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Thomas M. Marshall
Reviewed in the United States on June 4, 2015
40 years ago I played tuba as a serious student. When I decided to resume my study on the euphonium, I read various manufacturers' descriptions of their products, and about mouthpieces in general. From everything I read, I concluded that the SM3X would be optimal for my specific situation. The mouthpiece is on the large end of euphonium mouthpieces, but is of course small compared to a tuba. Also the cup is a bit shallower than the SM3U, which might help as I re-develop stamina and embouchure control, while still giving a rich "bass" sound. So, on paper, it seems ideal.In the real world, I have to factor in that I'm not yet very good, so at first the mouthpiece was hard to play with stability. Add to that, I have a very inexpensive student instrument for now. So, for the first few days, the much smaller mouthpiece that came with the instrument was easier to play. But within a week, I abandoned the smaller one and feel very confident on the Wick. With my still-limited talents, but considerable past experience, I feel that the Wick offers me much more control -- at least I know what I'm aiming at, and can tell when I approach the target. It is especially noticeably better on the pedal notes, which sound not unlike a tuba on the Wick.If you are already experienced, you might want feedback from someone with a stronger background and a broader basis to compare differences. But if you're a serious student who is considering a larger mouthpiece to have something to "push against" and improve tone and control, I would try the Wick SM-X line. It seems to be the best of all worlds, from my perspective.
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