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In Los Angeles most of the professionals are playing on a YFB-822 now, for recording and orchestral. And of course we know that Mirafone has been big there as well. I was wondering what are the more predominant horns that tubists use in the Manhattan/NYC area? Thank you for your answers in advance.

Whatever Alan Baer is playing at any given moment

W wrote: I was wondering what are the more predominant horns that tubists use in the Manhattan/NYC area? Thank you for your answers in advance.

Mostly BBb's, CC's, F's, and Eb's.

bloke wrote:Regardless of any perceived coastal trends, what would you chose to play, W?

bloke "who suspects that Norm Pearson was not included in this informal survey"

oh dear......

I play a Mirafone and a Gronitz, no matter where I live. I just wanted to know if anybody that has knowledge of this matter to respond. I hope I am not perceiving that you were trying to give a tip for an ignorant highschool kid of 25.

By the way, Norm Pearson plays on a Yamayork and YFB-822 (he actually has 3 at the moment).

W wrote: By the way, Norm Pearson plays on a Yamayork and YFB-822 (he actually has 3 at the moment).

AND his B&S Symphonie F that requires zero slide pullling. can't forget that one.

I'm interested to hear the answer myself, so to bump this up to the top, I play a Perantucci PT20P for broadway and 'broadway style' gigs, and a VMI copy of a MW37 for my outside, bar, or songwriter gigs. If I could find a tuba with the PT intonation and sound, and combine it with the ease of the MW on the strap, it's hand friendly rotors and the fact that I don't worry too much about it, I would sell them both to buy this magic horn (I feel a "186" or "188" comment coming from Mr. Bloke as I type this, and welcome it would be). I would not begin to call myself an orchestral player, I'm a doubler (bass), so please take my answer with that in mind. Peace. ASG

bloke wrote:I have tremendous respect for several players who use a Yama-8 F tuba, but cannot for the life of me understand why these players chose to wrestle with this instrument. It is very easy to repeat the mantra "It's all about the sound". On the other hand if "the sound" doesn't speak "the language" very easily, "the sound" can become somewhat troublesome.

I think that the greatest advantage of the 822F is that it is very easy to get a characteristic "tuba" sound out of it. You can pretty much take that one horn to any gig and you'll know you can get the job done. They project well and produce a pleasing tone. the reason I sold my 822 is because it doesn't have what most would call a "characteristic bass tuba sound." It really sounds like a small CC tuba. I was having a very hard time getting the sound I wanted for playing things like Symphonie Fantastique, and especially the high, singing solo lines from things like the Madsen Sonata.

When I sold my 822 I bought two horns to replace it - my B&S F tuba and a Piggy CC. I really needed to have both horns to cover what I had been doing on the 822. The B&S had the sound I was always wanting for the orchestral rep & solo stuff. The Piggy covered me for the smaller orchestral stuff, Disneyland, that kind of thing. So Joe, your comment about the sound not speaking the language was exactly my experience. That's not to say I didn't like the general sound of the instrument, it just wasn't meeting my true F tuba needs.

Is that Yama you speak of the little bitty one? There are a few of those around town.

But, As far as NYC players I know, there is not a "standard" horn that I know of. Regularly, many play on a 4/4 CC, such as a Hirsh or Mira 186.

I use my Mirafone 186 for just about everything (and that's how I like it)
I can make enough noize on it to hang in most orchestras, and it is VERY flexible for studio work. It can sound huge, or it can also sound light -- and the thing I really like about it (which many newer horns fail at) is that the "Character" of the horn is extremely flexible. I can make it sound like an orchestral BAT or I can make it sound like a second line sousa or anything in between, whatever the music calls for.
It is a little heavy for some quintet stuff (like when trumpet players like to pull out Albinoni or the likes) but for the most part it's pretty sold, plus, I like it. Most orchestral-ish situations I end up in are in a chamber orchestra setting, so that horn is the perfect size.

Sometimes I will play F when it is a specific part that calls for it -- either a mislead new composer, or in a situation like subbing in Gravity where the top books sit on triple hi L's the whole time. But I prefer CC for everything, and it has to be a special occasion to get me to play F.
F is nice, but to me, never quite has the fuzzy balls that I like a TUBA (in the most generic sense) to have. I feel the bass tuba and contrabass tubas are totally different animals, not as interchangable as many think they are. They each have their role and place -- like a trumpet and pic trumpet etc...

As far as locale-specific trends, NYC players dont seem to be gear heads as much as other areas (that seems to be more of a university-scene thing -- or maybe international, regarding traditions), here it seems that it is accepted that different players will sound a bit different -- and as long as you fit into the style and timbre, you're cool.


peace