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I play bass trombone and tuba in a big band. I play a Conn 12J Bb-tuba from the 70s. I happened to come across it for little money, and by accident as my first ever tuba I got quite a good match with what I wanted from a tuba. We play music written for us. I also play it in a wind sextet - not classical music, again original music we play in bars and literary cafes.

The sound works well, but to get good compression I need quite thick valve oil. Yamaha vintage oil is a good start, but I go more thick for slightly better results.
A friend has a Bach tuba (The olds O-99, but made by Bach). It works really well too, maybe that sound is even better. Also 3-valve.

An upgrade would be nice. If Bb or C, four valve would be a bit better. If Eb/F, low E/Gb is really a note I need, and in tune. I am fine with adjusting valve tuning slides as I play.
I deliberately use a small mouthpiece, usually A&S 25, sometimes Yamaha 66.

I happened to be at Adams, and tried a couple of tubas, mostly to realize that there is a really big variety in types of tubas. Many just the wrong sound entirely. If I would play tuba in a Symphony Orchestra and would be willing to pay the cost of a new car, getting both the Adams C and F tubas would be amazing.

I can ask local tuba players, but they would recommend wind band or symphony Orchestra tubas. What tuba would you pick for big band?

Since most big band charts actually contemplate bass bone, choose a tuba that more emulates a bass bone in order to blend with the rest of the section. Perhaps an F tuba with not too large a bore?

Oh, I forgot to mention - the tuba parts are specifically written as tuba parts. If the parts are intended for bass trombone, I play bass trombone. I suspect that If I would get an F tuba, higher range parts would be written at some point.

Indeed the blend is important

I'm thinking that for big band you'd want a horn that is above all nimble for you to play. Then, you'd probably want something with the punch and swing-ability of a string bass. Then, it's all about what feels right and sounds right to you.

Your 12J isn't a bad choice, but for the condition of that particular horn. Older, American-made horns are probably your best bargains right now, followed by the Chinese-made ones.

I know it's not easy, but play test as many as you can. You'll know when you've hit on the right one.

As to particular recommendations, I'd suggest giving these a try: Getzen CB50/G50, Miraphone 186 (BBb or CC), Cerveny Piggy, King 2341, Conn 5J, Jupiter JTU1110, etc., etc., etc.

Not sure where you live, but there are a few places with lots of horns to try: HornGuys in Los Angeles, Dillon in NJ, Baltimore Brass, Wessex in IL, Tuba Exchange in NC, Oberloh in Seattle, and others.

Good luck!

Mirafone 186.

Thanks so far! I am based in The Netherlands - hence why I was at Adams for a different main purpose. US made tubas are a bit harder to find here second hand than European ones. Many UK, German and Eastern European ones. Bessons are easy to find...

I know some places with some tubas around here. I see a yamaha ybb-631 and yeb-632 sort of nearby at an ok price. Those look small enough, although compensation on a 4 valve Bb-flat is not really what I need. Also some 201 Bb tubas and 321 (4-valve Eb). I wonder if one of those would have a suitable sound. Or are these more brassband oriented?

Also another place very nearby has a lot of older instruments. Those I really would just have to try, some can only be described as being historic, but a couple of nicer ones as well.

I could also just live a while with oiling a bit more often. 2nd valve is still very good, 1st and 3rd are reasonable with yamaha vintage oil with a bit of space filler oil added. Or would rebuilding the valves be a good solution?

tclements wrote: ↑Sun Dec 28, 2025 11:26 am Mirafone 186.

I'd go with a 184.
Nimbler, and can get the attention when you need it.

If you have been playing BBb tuba, then stick with that. Most of the horns available will work nicely with a big band. A lot of bands these days that play big band music have a string base or an electric base. You are mostly back ground so you don’t need a really big horn. Think 4/4 size. Next is how much do you want to spend? New horns can go from $4k to $14k. The lower end horns can be gotten from Wessex tubas. Those horns play nicely and have a good sound. They will meet your needs nicely. The mid and upper range horns suck as Eastman and Miraphone are great horns and a joy to play. Used horns can be a crap shoot. There are real gems out there and there are horns that are warn out. If you go that way, I’d suggest purchasing from one of the dealerships that specializes in tubas and low brass. If you can test the horn first, that would be very useful.

If you want to play in an orchestra, you might consider a C tuba. You will have a learning curve to get up to speed with the new fingering. A BBb tuba will also work for orchestra. But the fingerings for music with a lot of sharps is sometimes challenging.

I play an Eb for big band. I think it works well for the string base type parts. That’s just me.

Yamaha YBB 621. Small, punchy when you want, broad when you want, same key as you're used to, super nimble in every register

I always loved the older 3/4 Conns for big band and jazz stuff because they blend so good with the trombones and so easy to play. I used a 10J mainly for that. They sound great with a standard Helleburg mouthpiece. A 4J or 5J would give you a 4th valve.