Posted by Sean Chisham on January 06, 1999 at 10:12:19:
In Reply to: 7th grader tuba mp situation - Creative solutions welcome posted by David L. Allen on January 05, 1999 at 23:53:23:
When I started playing, in 6th grade, I played a Besson euphonium for a few months until the darn thing kept breaking. I switch to tuba because of that, and the fact that for a 6th grader, the tuba was pretty cool looking. It was a giant Conn 2xJ with 3 valves and a removable upright bell. I would hazard to guess that tuba to be considerably larger than the Yamaha 641. I don't think a smaller tuba is needed, but a smaller mouthpiece would be a good move.
The Perantucci line of mouthpieces are excellent and come in a wide assortment of sizes. They are expensive though, at $95 each. Another option may be some of the smaller Shilke's. The 66 is fairly small. I think there is a 62 also, or something like that. I found the Shilke's to all be very well designed, if not a bit small for my tastes. They, however, should be a good consideration.
I don't think I would go with a Bach. I have found few people to like any of the Bach's except for the 18 and 24AW. There is the occasional Bach 7 lover, but they are few. The 18 is an excellent mouthpiece for many people, but it is not neccessarily a small mouthpiece. The 24AW has one of the widest and roundest rims I have ever played on. It may have it's uses, but most people I have heard try it have had mediocre results.
If price is no object then Doug Elliott mouthpieces may also be a good consideration. You could create something and then later switch to a larger diameter rim opening as the face grows larger.
sean