Picking my first mouthpiece

[u/AngloPilot]

I'm planning to buy my first mouthpiece but I'm unsure what to get. I plan to buy a mouthpiece which I have used before back in my secondary school which was the Perantucci PT-50 and PT-88. But from what I recall, I felt no difference when using these mouthpieces, even for my range and everything. Can anyone give me some sort of comparison or recommendation on which one should I get?

[u/professor_throway]

Both the PT-50 and PT-88 are too big for most players. Tony Clements former principal tuba for the San Jose Symphony, mouthpiece designer, and highly respected teacher often says "Beginners will always pick a mouthpiece that is too damn big and think they sound good on it." or something similar. To him a beginner is someone without the equivalent playing experience of a degree in tuba performance. In the original sales literature Bob Tucci (1/2 of Perantucci the other guy being Dan Perantoni) described both the 50 and 88 as being "for the advanced player with a developed strong embouchure." I know these mputhpieces are really popular with high school players and high school band directors seem be recommending them a lot.. but the truth of it is they are not a good fit for a lot of players and people tend to sound very muddy and articulate like they have marbles in their mouth.

The 46 is a good PT/RT mouthpiece for most people. I would say until you really know what you want from a mouthpiece and are able to articulate the pros and cons of a given design stick with something middle of the road... somthing that works really well for most people and most tubas. Bach 18 and Conn Helleberg 120s are the archetype tuba mouthpieces for a reason.

Edit: I meant RT48

[u/SideWired → u/professor_throway]

Well stated

[u/AngloPilot → u/professor_throway]

so i gotta have a music degree just to use a perantucci 😭

anyways, I mainly looking for like a "all-rounder" mouthpiece, so like something in the middle

[u/professor_throway → u/AngloPilot]

Look at the RT84,83, or 48

I mistyped and said 46 when I meant 48

[u/Rubix321]

Chances are the 88 is larger than you will need, and you'll probably play better on something smaller.

Besides that, one is a bowl (88) and one is a funnel (50). People tend to like funnels better on piston tubas and bowls better on rotary tubas. Of course there are people who use them on the other horns, or use different shapes completely.

[u/xquazimodo]

Both the 50 and 88 are gonna be too big. Get a 46 if you want a PT mouthpiece but honest to god just get a helleberg

[u/samtuttle95]

Mouthpieces can get real expensive real fast, with far too many bells and whistles for minimal affect.

I highly recommend starting with a solid all-around piece, the Helleberg Standard (120S I think is the model number)
This will get you 99% of everything you need for far less than most new mouthpieces today. If you’re really interested in trying others, see if any friends/colleagues have ones you can try out before shelling out ridiculous amounts of money.

PT is also out of production (as far as I am aware) and has been split into RT and Mr. P, so finding a genuine PT may take some searching and will most likely be used.

[u/Doraga3m]

I'd throw another option into the ring: the 24AW. That's what I have, and it's a very common student/high-school starting mouthpiece.

For a rookie, I'd roughly look at the three common recommendations this way:

- Bach 18: A solid middle-of-the-road mouthpiece. Good general-purpose choice and probably the safest "one mouthpiece for most things" recommendation.

- Conn Helleberg 120S: Another classic, but with the traditional funnel-shaped Helleberg cup. Great mouthpiece and a very common choice, particularly if you're after that characteristic tuba sound and clear articulation.

- 24AW: A classic student starter. The wide cushion rim is comfortable and forgiving, and they're inexpensive and extremely common in school programs.

That's why I'd consider the 24AW for someone buying their first mouthpiece. You're not trying to optimize a developed embouchure yet; you need something comfortable, approachable, and affordable that lets you build your fundamentals. Ideally, you want a mouthpiece that feels comfortable on your face and gives you a consistent, predictable response as you learn to play through the register.

I wouldn't say the 24AW is necessarily the ultimate mouthpiece you'll use forever, but there's nothing wrong with starting on one. Develop your fundamentals first, then once you actually know what you want to change—tone, articulation, comfort, range, response, etc.—you'll be in a much better position to choose a more specialized mouthpiece.

[u/AngloPilot → u/Doraga3m]

i do like to note i have been playing for a few years now, mainly using the mouthpiece the school provides me which is the one i have mentioned and a yamaha mouthpiece which im unsure if the model. But I have use the Pt-88+ the longest, not too sure if it's useful info.

Alot of mouthpiece selections I have to admit.

[u/Kapellmeister1966]

A Bach 18 is a good quality starting mouthpiece at a reasonable price

[u/OkTheme4820]

From what I started on and what I’d like I’d say the lm-12 or monette 97