Bass tuba range questions

Wyvern · Post by **Wyvern** » Tue Dec 19, 2006 2:13 am

Bob1062 wrote:Out of curiousity, do Besson Eb's have false tones?

I could never get a false tone out of my Besson 981.

djwesp · Post by **djwesp** » Tue Dec 19, 2006 2:30 am

Bob1062 wrote:Out of curiousity, do Besson Eb's have false tones?

My Besson 983 yes, but they aren't useable.

iiipopes · Post by **iiipopes** » Tue Dec 19, 2006 1:33 pm

Hey, bob1062 -- if you're really a low note freak, you'll love this:
http://www.contrabass.com/

Steve Inman · Post by **Steve Inman** » Tue Dec 19, 2006 7:44 pm

I just finished a couple of church orchestra Christmas programs with low G's all over the place, many low F's and a few low Eb's. One of my quintet folder pieces has a slow descending scale down to the pedal C on my CC.

I've played BBb, CC, Eb and F over the past 25 years as an adult amateur. I would only buy a 3V Eb if I could play it first to determine the useability of the false tones. I had a 3V H.N. White "King" Eb at one time and didn't actually *like* using the false tones but it was possible. I was MUCH happier with my Besson 983, and with my present YEB-381.

If I were looking at the 2040, *I* would save a few more bucks and buy the 5V version without a moment's hesitation. But the odds are that you can play the low F in tune with a slide pull somewhere, so maybe the 5V isn't absolutely essential. I can't remember ever seeing a low E natural in any of the music I play -- which you won't likely be able to play on the 2040 4V version.

The only way I would look at buying a 3V Eb is if I had already discussed the price of adding a 4th valve onto it by a competent repair guy, like Lee Stofer, or the guy associated with Custom Music (sorry, I forget his name), or Matt Walters (Dillon Music) or the like.

Cheers,

iiipopes · Post by **iiipopes** » Tue Dec 19, 2006 11:22 pm

St Pat's day last year I got to borrow an old Martin Eb for an out of town parade. It had really great false and real pedals. low Ab was open, G 2, etc. down to pedal Eb, then down a few more from there. So a 3-valve Eb with good pedals is out there, just few and far between.