Euphonium

[MoonHill]

For all-around playing, I'm another one of those gol-durned adherents to the Shilke 51D. But when the lower-end is what is being called for, then I've recently found myself liking the 54. Good bass-bone mouthpiece, and I was nice and centered on it all the way up to the G above the staff (treble clef). Past that it's iffy, though, and I was most comfortable below the F.

[Kansan]

Mello 6... that is ALL I can find in real life stores. >_> I can never find anything else. Also, if you are okay with the idea of a used mouthpiece... I mean, someone I know is okay, but some random ebay guy...

You can find new and used on ebay for a song. I wouldn't buy a used plastic mouthpiece but metal can be sterilized.

[pooh bear]

Pooh Bear, your phone is ringing.

I've said this many times before......

It's not the piece or the instrument - it's the PLAYER!

also remember I'm "old school" and have played on many combinations of pieces and car bumpers (i.e. G Bugles)

I believe this gentleman was asking for suggestions for a G bugle i.e. NOT a $4500 Willson 2950 4 valve compensating....

90% of all great brass playing starts with the breath....

breath deep...the gathering gloom

[CookieMonster]

I didn't say that nobody can sound good on a 6.5, he asked for advice about what piece to use, and in my experience, nobody is at their best on one. I know that there are many, many, many more important things to talk about, but in a conversation about mouthpieces, it does however, make a noticeable difference in tone, volume, range, and flexibility (The first two on which I place a higher value, hence my distaste for the small, shallow, light 6 1/2 AL for anyone but a new student).

Also, it doesn't matter whether you play a G bugle or a $4500 Willson 2950 4 Valve compensating (which, by the way is a stellar price, and if you have seen any at this amount, I would very much appreciate a PM with where and who I could murder for this deal.), like breath support, it does not matter what kind of instrument you use, a good mouthpiece, like breath support, will help on whatever you are playing from a piece of PVC pipe, to an $8000 Willson.

Edited November 11, 2008 by CookieMonster

[Shadow_7]

The traditional Euphonium mouthpiece is a 51D. The 6 1/2AL, 5GS, 5G, 51D, Conn 5E, BB1, and others are all about the same inner rim size. ~1" +/- 3mm.

That being said it depends on the horn. Remember that the Marching Euphonium, is sort of a mutt with a touch of Bass Trombone added in. In that regard, they tend to favor the larger mouthpieces. Something in the ballpark of a 3G would be well matched with many Marching Euphoniums. I tend to favor a Loud LM-35 (1 1/4G) for my Kanstul G Euphonium. For my Deg Bb and probably the G horn, they tended towards smaller mouthpieces in the Mead SM3 / 3G size range.

Coming from a baritone and a 6 1/2AL, you'll probably favor a 51D. Although given enough time on the horn, you might ultimately find it limiting and desire something bigger. The 51D is a good marching piece. Nice wide and flat rim to keep you from hurting yourself. Nice deep cup so you can still play long after your lips have swollen. But not so big that you loose much of your high end and endurance assets.

The 51D is however difficult to HONK below a written G on the treble clef staff. For me my LM-20 seems better matched to the Degs. My LM-35 is a fair match to the Kanstul. And my Kelly 1 1/2G was well matched to the King Bb Euph I tried at DCI 2007. Not to imply perfect match, but more in the ballpark than a 51D for me.

[pooh bear]

"I didn't say that nobody can sound good on a 6.5, he asked for advice about what piece to use, and in my experience, nobody is at their best on one. I know that there are many, many, many more important things to talk about, but in a conversation about mouthpieces, it does however, make a noticeable difference in tone, volume, range, and flexibility (The first two on which I place a higher value, hence my distaste for the small, shallow, light 6 1/2 AL for anyone but a new student)."

o.k. - I can live with that... USE WHAT YOU LIKE!

"Also, it doesn't matter whether you play a G bugle or a $4500 Willson 2950 4 Valve compensating (which, by the way is a stellar price, and if you have seen any at this amount, I would very much appreciate a PM with where and who I could murder for this deal.),"

please don't MURDER anyone for a piece of brass...that's what I paid for mine back in the day - read "old school"...

"like breath support, it does not matter what kind of instrument you use, a good mouthpiece, like breath support, will help on whatever you are playing from a piece of PVC pipe, to an $8000 Willson."

agreed... you wouldn't happen to be Brian Bowman? LOL

please don't mess with me - I'm an old man and was just trying to help this guy out....pb

[CookieMonster]

I'm sorry, I didn't intend to 'mess' with you, I disagreed with some of what you said, and I do agree that developing good technique is more important, I just think that it is good to have at least a bigger piece to learn on because it helps build the chops and tone that I like out of a player. Bigger/deeper mouthpieces require more air for people to make sounds that they are happy with, forcing them to play correctly.

Also, I am at least 78 percent sure that I am not Brian Bowman.

[idontwan2know]

For drum corps euph playing, I prefer one of the Bach G series to the 51D. The 51D's extreme depth with relatively narrow inner diameter makes it unnecessarily difficult to really belt out the pitches below F where those 3rd and 4th parts really need to be meaty. I think the diameter to depth ratio of the G series is much more amenable to those areas.

Personally, the longer I play, the less I am enamored of the 51D. I think it as much of a "cheater" for dark sound as a 6 1/2 or 12c is for range, and at the cost of range and endurance. And this is from someone who was a 51D disciple for many years.

I've found that the 51C4, with the same diameter and rim, but a medium deep cup as opposed to the extreme deep cup of the 51D, can achieve the same dark, mellow tone with better range and endurance.

[Kansan]

For drum corps euph playing, I prefer one of the Bach G series to the 51D. The 51D's extreme depth with relatively narrow inner diameter makes it unnecessarily difficult to really belt out the pitches below F where those 3rd and 4th parts really need to be meaty. I think the diameter to depth ratio of the G series is much more amenable to those areas.

Personally, the longer I play, the less I am enamored of the 51D. I think it as much of a "cheater" for dark sound as a 6 1/2 or 12c is for range, and at the cost of range and endurance. And this is from someone who was a 51D disciple for many years.

I've found that the 51C4, with the same diameter and rim, but a medium deep cup as opposed to the extreme deep cup of the 51D, can achieve the same dark, mellow tone with better range and endurance.

I'll look for a 51C4 with a European shank and I should be in business.

[Shadow_7]

I'll look for a 51C4 with a European shank and I should be in business.

If you can't find one, note that the Bach 5GS is roughly the same mouthpiece. Which I used in the Army Band for a few years. And on my Euph when I first got back into the swing of things. A bit of a shallower cup so you can cut through an ensemble when you need to. 25.65mm inner rim, as opposed to the 25.5mm inner rim of 51D. The shallower mouthpieces can be a bit squirelly as you're essentially changing the inner rim spec when you use more pressure. Which promotes bad habbits and pressure actually works as an effective playing technique.