 ee flat tuba.

OOOOH. You are the PERFECT person I want to talk to. I also play a 981.

I recently moved to a Wick 3L from a 4L. It's been a nice transition.

I'd like to know your thoughts about the 3L vs. the MB4W.

When i bought my 981 brand new back in 1992 it came with a gold plated denis wick classic 3L mouthpiece.I never stopped using it.Tried lots of other mouthpieces but always came back to the denis wick 3L classic mouthpiece.It just worked.

Your 981 is almost as old as my 967.

Dillon’s didn’t have a MB4W in stock. I was about to give up home when I spied someone selling off a ton of MB mouthpieces. Looks like they bought a bunch to try and is now selling the rest.

Met up with the person and bought it last night.

So far I like it. Like it much better than the MB3 or MB4.

We’ll see what a couple weeks under my belt does for things.

eeflattuba wrote: Mon Jul 14, 2025 6:42 pm When i bought my 981 brand new back in 1992 it came with a gold plated denis wick classic 3L mouthpiece.I never stopped using it.Tried lots of other mouthpieces but always came back to the denis wick 3L classic mouthpiece.It just worked.

We’re all slightly different, I used a Wick 3L for a few years and imho it’s a darn near perfect match for a Besson Sovereign EEb. Now I use and prefer a 2L, it’s slightly better for me, but there’s very little practical difference between the two. I’ve also used a 4L but found that not so good through the low fourth valve range. As is usual the upper range comes easier on the smaller cups, but (when using the bigger pieces) practice and patience helps with getting that top ‘C’ (concert pitch Eb), and on a Tuba I’ve never been asked to play above the stave.

2nd tenor wrote: Mon Jul 28, 2025 6:41 am

We’re all slightly different, I used a Wick 3L for a few years and imho it’s a darn near perfect match for a Besson Sovereign EEb. Now I use and prefer a 2L, it’s slightly better for me, but there’s very little practical difference between the two. I’ve also used a 4L but found that not so good through the low fourth valve range. As is usual the upper range comes easier on the smaller cups, but (when using the bigger pieces) practice and patience helps with getting that top ‘C’ (concert pitch Eb), and on a Tuba I’ve never been asked to play above the stave.

I do like my 3L and you're right...it pairs nicely with my horn.

anadmai wrote: Mon Jul 28, 2025 11:49 am I do like my 3L and you're right...it pairs nicely with my horn.

I like the Dennis Wick range of mouthpieces, to me they seem to give a simple and progressive change in attributes and that has helped me to ‘home in’ on (what’s) near enough the right mouthpiece for me. Is the Wick range perfection? Probably not but I don’t need perfection, what I do need is ‘at least good enough’ and Wick stuff has supplied that and (via second hand) affordably so too.

In the three valve (pitch) range - which historically was all that Brass Band music used - something like a Bach 25 and a Wick 4L will work well enough in a Besson Sovereign EEb. However, the size entry point to getting a decent response in their four valve range is a DW3L, it’s slightly greater cup size just gets you over ‘the line’ and into ‘the right ball park’. A larger cup usually seems to give a better tone too. As an aside I eventually ‘progressed’ from a DW3L to a DW2L; whilst I’m glad that I persevered with that additional step (the bigger cup took a long time to grow into) others might gain no benefit from taking it. Back on track, if there’s a (as in one and only) Goldilocks mouthpiece for the Sovereign then I don’t know what it (in particular) is, but a DW 3L is definitely close and a nice match for the horn .

Obviously I hope that your new (to you) M&B piece is even better than your DW3L . Unfortunately , as your seller likely found out, you (we) can spend a lot of time and money chasing ‘the one’ … and then, having found it, your (our) chops will, over time, change slightly, so then something else will be needed for ‘perfection’. I commented on mouthpiece perfection in paragraph one above and observe that I have been repeatedly surprised with how good - and much, much better than me - well skilled players can (still) sound on basic equipment.

Of course that (above) is just my opinion formed by my experiences and observations, YMMV.

2nd tenor wrote: Mon Jul 28, 2025 11:41 pm

Of course that (above) is just my opinion formed by my experiences and observations, YMMV.

Thank you for sharing. It has given me perspective. Working on a couple solos and for the time being did go back to the 3L Heritage. It really is a fantastic hunk of metal. I haven't given up on the Mercer and Barker. I'll find time to work with it in the fall.