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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?

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

I know… No fun!

Tilz makes some unusual adapters. Might be an option.

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

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.

arpthark wrote: ↑Fri May 31, 2024 1:16 pm 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).

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.

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.

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)

MikeS wrote: ↑Sat Jun 01, 2024 11:43 am

arpthark wrote: ↑Fri May 31, 2024 1:16 pm 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…