Contrabass Trombone Mouthpieces

[Contra94]

Just wondering if Contrabass Trombone mouthpieces have the same shank as Tuba Mouthpieces, or standard Bass (Larage Bore) trombone shank. Or if they are completely their own thing.

[GeneralTsoChicken]

Both can be substituted in a crunch. HOWEVER:

1. The tuba mouthpieces make a sound that is woofy, because the cup depth is too great. It also messes with the tuning in the harmonic series.

2. The bass bone mouthpieces play sharp and have a certain chainsaw type sound.

I'm not a big fan of the contrabone mouthpieces out there. For most of my bass bone/euphonium/contrabone work I use a Roger Bobo TT mouthpiece. It has a rim very similar to my tuba rim on a 5g cup. It works well in the low bass bone/euphonium settings, great on a Tenor Tuba part, and awesome on a contrabone as well.

[HornsUp]

I've only tried out a Miraphone BBb years ago (played like a 25 foot garden hose with a funnel) and a Rath F about 5 years ago. I honestly don't remember the shank sizes.

Chickenman makes some valid observations in the post above this. They apply to just about any mouthpieces that are way the wrong size for any kind of brass instrument.

Best to go here: tromboneforum.org You could easily spend a month going through their archives.

[Ch1k3n]

I've only tried out a Miraphone BBb years ago (played like a 25 foot garden hose with a funnel) and a Rath F about 5 years ago.

What makes you say the miraphone played like a garden hose?

How did the F play?

I just recently got interested in contra bones, so I just want to see your reasoning on this.

[GeneralTsoChicken]

What makes you say the miraphone played like a garden hose?

How did the F play?

I just recently got interested in contra bones, so I just want to see your reasoning on this.

To keep the trombone characteristic sound, you have to make the instrument long, but you have to keep the instrument tight (in bore diameter), with little or no graduation until the bell housing. This means it literally feels like playing a garden hose with a funnel on it.

It takes a long time to get used to this resistance. The best I can describe it, is like playing a Besson 983 compensating tuba x1000.

Once you can get used to the change in resistance, these things become ridiculously awesome to play.

It takes me a long time to get used to it, but when I started doing the Brass Gym, James Thompson Buzzing Book, and some rim work (as in just a delrin rim on a stick) I built up enough resistance in my own embouchure to really crank it out. The better your unresisted free buzz, unresisted rim buzz, and unresisted mouthpiece buzz is (in the extremely low register), the better your contrabone chops will be. If you don't hit that stuff hard before moving to the contrabone, there is a big learning curve.

[Dave]

The Rath CB mouthpieces are starting to become very popular (at least, as popular as something for a rare instrument like contrabass trombone can be). Last I checked he had 0, 1 and 2 sizes. The horn itself that he makes is also top-quality; it's in F instead of Bb, which makes it a lot more manageable than some of the other models out there, since it doesn't have the doubled-over slide.

[HornsUp]

What makes you say the miraphone played like a garden hose? .... I just want to see your reasoning on this.

I have spent a decent amount of time constructing and playing hosaphones, and other Frankenhorns. A lot of the basic principles of brass design can be learned through science fair type projects.