On Amazon I see cheap (<$30) knockoffs of:
- Conn Helleberg 120s
- Yamaha 67c4
- Bach 24AW
- Bach 22
- Denis Wick 4L
Eastrock (the most common knockoff brand) sells a "standard" model and I don't know what that is a knockoff of, it looks just like their 67c4 but clearly has a different model number?
How faithful are the copies of the knockoffs? Does the rim dimensions and cup and throat match the original?
Also, I do see a 67c4 from a brand called Rowell, which looks nothing like a 67c4. It's grooved like a Marcinkiewicz, but with more grooves, and it is clearly a deeper cup (or at least a longer external body) than the Yamaha.
Are they safe? For example, one mouthpiece I see which looks like helleberg knockoff but gold, is labelled "Golden Tuba Mouthpiece Accessory" from a store called EXCEART which largely sells not musical stuff, just eclectic crap. It doesn't claim to be real gold or silver coated, and says it is made from "gold brass". Is this likely just a raw polished brass mouthpiece? It' s my understanding that this is a terrible idea and the majority of people would react to that over time. Or could it be someone got their hands on a stock of gold-plated helleberg knockoffs and have absolutely no idea how to sell them? (The ad copy and photos are hilarious; and they show the mouthpiece pasted along side a trumpet, and a clarinet). If I ordered this would there be any way to find out if it is plated and with what? Very tempted purely for curiosity.