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I did my first TubaChristmas today. Debated if I should bring the full-size 4-valver or the 16-pound Chinese 3-valver. 16-pounds sounded mighty good. As I watched others lug and drag their big, bad boys through the parking garage and wait on the elevator (lift in U.K.) to the mall entrance, and I'm taking the stairs, I had to think: Yes Virginia, there are times when dinky tubas rule. When I got the Allora 186, I thought maybe I should ditch the little guy. I don't think that any more. Li'l Hong Kong Louie goes out the house a lot more than big Hong Kong Louie.

One of the guys (local band director) who played the tuba 1 part had a dainty little 3-valve Holton on loan from Tulsa Band. They told him it was a prototype. He wasn't sweating and straining much either.

I think it was about 13 euphs and 13 tubas (lucky TubaChristmas if that was the actual number!), with four (not me) on the tuba 1 part. The VMI 2103 next to me sure was purty. And, yeah, those big ones do inspire a certain amount of awe.

I don't have a tiny one... my Van Hall (by Kurath) is a little bigger than a Yammie 3/4 but smaller than say, a Mira BBb

that and it's kinda ugly right now with no case.

One of the funnest horns I have is a Conn Eb sousa body with an Olds 0-99 bell grafted to it. It makes for quite a small little helicon that is very easy to manage for stand-up outdoor gigs, Christmas carolling, and such.

bloke wrote:Yes, the bore is small, but there's plenty of sound and all you have to do is "puff" to make it go.

'specially if you drop a cordless mic down the bell It causes quite a ruckus at outdoor Octoberfest gigs when folks try to figger out where all the oompah is coming from