The most interesting studio visit this week came from a gentleman that was referred by one of our dealers.  He is in a brass band as part of his church and had recently acquired a used euphonium for a beginner to play on, but was having trouble finding a mouthpiece that fit so we set up an appointment and got to work.

One of the unique things about the Musician’s Advisory Studio is that as part of our mission we keep every Denis Wick product in stock, so we were perfectly suited to finding the right mouthpiece for an obscure instrument.  The euphonium in question was an older Czecheslovokian made instrument, and a standard large shank euphonium mouthpiece was too big to fit in the receiver. After trying a few sizes we determined that the instrument took a medium European shank, and despite being a somewhat unusual size we had 6 different options to choose from including from our Steven Mead series.  As the mouthpiece was for a beginner, we ended up going with a Classic 6BM along with the knowledge that there were other options the player could grow into and try as they progressed.

While in the studio, we also talked about various practice mute options for euphonium, baritone, and cornet.  Because some of the instruments in the church group are similarly unique to the instrument he brought in, we decided it was best to set up another time to meet either at the studio or one of the groups’ rehearsals so we could be sure of the best fit for each instrument and player.  After talking with members of his group, we’re setting up a time and a list of mutes and mouthpieces everyone wants to test which will make for a fun and educational session for everyone.

The Takeaway

The more obscure the brass instrument, the more likely you should call us as we have every product Denis Wick makes ready to try and the experience and expertise to help you find what you need.  Whether you are a beginner or professional, looking for something unique or standard, we’re here and happy to help!