Posted by Dale on October 28, 2001 at 20:21:35:
In Reply to: Mouthpieces? posted by Dan Mordhorst on October 28, 2001 at 19:50:37:
So, Dan....your sound is too dark? THAT SUCKS ... and I KNOW you want to hear that ;^}
If your MP is working well for you otherwise (in range, articulation, and intonation)
IMO it is NOT a good idea to change your MP for a "different sound."
If you MUST change equipment around (instead of working with your teacher to change the sound in your head as it comes out of the horn) then talk to your teacher about lifting the leadpipe away from the bell of your MW 25. Back when Mirafones were distributed via SoCal, we did this to my big dark monster Ziess BBflat, and the brightening effect was impressive ... like a completely different horn but with every bit the character it had prior, just more "presence." ....it was impressive enough to my teacher (TC) that it eventually found its way to all the 18x Mirafone tubas.
A good repairperson can do this for you in a snap, and I am sure you will REALLY like the difference on your MW.
If you "must" play with mouthpieces though, I'd recommend you call up someone like Tony at Low Brass Werks when you're with your teacher, use a speaker phone and see if you guys can talk it over and maybe you can get a couple of three good prospects sent out to you. Remember though if you DO change MP's you MUST stick to ONE only after making your preliminary selection and ONLY play THAT MP for at least a month if not longer -- this'll help you determine if in the long haul your initial choice works right for you.