TubaForum.net

For my Martin medium Eb... I've been using a Denis Wick 1 pretty much since I got the horn, since it's got the right shank size. It's a pretty large mouthpiece for a smaller horn, but honestly, it works quite well. I would like to stay with a larger mouthpiece.

I just don't love the rim. I have dealt with it for quite a while, I would like to try something different now.

Would a Geib style mouthpiece work well on a tuba like this? I don't have anything to test out right now... and if I liked it, I'd need a small shank in it.

One of my all time favorite sorry I sold it mouthpieces was a James R New Geib... wouldn't mind ordering another if 1) seems like a good match for this kind of tuba and 2) if I can know the shank size measurement to tell him.

Or instead of special ordering something, is there such thing as a American shank to small shank adapter? I can't imagine there is, but why not ask? :-)

Any thoughts or help to offer?

Thanks!

Bort, For what it's worth I have an old C4. a C3, a Conn Helleberg, and a PT 88 that I had the shanks trimmed down on that work just fine. Sometimes it was that the reciever was too small and others because having it go further in fixed it playing flat. But it is doable. Of course, I live near Terry Warburton which is convenient but others have done it for me as well. Ed

@bort2.0
viewtopic.php?t=5681&hilit=shank+adapter

@bort2.0
It occurs to me that since you are currently in Eb land, Yamaha 321 Eb tubas are both outstanding and pretty inexpensive.

cjk wrote: ↑Sat May 06, 2023 11:30 pm @bort2.0
viewtopic.php?t=5681&hilit=shank+adapter

cjk wrote: ↑Sat May 06, 2023 11:37 pm @bort2.0
It occurs to me that since you are currently in Eb land, Yamaha 321 Eb tubas are both outstanding and pretty inexpensive.

Thanks... But I'm in Eb land because that's what I've got, and there's no budget for buying something else. If I did have the budget... I'd definitely buy a much larger BBb or CC tuba. Held back by money, only. I do appreciate your suggestion though.

I can't remember if I've played the YEB-321. In high school, I played a YBB-201 and hated everything about it.

The YEB-201 (not YBB-201) exists or used to in the UK. The YBB-321 is a generally unliked tuba. The YEB-321 is a generally liked tuba. The main issue with the YEB-321 is the notion that it’s not a compensating tuba. Other than that, the have a nice clean sound and decent scale.

matt g wrote: ↑Sun May 07, 2023 4:37 am The YEB-201 (not YBB-201) exists or used to in the UK. The YBB-321 is a generally unliked tuba. The YEB-321 is a generally liked tuba. The main issue with the YEB-321 is the notion that it’s not a compensating tuba. Other than that, the have a nice clean sound and decent scale.

Thanks... Will have to try one when I get a chance. Although at this point if I were to seek a top action Eb, holy cow, I'd be looking for my own Martin Monster Eb. I love the sound of that thing!

cjk wrote: ↑Sat May 06, 2023 11:37 pm @bort2.0
It occurs to me that since you are currently in Eb land, Yamaha 321 Eb tubas are both outstanding and pretty inexpensive.

Here in the UK they are rare and being non-compensating they will always be regarded as second rate. Having said that I’d happily enough have one and indeed, for my own playing purposes, it would be near enough ideal. Obviously I’m a heretic, but I’m of the opinion that compensating systems get more praise than they deserve and just put unnecessary cost onto instruments.

The three valve YEB-201’s are occasionally seen here in the UK and I’d wondered about replacing my small three valve Eb Besson with one (I love the Besson but she shows the scars of a prior hard life so a second hand 201 might be a good move). Perhaps refreshing my small spare Tuba is a needless indulgence (these days I pretty much only play my larger Sovereign) … but I’ll keep an eye on the small adds and decide on that (indulgence) when I need to.

I’d advise the OP that, whilst I have been able to purchase several second had ones here, small shank mouthpieces can be difficult to find and expensive to buy. In his position I’d wonder about the practicality of having a larger / standard shank mouthpiece receiver fitted and then using whatever favoured mouthpiece I already had or could economically buy second hand. I struck lucky with a Bach 25 copy (Arnold, surplus stock on Amazon) and IMHO it’s a pretty good match to an Eb Bass - an easier top F than than the Wick 3L and pretty much as full a sound.

bort2.0 wrote: ↑Sun May 07, 2023 1:15 pm

matt g wrote: ↑Sun May 07, 2023 4:37 am The YEB-201 (not YBB-201) exists or used to in the UK. The YBB-321 is a generally unliked tuba. The YEB-321 is a generally liked tuba. The main issue with the YEB-321 is the notion that it’s not a compensating tuba. Other than that, the have a nice clean sound and decent scale.

Thanks... Will have to try one when I get a chance. Although at this point if I were to seek a top action Eb, holy cow, I'd be looking for my own Martin Monster Eb. I love the sound of that thing!

Yeah it’s just a point of clarification. Yamaha did a nice job with the YEB-321 and not nearly as good of a job with the YBB-321. Lots of similarities between names, but not so much with regards to playing.

YorkNumber3.0 wrote: ↑Sun May 07, 2023 3:10 pm John Fletcher was an official endorser of the YEB 321. His name even appeared in adverts of the time (late 1970s-early 1980s) as using it in the LSO, believe it or not!

I'd love to see photos of those ads if you've got some.

YorkNumber3.0 wrote: ↑Sun May 07, 2023 3:10 pm ...
Hopefully, you can read this:
....

thanks! that's interesting.

I played a Stofer Geib on the little Wessex Eb, the Bombino, as a mouthpiece of choice. Mainly because its small throat (I think that was the influencing feature) gave the best intonation out of all the mouthpieces I owned at the time.

@bort2.0
I'm probably not being helpful, however pretty much any tuba mouthpiece I put in my Yamaha 631 Eb works reasonably well. Anything I like works well enough.
I have put many Geib style mouthpieces which I like in it and tuba noises still come out of the bell.
I'd sit down with a tuner and see how flat the upper register goes compared to what you are using now.
I have no experience with Martin Eb instruments, so this might be a waste of time to read.

I would have the receiver swapped to an American one else you will be chasing small shanks forever.

I can't say from a lot of experience that there is such a thing as a critical tuba/mouthpiece match -- but if there is, then what are the odds, there's also a tuba/receiver match?

I've seen (I think) somewhere that Aaron Tindall has sanded down the shank of his line of mouthpieces before they offered the American shank size. That might be worth a shot? Of course, if it's got the really small shank receiver that might be too much metal to sand down, but I have no idea

Denis Wick's regular 1-5 mouthpieces have the smaller shanks. The ones with out the "L"

Denis Wick used to make them in the heritage style too. But I'm not sure if any of the regular Wick's are Gieb style cups.

Kelly mouthpieces makes plastic, steel, and 2 piece steel mouthpieces that has an option for old Eb tubas. But I think a post in the past said they were still to big? Can't say because I've never tried it myself.

Sadly it seems like the don't offer the 50 in 1 piece small shank.
At least for the 2 piece quote "KELLY - 50: Deep bowl-shaped cup - similar to Stofer-Geib & pt-50!"

Lunch breaks over, didn't get a chance to look if the plastic ones are offered with the 50 style.

Link to 2 piece cups
https://www.kellymouthpieces.com/kmstai ... /index.asp