Pop Korn wrote:The huge "black velvet cushion" sound is obviously most lush on a vast big bore BBb - he told me that an EEb or F with a big bore, big bell and big mouthpiece can be convincingly "huge, sonorous and all embracing" - until you actually bring along real live monster CC or BBb.
That is certainly my experience. When I used a Besson Sovereign EEb for everything, I would argue vigorously that a BIG tuba was not really necessary. I felt I produced a big sound even in the low register on the EEb and I had never had a conductor complain.
However since I have started playing a real 6/4 CC, I realize that there is no way such a rich sonorous sound can be produced on an EEb, particularly in the low register. Using a 6/4 CC is not about volume of sound, but depth of sound.
All the same, the greater clarity and different tonal characteristics of an F/Eb are most suitable for some works. I heard Bruckner Symphony No. 6 last year with a German orchestra where an F tuba was used and it was really ideal for that music - a CC, in my opinion would just not be the right sort of sound.
The large bell and wide leadpipe on the Besson 981 was rather a compromise, to bring out some contrabass tuba sound from a bass tuba. When I was trying out CCs, I was really struck at how similar 4/4 CC sounded to the Besson EEb, although of course the CC had a more open low register.
I today prefer to use my Melton Eb for my orchestral playing where a bass tuba is suitable, not least because it sounds like a real bass tuba which Pop Korn quite rightly says is like the difference in tone between a cello and string bass.
