Eastman 866?

[MKTuba]

Hey folks. Curious to hear everyones thoughts about the Eastman 866 (6V F tuba). I have played a lot of the eastman tubas (836, 832, 632, 534, 653, 864) but haven't gotten to try the 866. I enjoyed the 864 a lot, but am curious to hear thoughts about the 866. Basically, is the valve action of the left hand valves okay, and is the 6th valve register decent. Ergonomics? Familiar with the fit and finish / overall quality of the eastman tubas, and don't need elaboration there.

Also, if you have an 866 you'd be looking to offload in the next few months, HMU. Looking to buy in septemberish.

[tubamarc8891]

I love mine.

The low register is more secure on the 6v version. It has a tad bit more back pressure than the 5v but I still find it to be very free blowing. It’s taken a couple months to get used to the valves in the left hand but it’s been worth it for me. I like the freedom in the right hand and it’s nice not having to push and pull slides while playing. Above all else, the sound is very special. It’s a fantastic instrument.

[Robert Tucci]

For this instrument all similar rotary valve F-tubas "Made in PRC", the RT-62 mouthpiece obtains an ideal balance of sound and response. This has a cup diameter of 32.50mm, wider than most F-tuba mouthpieces with the cup depth necessary to add substance and quality to the sound. Typical shallow F-tuba mouthpieces are not recommended for such instruments.

[IsaacTuba]

I recently purchased one of these, and I've been super happy with how it plays. I tried an 866, an 864, and a piston F back to back at Milano Music when deciding which one to get. While the piston F was the most responsive of the bunch, the sound quality was dull and less exciting compared to the rotary ones.

I've found the 864 was more free blowing, but the 866 was easier to control overall towards the extreme ends of the registers. Had a better Bydlo and the low register notes with the 6th valve just can't be beat. Playing low G with 5634 makes me smile every time. As Marc said above, it also has a beautiful singing sound. Not as rich as some B&S tubas I've played, but the quality is very close.

The action and response of the left hand valves are of equal quality compared to the right hand valves. I've never noticed any difference in feel. The 5th and 6th valves make some new trills in the mid/lower register possible which is exciting for some solo pieces. Of course you can trill with the 5th valve in your right hand, but it feels more natural when it's placed in your left.

If you do plan on getting one of these, scales and arpeggios will be your best friend for many months, though you get used to it quicker than you think.

[JustisKaiser]

I'm not sure about the 866 but the 863 piston F is apparently going up for sale this winter. I've heard really great things about it. Not sure if that's the one Milano has to play test or if they have a 862 (coming out next year).

[Robert Tucci]

We have had the EM 866 in our shop; I have also worked with musicians using this instrument. It is obviously based on the "B & S" PT-10. We quickly determined that the new RT-62, in Europe and the Far East, PT-62 mouthpiece works especially well on the 866. In particular, the sound is much fuller and richer.

The RT-62 has a cup diameter of 32.50 Mm, a throat bore of 7.89 Mm and uses an "Amercan" shank. These remarks are more than a plug for one of our products. The combination works very well. Bob Tucci - Munich.