The Cavaliers 1990's Contras Information Help

[Jason Miller]

I'm currently seeking any and all information regarding the equipment used by The Cavaliers 3-valve contrabass G bugles from 1991-2000.

I'm guessing the brand they used were DEG/Dynasty, but I have been unable to obtain any information regarding the contras themselves. Would anybody be able to provide any history into the gear they would have used during that time?
I'm specifically interested in:
- What the model numbers of those contras would have been.
- What mouthpieces they would have been using throughout that decade.
- If the models themselves and mouthpiece selections would have changed or varied any throughout that time period.
Any information would be very helpful in my research and very greatly appreciated. Thank you.

The only image I was able to gather was a closeup at the very end of their 1991 show as shown below.

[Leland]

Model number: I don't know the number, but DEG called them Super Magnum contrabasses.
Mouthpieces: Didn't march Cavaliers but a good bet would be Conn Helleberg.

The horns didn't change very rapidly aside from the rule changes from piston-rotor to 2-valve to 3-valve versions. In the 80s, DEG made a 4/4 size that was the standard for many corps. (some of Cavaliers used them in '91, I believe; and Phantom Regiment had all 4/4 until they bought DEG's last 2-valve 5/4 Super Magnums for 1990) DEG also added the larger 5/4 size that you have in your pic, and it was also previously made during the 2-valve era.

Big horns, heavy, loud, but the tuning could be dodgy with a sharp third partial (2nd line "G" in the old treble clef notation).

[aqualung]

All the DEG/Dynasty models mentioned above were made by Willson.

[Jobey Wilson]

Hi Jason,
I marched cavies 94-96. Those 3 years we marched 7 three-valve Degs Super Magnums (like the one Dean is holding in the pic) and 5 two-valve Degs which were smaller, 4/4-ish. We also had a couple large 2-valve spares in the truck that were incredibly top-heavy...I had to use one during the first couple rehearsal days of finals week '96 after the bell flew off my Super Mag during rehearsal. They could take quite a beating. If you recall the drill from those years, those contras hit the ground (and other people) hard many times We all used our own mouthpieces, and I recall using a Conn Helleberg atleast one summer because that's what we kept in the truck as spares. Fun reminiscing! Feel free to email me any other questions. Jobey

[mdc2d]

I marched contra in 1999.

I was 16 at the time, and honestly don't remember those kind of specifics. I can tell you most of the contras by 1999 were in rough shape. There were a couple of newer ones used by the vets. Not sure about model numbers...they were big and heavy, that I can tell you.

I can tell you that a specific mouthpiece was not required (at least by that brass staff). I played on a Mirafone TU31, I remember several Perantucci 88's and 50's, and of course a handful of Hellebergs. No one staff wise ever even mentioned it (kinda surprising looking back).

Simpler times...

[adelarosa]

I marched Cavaliers (tuba) '05-'06.

Think in '05 was the first time mouthpiece selection had ever came up seriously to standardize; most of the line was using some form of the PT series (50, 44, 36, whatever) and the rest of us were using the tried-and-tried Helleberg (mostly Conn, some other variations). Two of the guys began in '02, two in '03, two from '04, and the rest of us new guys. (there was a 12th guy but for the life of me I can't recall where he fit in the lineup? memory slipping) Also Brandon Barometti ('99-'02) was one of the lead techs that advised us on most of our inability to play, at least well, and I never recall a mouthpiece discussion taking place.

The section ended up going with one of the new-fangled soup cans of the day - (IWI?) some other guy on the forum probably remembers the exact model better than I - and that was due to the walking bass line we were performing in the jazz-like section in the 4th movement. The mellophone section ended up going with a similar setup due to the range and stability in their higher registers, maybe where the tuba line got the idea but for the opposite intention.

Short of the tangent is that most of the section players used what was comfortable to them, or more likely, whatever we had on hand. If it worked, you sounded half-decent, you played it.

I recall that soup can was crazy heavy and completely threw off the balance of the Yamahas... think some, if not all, of us moved away from the thing in '06, definitely by '07 we had mainly phased them out (just preference; I believe the inner lip was sharper than a Helleberg and, besides the weight, not terribly comfortable to play on long term, nevermind the cans had fantastic tendency to slip out of the leadpipe during choreography and had an awesome tendency to land rim down... figures).