Tubas, euphoniums, mouthpieces, and anything music-related.
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The Schilke tuba mouthpiece spec sheet says this as the description of the Schilke 69C4"
This mouthpiece was developed for a prominent West Coast tuba player. It has a very comfortable rim with a cup that is not too deep. The results of this combination form a mouthpiece hat has an excellent characteristic sound, and facilitates all registers of the instrument.
So... who was the prominent West Coast tuba player?
Roger Bobo played a Miraphone C4 and the Miraphone 23 F model mouthpieces. The Yamaha mouthpieces that bear his name are based on those two.
With that being said, I would suspect the Schilke 69C4 might have been made for him. He might not have ever played it, but it could have been marketed using him.
I got to play with Bobby Shew when I was in undergrad—and one of the trumpets asked him why he played colored kellyberg mouthpieces instead of his signature models—he said he didn’t even play his own model mouthpieces.
Dr. James M. Green
Lecturer in Music--Ohio Northern University
Adjunct Professor of Music--Ohio Christian University
Gronitz PF 125
Miraphone 1291CC
Miraphone Performing Artist www.russiantuba.com
I first guessed Bobo, but thought maybe Tommy or Jim Self or maybe someone else of tuba-prominence but perhaps not tuba stardom... Either way, I think you're right, naming rights were not granted.
bort2.0 wrote: Fri Dec 05, 2025 9:28 pm
^ Interesting!
I first guessed Bobo, but thought maybe Tommy or Jim Self or maybe someone else of tuba-prominence but perhaps not tuba stardom... Either way, I think you're right, naming rights were not granted.
Don’t quote me! I’d like to know too! Jim Self played the Marcinkiewicz before he had Yamaha make him the signature one. Tommy Johnson used the N4 and I think he later switched to LOUD
Dr. James M. Green
Lecturer in Music--Ohio Northern University
Adjunct Professor of Music--Ohio Christian University
Gronitz PF 125
Miraphone 1291CC
Miraphone Performing Artist www.russiantuba.com
I really like the sound of a 69C4/C4/Yamaha 68B or Bobo Symphonic with my MW20 and on the 20J it helps keep don't clarity for me.. I've never been a huge fan of the rim though.
I am going my family follows through on their earlier hinting and gets me a Sellmansberger Solo with the #2 rim..
As amateur as they come...I know just enough to be dangerous.
Meinl-Weston 20
Holton Medium Eb 3+1
Holton Collegiate Sousas in Eb and BBb
Conn 20J
and whole bunch of other "Stuff"
well...
Three quite prominent ones are no longer among us.
Another one left the state as soon as they retired.
That one bought a hybrid version of the 69C4 from me quite a few years ago... (I was actually stocking those in my former brick and mortar store. Schilke was pretty flexible at that time, and was willing to charge a certain amount for taking one of their standard models and altering this, that, or the other dimension for openly advertised fees. I negotiated with them paying the regular wholesale price if I ordered enough same-as-esch-other hybrid version ones at once.)
somewhat related:
I believe the Miraphone Rose Model (not the North Carolina Rose model) it was basically a C4 with a more standard-sized throat opening. What I was getting from Schilke was pretty much like the Miraphone Rose Model. (I know that the C4 became the TU-23, but if the Rose Model became something, I don't know what it is. If it did, I'm sure someone else knows.)
I have a C3, a C4 and aTU21. I play the 21 most of the time. Other than the timbre of the C4 being a little harsher sounding (more trombone like), they play almost identically. I don't have drill bits with clean shanks to measure the bores. Does anyone know the respective bore sizes either metric or drill size in thousandths of an inch.
All I know is they are a heck of a lot bigger than my biggest trumpet mouthpiece, a Bach 1X, which I'm using to get the bass trombone part out over the orchestra and 60 vocalists. On trumpet, or course. My Willson Eb has no trouble getting out with the C3 or C4 on the other pieces.
Community orchestra member
1918 Martin Eb 4V, still played after 50 years
Martin Mammoth 4V, BBb
Wilson 3400 5V EEb
Assorted trumpets/cornet
Antique, Pan American trombone
bloke wrote: Sun Dec 07, 2025 10:31 am
well...
Three quite prominent ones are no longer among us.
Another one left the state as soon as they retired.
That one bought a hybrid version of the 69C4 from me quite a few years ago... (I was actually stocking those in my former brick and mortar store. Schilke was pretty flexible at that time, and was willing to charge a certain amount for taking one of their standard models and altering this, that, or the other dimension for openly advertised fees. I negotiated with them paying the regular wholesale price if I ordered enough same-as-esch-other hybrid version ones at once.)
somewhat related:
I believe the Miraphone Rose Model (not the North Carolina Rose model) it was basically a C4 with a more standard-sized throat opening. What I was getting from Schilke was pretty much like the Miraphone Rose Model. (I know that the C4 became the TU-23, but if the Rose Model became something, I don't know what it is. If it did, I'm sure someone else knows.)
According to Ferguson Music,
TU 25 is the Rose Orchestra, TU 27 is the Rose Solo (Rose Solo is the C4 with a more open throat).
These users thanked the author russiantuba for the post (total 2):
bloke (Sun Dec 07, 2025 10:06 pm) • 1 Ton Tommy (Mon Dec 08, 2025 12:14 pm)
Dr. James M. Green
Lecturer in Music--Ohio Northern University
Adjunct Professor of Music--Ohio Christian University
Gronitz PF 125
Miraphone 1291CC
Miraphone Performing Artist www.russiantuba.com
The Yamaha 68B is sort of a C4-type mouthpiece, but better, imo, than the Schilke 69C4. Also, the Yamaha Jim Self is similar, but with a deeper cup. I have all 3 mpcs, and right now using the 68B. The Schilke 69C4 has a too tight throat, imo. I drilled out the throat a bit years ago on my 69C4. Maybe one day I'll have it replated, but it's a backup piece anyway. The 68B and Jim Self mpcs are better for me