Hirsbrunner HBS 688 Eb tuba

[Andantay]

I am proud owner of a Hirsbrunner HBS 688 Eb tuba. It is the 3+1 compensating model. I've had it now for a few years and kept it pristine. I have always been impressed with its handbuilt quality, response and clarity, as you would assume with a Hirsbrunner. Though I find it does have its own characteristics. I was wondering if there were any other players or owners of this instrument out there and what their opinion/verdict is of this tuba?

[macbil]

I had one for nearly 10 years . It had the most beautiful sound and was easy to blow BUT and it was a big BUT which eventually wore me down, it was out of tune around F, F sharp G ,G sharp A in the top of the stave. Playing the second movement of the VW was tricky. I had to correct the fingering which was counter intuitive after 30 years playing a B & H instrument , not perfect itself especially up top with a VB 24 AW which was the industry standard back in the day so I moved it on and bought something else. I used to think that the mouthpipe taper was not quite right and that was the problem but it was an expensive instrument and I did'nt want to mess around with something so sensitive as that.
A really lovely instrument in many ways but a flawed genius at the same time.

[Andantay]

That's interesting, not so much for mine except for preferring 1+2 for the upper G. The F was good as it is often flat on a B&H tuba. It was the middle C I found sharpish. I agree with you with its sound which was very even through the whole range and really sings high up. Much more like an F tuba than a typical Eb Sovereign or sov clone which is the reason why I got it. Did it sell ok? How much if you don't mind?

[macbil]

Do you know, I can't remember the exact price because I traded it in against a new instrument with a dealer. It's a few years back. A memorable instrument .

[macbil]

It's interesting that you say that it really sings high up. I had an older PT something or rather on loan and when I asked my son, who's a really good player --What do you think?, he said that the PT was on the same tonal spectrum as the Hirsbrunner E flat so I didn't buy it. I think if you look at an old Hirsbrunner catalogue , you'll find that the body of the E flat and F's are the same . Its the guts of the two instruments which differ . I used to wonder if the F's suffered the same tuning difficulties-- probably not since the Europeans regard the E flat as a bit of a shire horse for bands with the F's being the thoroughbred suited for orchestras and better thought out. Although it was supposedly an E flat instrument , it had quite a few F characteristics in it.
Should have bought the PT which I really liked and chucked out my E flats ! Any tuning wrinkles seemed to be curable with a slide pull which I don't mind. Can't do that on an E flat .