Arnold Jacobs on his bag of mouthpeices, changing mouthpieces and playing by result not feel.
The Arnold Jacobs Collection
Mouthpieces and other items that are associated with Mr. Jacobs.
Arnold Jacobs 1 Tuba Mouthpiece
We believe the mouthpiece in this photo is, very likely, the original Helleberg Mr. Jacobs purchased when a student at Curtis. This mouthpiece would have been used with the Philadelphia, Pittsburg, Indianapolis and frequently with the CSO. In the 1980's Mr. Jacobs had Scott Laskey, when he worked for Schilke, make two copies of this mouthpiece and had them stamped Arnold Jacobs 1. Our CGHI copy of this original mouthpiece is also stamped Jacobs 1. This is a medium small Helleberg that works well in many situations and is often selected for use on rotor f tubas.
The Arnold Jacobs Adjustable Cup Tuba Mouthpiece
An exact copy of the mouthpiece Arnold Jacobs is using in the photo the only difference is the CHI copy has a tighter thread tolerance than the original. This mouthpiece allows the player to adjust the tonal color without changing mouthpieces. Each one is hand made in a labor intensive process by a master craftsman in the US.
The Arnold Jacobs Collection
Mr. Jacobs used many mouthpieces throughout his career. "There is nothing wrong with experimenting with mouthpieces—different thickness and lengths. By experimenting you’ll have greater control over your spectrum of sound. Switch around depending on your musical requirements. I used to change mouthpieces to keep things interesting in the orchestra in terms of variety of sounds."
CHI Brass has partnered with Windsong Press to release some of Mr. Jacobs' most used and loved models all updated to modern manufacturing standards of consistency along with specific adjustments for each model such as weight and shank options. The CHI Jacobs collection includes: Arnold Jacobs 1, Arnold Jacobs 2, The Arnold Jacobs Adjustable Cup, and The JS Helleberg. In addition the JCS Helleberg, JR Helleberg, and the 4023 Helleberg are all adaptations of mouthpieces Mr. Jacobs used and still owned at the time we lost him.
The Arnold Jacobs 2 Tuba Mouthpiece
The original mouthpiece was skeletonized as shown in this photo, we believe for Jean Martinon who wanted a thinner lighter tuba sound. In the 1980s Mr. Jacobs had Scott Laskey, while he worked at Schilke, make 2 copies of this mouthpiece returning the weight to the shell and had them stamped Arnold Jacobs 2. The CHI Brass Arnold Jacobs 2 is a faithful reproduction of the rim, cup, throat and back bore but with a modern shell and shank options. This has become our most loved model and the rim is cited as being one of the most comfortable available. The Jacobs 2 rim can also be found on our 4023 Helleberg, IR 1, EEb Bass 1, and the Sergio Carolino CC1 models.
Rim on a Stick
“Buzzing on the mouthpiece and mouthpiece rim will connect thought with tissue.”
“When encountering problems technically or musically, first sing (vocally) then buzz (mouthpiece or rim). Transfer the singing and buzzing to the instrument.”
“The rim is there so the lips inside can vibrate more because they are isolated, and the lips outside can stretch and relax providing the right length of vibration just as a string is shortened or lengthened to produce different [pitches].”
