I have played and tested a lot of euphonium mouthpieces. These are all mouthpieces that I have spent an adequate amount of time (at least a 5-10 hours) to see how they perform . This list doesn’t include mouthpieces that I have only briefly tried for example Momo mouthpieces, Mercer and Barker, the new Denis Wick Heros series, various Alliance MP, and DEG “now Griego” Brian Bowman BB mouthpieces. Here they are:

• Denis wick (4Al, SM3, SM3.5, SM4, SM3U,SM4U, SM4X, “Alliance” David Childs – DC3)
• Schilke (51D, 52D, 52E2)
• Bach (6-1/2AL, 5G, 4G, 4GB)
• Warburton (Soloist 3 “formally the Demondrae”, 4G)
• Greg Black (3-5GD Heavy)
• Bob Reeves Brass Arc (4G Heavy)
• Griego (3 Deco, 3.5 Deco)
• Romera Brass (Anthony Caillet AC55)
• K&G (4.5D)
• Ultimate Brass (Adam Frey AF)
• Yamaha (53DL)

On this my mouthpiece “safari” I learned an overwhelming lesson. There are no short cuts to solve technical problems. The euphonium is hard. It’s a physical instrument that requires a lot energy to get a good result. There is no mouthpiece that will fix all of your problems. but there are mouthpieces that are more useful than others.

So what makes a good mouthpiece?

Every mouthpiece has its own character and special qualities. I learned that I prefer certain specifications regarding mouthpieces. For example, I like 26mm(diameter) rims that are thick, flat, and that have rounder edges because they are the most comfortable for me. I like medium weight for projection and a darker sound. Finally medium cup depth generally seems to work the best for me. These are my feelings. I would be lying if I said I fully understand what each modifiable metric does to the performance of a mouthpiece. More subtle metrics, like back-bore, throat, gap, inner- throat diameter and cup-shape have a complex relationship to each other and as a player and teacher I feel its best to leave these variables to mouthpiece manufactures to consider.

I ultimately found that I preferred 3 mouthpieces the Alliance DC3, the Denis Wick SM4X, and the K&G 4.5D. I decided to sell all the rest and stick to the Kurun & Gilbert 4.5D because the K&G was simply the most comfortable on my face.

The others were all fine. I feel that I could play pretty much the same way on every mouthpiece. The only thing that I really learned is that the further the mouthpiece drifts from “standard” mouthpiece conventions the less practical they are.

Mouthpieces you should not use on the euphonium:

These are mouthpieces that I feel genuinely make the instrument more difficult to play.

• Avoid the 6-1/2AL, Bach 5G, extremely shallow mouthpieces, or any inner rim smaller than 25.55 mm or (1.005 inches) (too narrow), also avoid inner rims larger than 26.4mm or (1.04 inches) (too large). – Mouthpieces that are too small make your sound too bright and severely limit the low range. Mouthpieces that are too big ruin your endurance, they make the high range way more difficult than it should be, and they require a ton of air.
• Wood or plastic mouthpieces I would avoid because they don’t resonate.

Types of mouthpieces I suggest avoiding (my preference) but they are still playable:

• Steel, titanium, bronze, or other expensive “bespoke” alloys. THESE EITHER DEADEN YOUR SOUND OR ARE OUTRAGEOUSLY EXPENSIVE. IT IS NOT WORTH IT.
• Schilke 51D or Brian Bowman BB mouthpieces UNLESS you play on a medium shank horn and are trying to win a military band position. If this is the case you absolutely should be using these. I just don’t love the sound or feel for soloing.
• Heavyweight mouthpieces because they make it very difficult to change the color of your sound.
• Trombone specific mouthpieces. I’ve never found them to work quite right with the euphonium.

Buying guide:

Make sure the shank (bore) is the same as your instrument.

Professional euphoniums are mostly large shank. But many Wilson, Shires, vintage Bessons, and Hirshbrunners are medium shank. Typically beginner instruments are small shank but some are large shank. (do this research yourself and be confident you are buying the correct shank size)

As long as the mouthpiece fits within the conventions I described earlier it should work just fine. Look for mouthpieces branded as “euphonium” mouthpieces. Stick to popular and easy to find brands. Denis Wick makes a great mouthpiece and I would say the SM4X or the DC3 are the safest bets for someone looking for something that is standard and high performing . (For small shank euphoniums I would recommend the DC3S (small) or a Schilke 51D (small)).

You should expect to pay from $90-250 for a new silver or gold plated mouthpiece.

Don’t be afraid of used mouthpieces! These run from $50-150 and look and feel new with a little bit of silver polish and dawn dish soap. (don’t buy a significantly dented or tarnished mouthpiece unless you are willing to pay someone to restore it).

I hope this helps!

Best,

ACH