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I surprised to find out yesterday that only about 150 CB50 / G50 tubas were ever made. Of course, after giving it some thought I realized that number is probably more significant than I first thought, but it was still enlightening.

So if you have one of these horns, what your S/N? Apparently they all start with 300xx, so 30000 was probably the prototype and 30001 was the first production horn (mine is 30021). I still believe they are one of the the most versatile horns you can buy and are very sensitive to mouthpiece changes in terms of sound production, and it's somewhat of a shame they aren't being made anymore. Yeah, the silver plating was (at best) sub-standard but I can live with that kind of cosmetic problem.

I'm curious to hear from my fellow owners out there about their horns and how the feel about them, and where they are in the production sequence.


Rob

Rob, RH&B. Soon.

grahamfw wrote:ACTUALLY, he was referring to the high D (just above the staff) that was as good as any he had played. This note is notorious on most CCs and most Getzens have it worse than most. Mine isn't as wretched as they come but I still will stray away from that note if I can.

That high D is definitely a killer on these horns. I can now hit it pretty consistently, but it took 3 1/2 years to get there. Makes attempting (I don't play, I just attempt) the VW 2nd movement a real booger.

I'll check the number on mine tomorrow and report back.

d

grahamfw wrote:ACTUALLY, he was referring to the high D (just above the staff) that was as good as any he had played. This note is notorious on most CCs and most Getzens have it worse than most. Mine isn't as wretched as they come but I still will stray away from that note if I can.

Regardless, I don't think I'll put it on the market anytime soon.

The high D is the consistent flaw on these horns, but it's not on every horn. My old Kalison Pro 2000 had one that was darn near unplayable. The high D on my CB50 is just fine, in tune and easy to find.

Tom Holtz wrote:Rob, RH&B. Soon.

well, yeah. Only question is, which one?

GPiccerillo wrote:I've got 30136.

Actually, the high D isn't a problem on my horn (other than that I have to pull out the first slide an inch). However, the F# in the staff is consistently about 30 cents sharp.

Rob mentioned that these are horns very sensitive to mouthpiece change. I'm curious- what does everyone else use on them? I use a SSH.

Grant

I use a Deck 3 when I want it sound as close to a BAT as possible (remember its still a CB50) - seems to be a dark sound with more overtones. This is my first choice for medium and large ensemble stuff.

I use a Mike Finn 3 when I want to move a lot of air through the horn and don't mind a more aggressive sound (when compared to my Deck 3) especially in the bottom range. It's my second choice large ensemble mpc and the one I use if I have a lot of loud, low stuff on the page.

I use a Deck 1 when I want the higher stuff to be a bit easier (i.e., lazy). The tone is more focused and brighter than the Deck 3 and I feel like the sound is "lighter". This is usually what I use for quintet gigs.

I use a Arnold Jacobs / Canadian Brass when I want the Helleberg sound, a lot of core and very precise attacks. I've just recently started using this mpc again after a LONG time of not touching it, and still trying to figure out where this fits in my rotation.

GPiccerillo wrote:I'm curious- what does everyone else use on them? I use a SSH.

Grant

I use a good ol' Conn Helleberg, or a Kellyberg for outside stuff.

I have one of these, but because the bell on my horn was replaced with the bell from a York monster EEb, I have some interesting issues. I think the serial numbers on these horns were written on the bell. Because I don't have the original bell, I am not even sure if my tuba was called a CB50 or G50! I do have the serial number written down somewhere, I think. I will look for it sometime.

The high D on these horns can be trouble. The note is there, but it seems to have a tiny slot so you need a lot of control to place it right where it needs to be. I found that pulling the first slide AS I play the note help it to be more in tune, and magically seems to help somehow with getting it where it needs to be to not miss it.