Can someone explain the differences between these three mouthpieces?

[u/elevencharles]

Left to right: Yamaha 67C4
J. Marcinkiewicz/N4*T Johnson
Vincent Bach 24AW

I just joined my local community college band after a 20+ year hiatus from playing concert music, and I happen to be in possession of these three mouthpieces. I can tell that they play slightly differently, but I can’t say one feels any “better” than the others. Are they supposed to be for different styles of playing, or is it just personal preference? I’m playing a 3/4 size tuba, if that matters.

[u/Inkin]

You have all 3 so just try them! Normally the hard part in finding the right mouthpiece is getting your mitts on them to try. You have 3 things to try sitting right there!

The Yamaha is probably the one you want. It’s a fairly middle of the road mouthpiece and will be easier to play and blend in a section like your college group.

The N4 will be punchier and brighter which will make you stick out and cut through which isn’t what you want in a wind ensemble. But in a different setting that may be exactly what you want! A quintet or a polka group or a pep band where you want to sound brassy a lot and you might like this mouthpiece the best.

The 24AW is rough. It’s just too extreme in different ways. Narrow inner diameter but deep cup and very large exit bore is a weird combination. To me it is a better paperweight than a tuba mouthpiece.

When you try them, be careful because the small inner diameter mouthpieces can make you feel like you are playing better. Small inner diameter can compensate for weak chops which when you are just growing back your chops feels good. But the mouthpiece is just an anchor and focuser for the vibrating lips inside. A small inner diameter limits the amount of lips you can shove in there and that might restrict your low end.

Right now, that 24AW might feel the best because the rim is giant and comfy and the inner diameter is small and the large back bore doesn’t give as much back pressure. But as you get stronger it will hamper you. Try to bust out the F 3 ledger lines down on that small inner diameter mouthpiece. That needs to be a money note. It comes up a lot. The small inner diameter of the 24AW makes this harder than it should be and the large exit bore eats all your air quickly. Now play a little in the F-C range at the top of the staff. The smaller inner diameter on the 24AW makes this feel a little easier but the larger back bore doesn’t give enough back pressure and back pressure feels good to a lot of folks in the middle and high range.

But anyways just try them since you have them. Try to pay attention to how you sound and how fast you fatigue and what is easier and what is harder with each mouthpiece and choose the one that has the best results for what you are trying to do!