My best results have been a Yamaha 68 or 69c4 for quintet and Bach 22 for bigger ensembles. Hope it helps. Mike

What a cool instrument.

Nice Keefer, they made great horns. I just recently got a 4 valve BBb Keefer Wagnerphone (sousaphone) that I need to oil up and get playing.

I have an unmarked funnel mouthpiece that I have tried on various horns but haven't found anything it works with. I have a couple of Conn 1's that I like a lot. They are about the same large I.D. as the Helleberg but deeper and completely funnel shaped. FWIW

The best thing I did to my 983 was have the 4th slide aligned. The low F and E natural are SO much more solid. I did put a thumb actuated rod and a stop on the tuning slide. Depending on the mouthpiece, sometimes the fourth line F is a little low. I also took the pull knob off the second slide and ...

I've got one just like it. It looks to have "USN" engraved on bell just below the logo. It's maybe the best BBb I've ever owned including B&S, king 2341, vintage Conns, St Pete, York. I wish I were closer.

The 10K will allow the use of a collet closer which is so nice for holding thin tubing and parts. I've worked in a machine shops for 35 years and very seldom used taper attachments. Most tapers I have cut were short enough to do using the compound or off setting the tail stock between centers. South ...

I've got a small Conn 4-valve from 1914. I liked the sound of the horn but found it to be an air-hog. One day , just by chance , I tried a Yamaha 68 mouthpiece in it and that made all the difference in it. I've always used funnel shaped mouthpieces but a shallow bowl shaped was much more suited to it.

A South Bend 10" with a 5c collet closer is a very handy machine.

Not really the same subject, but Tom Hanks did a movie called "The Man With One Red Shoe" and the apartment the character lived had 2 of them on a book shelf. Somebody must know the back story on that.

I've got an early CONN that simply has BBb on the shank. It seems to be about the same size as the original Helleberg.

My favorite vintage mouthpiece is a Conn 1. It's about the same diameter as the later larger helleberg but way deeper.

Emil Posselt was listed as a maker/ importer in 1901. August was shown to be a maker as early as 1867 and the company was operated by his sons into the 1920's.

One of my favorite mouthpieces for my Besson 983 is a Bach 22.

The Eb owned by Grace Moravian is a Martin. The director was a friend of Andy and they have a euphonium engraved as a donation from Andy and Cindi.