Denis Wick Tuba Mouthpieces

The range of Denis Wick Tuba mouthpieces covers every aspect of tuba playing, from solo work to the brass quintet, the brass band, and the symphony orchestra. They each offer different compromises in richness of sound, flexibility and clarity. They are used by the best symphonic professionals and village bandsmen alike. These mouthpieces have been largely responsible for the tremendous improvement in amateur tuba playing over the past 30 years in the UK; but Denis Wick tuba mouthpieces have enjoyed success all over the world.

Single model numbers (without the "L") are for older makes of European tubas with small mouthpiece fittings. "L" models suit all modern instruments, especially German-type designs.

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Denis Wick Heritage Tuba Mouthpiece
$159.99

Models

1 - Extra-deep cup. For all large tubas. Enormous volume and range. Needs a strong embouchure. 32.5mm cup diameter: larger than a Bach 18, closer to and with a narrower rim diameter than a Bach 12. Small Shank
1L -Extra Deep Cup - Same as 1 with Large Shank
1XL - Same as 1L, but with wider, rounder rim. Large Shank
2 - Large, very deep, funnel-shaped Helleberg-type cup. Clean and clear sound with good projection in all registers. 32mm cup diameter: compares to a Bach 18 or Schilke 67. Small Shank
2L - same as a 2, but with a Large Shank
2.5CC for large-fitting modern C tubas. Designed specifically for the new and acclaimed Besson BE995CC tuba, the 2.5CC is a breakthrough in mouthpiece design, giving even more weight and producing a cleaner, clearer, richer sound. Compares to the Denis Wick 2, but with a slightly narrower rim, much larger bore, and V-type backbore. Large Shank
2SL Shallow cup. Soloist mouthpiece with tremendous projection and clarity in all registers. Large Shank
2XL Same as 2L, but with wider, rounder rim. Large Shank
3 Deep, well-rounded cup and huge throat and backbore create a rich, organ-like tone. 31.25mm cup diameter: compares to a Bach 24AW or Schilke 66. Small Shank
3L Same as 3, but with a Large Shank
3SL Shallow cup. Soloist model with brilliant tone and high register. Perfect for F tubas. 31.25mm cup diameter: compares to a Mirafone C4. Large Shank, for F Tuba
3XL Same as 3L, but with wider, rounder rim. Large Shank
4 Deep cup. Scaled-down version of a Denis Wick 3. Good projection with less effort, good for young players. 30.5mm cup diameter: slightly narrower cup diameter than a Bach 25. Small Shank
4L Same as a 4 but with a Large Shank
5 Deep cup and matching backbore give a compact, ringing sound of equivalent great sonority. Suits Eb and F tubas. 30mm cup diameter: compares to a Bach 30E. Small Shank, for F/Eb Tuba
5L Same as a 5 but with a Large Shank, for F/Eb Tuba

Especially for the professional tuba player, the XL mouthpieces have been introduced to give even more volume and projection. They are a little more difficult to control, but the extra effort repays dividends. The inner rim contours are a little rounder, for players who need to spend long hours in practice or performance. Much research has gone into the subtle reworking of the exterior shape, to give even more powerful maximum dynamics in all registers.

Denis Wick Classic Tuba Mouthpiece
$89.99

Models

1 - Extra-deep cup. For all large tubas. Enormous volume and range. Needs a strong embouchure. 32.5mm cup diameter: larger than a Bach 18, closer to and with a narrower rim diameter than a Bach 12. Small Shank
1L -Extra Deep Cup - Same as 1 with Large Shank
1XL - Same as 1L, but with wider, rounder rim. Large Shank
2 - Large, very deep, funnel-shaped Helleberg-type cup. Clean and clear sound with good projection in all registers. 32mm cup diameter: compares to a Bach 18 or Schilke 67. Small Shank
2L - same as a 2, but with a Large Shank
2.5CC for large-fitting modern C tubas. Designed specifically for the new and acclaimed Besson BE995CC tuba, the 2.5CC is a breakthrough in mouthpiece design, giving even more weight and producing a cleaner, clearer, richer sound. Compares to the Denis Wick 2, but with a slightly narrower rim, much larger bore, and V-type backbore. Large Shank
2SL Shallow cup. Soloist mouthpiece with tremendous projection and clarity in all registers. Large Shank
2XL Same as 2L, but with wider, rounder rim. Large Shank
3 Deep, well-rounded cup and huge throat and backbore create a rich, organ-like tone. 31.25mm cup diameter: compares to a Bach 24AW or Schilke 66. Small Shank
3L Same as 3, but with a Large Shank
3SL Shallow cup. Soloist model with brilliant tone and high register. Perfect for F tubas. 31.25mm cup diameter: compares to a Mirafone C4. Large Shank, for F Tuba
3XL Same as 3L, but with wider, rounder rim. Large Shank
4 Deep cup. Scaled-down version of a Denis Wick 3. Good projection with less effort, good for young players. 30.5mm cup diameter: slightly narrower cup diameter than a Bach 25. Small Shank
4L Same as a 4 but with a Large Shank
5 Deep cup and matching backbore give a compact, ringing sound of equivalent great sonority. Suits Eb and F tubas. 30mm cup diameter: compares to a Bach 30E. Small Shank, for F/Eb Tuba
5L Same as a 5 but with a Large Shank, for F/Eb Tuba

From boyhood beginnings in amateur bands and orchestras, Denis Wick became principal trombone of the London Symphony at age 25 and worked with this great ensemble and some of the world's greatest conductors for 31 years, until his retirement in 1988. Despite his renown as a soloist, orchestral and chamber music player, conductor, and of course as a teacher of many of the great names of today, he is best known world-wide for his mouthpieces and mutes, which place him in a class of his own among brass players.

Years of careful and unrelenting research, infinite patience and, as he says, "an element of luck" have produced one of the most successful series of products in the world of brass music. Every single one has been made for musical reasons only. "Any ideas I had which were not entirely motivated for a good musical result have been failures." Denis Wick's hands-on approach to quality control continues to protect the quality and consistency of the Denis Wick mouthpieces and mutes. Every process, from using the best quality materials to carefully monitoring anodising and plating is relentlessly checked. The traditional skills of metal spinning and the most modern computer-based turning lathes are equally important.

The brass player's mouthpiece is the most important piece of equipment he or she possesses. It is as personal as shoe sizes and should be fitted as carefully. Instruments need mouthpieces which bring out their best characteristics and players need mouthpieces that will help them realize their full potential. There is no easy answer to this complex requirement. No two players are alike and their requirements from the same instrument can be wildly different. Care taken in choosing the right mouthpiece for instrument, type of music, and player can make the difference between steady progress leading to ultimate success and wasted effort leading to constant frustration. Brass instruments are hardly ever made with really accurate, keyboard-precise intonation. Manufacturers usually try to find the best intonation compromise by the intricate matching of the internal tapers. The natural harmonics of any tube are governed by natural laws and can never be perfectly in tune as western man hears the notes. A well-designed mouthpiece should assist the compromise and make the instrument more usable. The perfect match can give perfect results. The best players can, with careful training, produce intonation which transcends the narrow confines of equal temperament. A lifetime spent working with some of the world's finest professionals has given Denis Wick an unrivaled insight into solving these complex problems. The spin-off has been the enormous improvement in the quality of brass band playing; even the least able players produce a good sound with reasonable intonation when using Denis Wick mouthpieces.

The current high level of trombone and tuba playing in the UK can be directly attributed to his influence over the last 40 years. Having set standards which have held good for so long, Denis Wick continues to innovate and introduce new models as playing levels improve and better players demand demand better equipment. Musicians are by nature conservative and happiest with what they know. Most mouthpiece designs, whether American originals or oriental copies, reflect tastes and styles of bygone years. By using a mixture of traditional and modern concepts, Denis Wick has created mouthpieces which reflect the needs and tastes and today's and tomorrow's music and musicians. Carefully designed rims give maximum support with maximum control and flexibility, different external shapes give ultimate sensitivity or incredible volume, and cup shapes produce telling overtone structures.