Posted by Rick Denney on April 18, 2001 at 16:36:28:
In Reply to: Re: Re: Quintet Survey: Contrabass or Bass tuba posted by I have a Question on April 18, 2001 at 11:59:49:
A YBB621 is a BBb contrabass tuba, though a small one. I'll take it you meant the YFB621, which is an F tuba.
I find that this little F tuba takes as big a mouthpiece as you want to put in it. I play mine with a full-size Conn Helleberg. The sharp rim keeps the large size from limiting the upper register, and the 621 loves a deep cup. Don't put a typical F tuba mouthpiece in this horn, or that wonderful low register just won't work the way it's supposed to. At least that's how it was for me.
My contrabass mouthpieces also work on the horn, but not quite as well as the Conn (I use a Dough Elliott 132s rim and a PT-48 on my two big horns). They don't have quite as sharp a rim, and the rim diameter is effectively a hair larger.
The Conn really opens up the little 621, but it still doesn't sound like a contrabass. If you want a contrabass sound in an F tuba, check out the Willson.
Rick "who likes an F to sound like an F" Denney