What is your instrument history?

[WoodSheddin]

I just typed this up as part of a separate thread, but would interesting to see the history of horns people have gone through to get to where they are today. Here are mine.

Jr high
Besson 3-valve euphonium
switched instruments
Conn BAT 3-valve BBb

High school
Miraphone BBb 4u rotary
Miraphone CC 185 5u rotary (5th valve never worked)
some kind of tenor trombone in "jazz" band
King bass trombone in local Youth Symphony

Undergrad
B&S PT-4 rotary (older style)
Kalison Daryl Smith CC piston
Hirsbrunner HB-21 CC piston
B&S PT-10 F rotary (communist era)

Grad school
Hirsbrunner HB-21 CC piston
no F tuba

In between years
Hirsbrunner HB-21 CC piston
Besson 983 Eb piston
B&S Perantucci PT-15 F rotary

Audition
Hirsbrunner HB-21 CC piston
B&S Perantucci PT-15 F rotary

Job primary horns
Miraphone 4-valve Sousaphone BBb

personal horns
Yorkbrunner CC piston

Most of the above are gone now

Currently used horns
Conn 3-valve Sousaphone BBb (theirs)
Hirsbrunner HB-2p CC piston (theirs)
Meinl Weston 2000 CC piston (mine)
B&S Perantucci PT-15 F rotary (mine)
Miraphone 186 5u BBb rotary (only used to memorize marches) (theirs)

[Tom Holtz]

OK, I'll bite...

Jr. High--Conn BBb, 3-valve, little squat thing with kind of a fat bell.

High school--the venerable YBB-321 with the Conn-Helleberg. Most reliable low F available on a school budget. Fine seafarin' vessel.

College--Hirsbrunner HB-2P. Occasional dabbling with ASU-owned Perantucci F tubas, none were "Symphonie" models, and they didn't like me.

Auditions--above 'Brunner

Current main work axes--HB-21, King sousaphone

Other gigs:
Quintet--YFB-621
Jazz festivals on the road--Besson 983
Local jazz/Polka/Strolling/Bars/etc.--Her Highness, the Buescher Eb helicon. Fine seafarin' vessel.

[greatk82]

Jr. High - Olds Bell front Eupher

High School -YBB-321/Holton Copy (Schools)
Mirafone 186 BBb (beat to death, but first horn)
Conn 52J (thank you, personal loans)

College Conn 52J
MW 182F

Army MW182 F
Kanstul 3/4 CC

Now Army HB1-P BBb (theirs)

[cambrook]

Starting out: Besson Imperial EEb

High School: Mirafone 186-5U CC

College: Cerveny Piggy CC

Audition: Piggy

After a little while in the job: Hirsbrunner HB2P (handmade version)

Over the years: Willson top action Eb, then Besson 981 Eb
added Rudy 5/4 CC
sold 981 to buy Willson 3400 FA Eb
buying a Rudy 5/4 F

I mainly use the Rudy 5/4 CC and Willson Eb, looking forward to trying the Rudy F with the orchestra.

[Cameron Gates]

I gotta call a foul on this one.

Tom Holtz, "PROFESSIONAL" Writes:

Local jazz/Polka/Strolling/Bars/etc.--Her Highness, the Buescher Eb helicon. Fine seafarin' vessel.

What exactly is your profession? Is it possible to make money with a 4-valve frankencon in a weird key and a bicycle bell attached? I thought that thing was used to scare dogs away from your house.

You should be waiting for Godfather IV to start shooting. That thing would be perfect for the authentic italian marching funeral band with the really bad clarinet player. (Those of you who saw the other "Godfathers" know what I'm talking about).

[KevinMadden]

Elementary school
Yamaha Student Trumpet
Selmer Paris trumpet

Jr. High
3 Valve BBb Amati dent-farm

High School
3/4 3 valve BBb Dynasty Convertible
Conn fiberglass Sousa
YBB 641
YBB 621
Conn 5J (new my junior year )
Cerveny 641 4 rotor BBb (first tuba of my own!)

College
5/4 Yorkmaster CC (4 piston)
B&S PT-16 6 valve F (school owned)
Besson 600 Euphonium

I am in possession of the Yorkmaster, the Euph, and the Selmer-Paris

[David Spies]

Here goes:

6th grade: Conn Baritone (3-valve)

Jr. High: Conn 12-J; King 3-valve BB-flat Sousaphone

High School--
Freshman/Soph: Beat-Up Miraphone 186 4-valve BB-flat
Junior: Brand new Meinl-Weston 25; played for only 2 1/2 months as it was totaled in a car accident on the way to an honors band event that October. (I took it even worse--broken jaw, hand and left leg!)
Back to the Miraphone by the Christmas concert
Senior: Same Miraphone

College--
Freshman-(Today): Miraphone 186-5U CC Tuba
Freshman-Senior: (Civil War E-flat OTS tubas with 1st Brigade Band)
Junior-(Today): Miraphone 183 4-valve E-flat Tuba

Post Doctoral work-Today:

Willson 3400 E-Flat Tuba
Yamaha 321 Euphonium

Current Instruments:
Miraphone 186-5U CC Tuba
Miraphone 183 4-valve E-flat Tuba
Willson 3400 E-Flat Tuba
Yamaha 321 Euphonium
King E-flat (3-valve) Sousaphone

David Spies
Willson Tuba Quartet
Principal Tubist, Racine Symphony Orchestra
Solo E-flat Tuba and Assistant Director, Madison Brass Band

[Captain Sousie]

Elementary: Normandy plastic clarinet, king baritone

Middle school: fiberglass king sousa (first 'tuba' I ever played), miraphone 186 BBb.

High school: Miraphone 186 BBb, 4-valve king forward-bell, brass king sousaphone.

College: Miraphone 186 BBb (turd), Yammie YBB641 (turd), Cerveney 5/4 something-or-another (turd), B&S PT4P (first horn I owned), Yammie YEP321, Bach double rotor bass trombone, hand-me-down conn trumpet (turd), Conn 14j Eb

I currently own and play: B&S PT4P, Conn 14j, Bach T200 trombone (beautiful sound), above Conn trumpet, (really want a euph but don't have the money) and 9 tuba mouthpieces, 2 t-bone mouthpieces and 3 trumpet mouthpieces.

Sou

[Jack Tilbury]

Jr. High:
Holton Sousaphone (darn good one, too!)

High School:
Martin 3-valve “Recording Bassâ€

[Dan Schultz]

J.... Mirafone 184....

Glad to see you still have that 184. I'm delighted that It got into good hands!

[EQueg]

high school: miraphone Bb 186 4 valve rotary 1980's

college:yamaha ycb-? piggy 5 valve 1989 don't remember the model but i wish i still had it great horn
kalison daryl smith cc piston 1991
miraphone 184 cc 5 valve rotary 1970's

post college: rusk cut york 5 valve piston f 1912
lyon healy 6/4 BBb 4 valve piston 1904
wilson Eb 5 valve piston 2005 model?

[Tom Holtz]

Is it possible to make money with a 4-valve frankencon in a weird key and a bicycle bell attached? I thought that thing was used to scare dogs away from your house.

It scares the neighbors, too. It also attracts 1099's like Fruit Roll-Ups attract my kids, so I must be making something with it. (Shameless plug...) You can witness the shocking truth for yourselves at Bertha's in Fells Point, Baltimore, MD, on the first and third Wednesdays of every month. (Shameless plug complete) Ain't no PT-606 gig.

That thing would be perfect for the authentic italian marching funeral band with the really bad clarinet player.

I've done two of those with this horn, albeit with a bad banjo player in place of the clarinet, but a funeral is a funeral. I could get residuals for this stuff? Sign me up now. Oh, you can remind me about "weird key" the next time we're playing ten marches in a row on a hotel job, averaging about 4.4 flats per march until we bring in the colors. Enjoy your test.

[Tom Holtz]

Elementary: Normandy plastic clarinet... College: Miraphone 186 BBb (turd), Yammie YBB641 (turd), Cerveney 5/4 something-or-another (turd)

The plastic clarinet was at least good enough to escape the (turd) designation. ROFL best post ever.

[cjk]

Junior High/Highschool:
Yamaha 3v 3/4 convertible upright
King 3v recording tuba (2340?)
Conn sousaphone
Cerveny 5v piggy CC

College:
Mirafone 181 F tuba (the original 181 that was a blatant B&S copy, not the current one)
Cerveny 5v piggy CC, then
Rudolf Meinl 4/4 CC

Later:
Cerveny Harmonia 6v F
Buescher 3v Eb
Mirafone 184 5v CC
York/Conn frankentuba (York monster bell and outer bows, Conn 2j valves and inner bows, played good)
Boosey F tuba
Rudolf Meinl 4345 piston CC
5v B&S Symphonie F
6v B&S Symphonie F

Have now:
Mirafone 184 CC
Rudolf Meinl 4345 piston CC
6v B&S Symphonie F

The bell of the Buesher 3v Eb ended up on my 184 CC (mo' better).

[Tuba-G Bass]

School Horns
6th grade [Florida] Conn 10J and parents bought me a old Conn 20K in silver with a damaged neck,
could not fit it on the moving truck, sigh.

8th grade [N. Carolina] Conn 15J
9th+10th grade Conn 15J, Conn 38K Glass Sousa

11th grade [Pennsylvania] old King bell front, Olds Glass Sousa
12th grade New King 1140 Convertable both Marching and Concert band

Adult [owned horns] Keefer Silver/Brass FrankenSousa
M&M 4RV BBb Tuba
Conn Satin Silver 24J BAT Tuba

Bass Trombones Boosey & Hawkes G Bass Tbone
Jupiter 740 RL Bass Trombone Bb/F/Gb/D Tbone

[porkchopsisgood]

7th/8th Grade:
Conn 12 J BBb

9th-12th Grade:
Miraphone 186-4U BBb
Conn 15 J Convertible BBb
Conn 20 K BBb Sousaphone

1st time @ College through 1994
Conn 3J CC
Conn 20K Sousaphone
King Fiberglass Sousaphones

1994-present
Cerveny ACB-601 4 Valve 5/4 CC

2nd Go-round @ Temple University (did it this time...)
B&S PT-10 F
Miraphone "Firebird" F (rose brass)
Miraphone 1291 5-Valve CC
King Silver Sousaphones (various)

Currently:
Cerveny metioned above
**Newly Acquired Yamaha 621 5-Valve F

Future:
Can't wait to get a sick BAT to replace the Cerveny.....next year this time...

AVC

[MikeMilnarik]

5TH GRADE: Conn 3 valve BBb Sousaphone (with chair!)

JH: Conn 3 valve BBb Tuba
MW 3 valve BBb Tuba

HS: Yamaha YBB-321

UNDERGRAD: Meinl Weston Model 20 BBb
Cerveny Piggy CC

GRAD: Cerveny Piggy CC
Yamaha YFB-822 F

PROFESSIONAL: Cerveny Piggy CC (when I first started out)
Rudolf Meinl 3/4 CC (2 previous to current)
Rudolf Meinl 5/4 CC (1 previous to current)
Hirsbrunner HB-2P CC (previously)
Yamaha YCB-621 CC (4 previous to current)
Yamaha YFB-822 F (1 previous to current)
Yamaha YFB-621 F (previously)
King 2341 BBb (previously)

CURRENT: Yamaha YFB-822 F
Yamaha YCB-621S CC
Rudolf Meinl 3/4 CC
Rudolf Meinl 5/4 CC
Rudolf Meinl 5/4 F

Mike Milnarik

[Rick Denney]

7-9 Grade: King fiberglass sousaphone.

9-12 Grade: different King fiberglass sousaphone.

Last four months of 12th grade: Miraphone 186 borrowed by band director from local college.

Freshman year: Besson 3-valve borrowed from college.

Didn't play tuba again until eight years later.

Adult re-beginner (1984): Besson Stratford (aspired to be a turd, and the horn was bad, too).

1985: Sanders/Cerveny 1314U BBb.

1989: Musica F tuba

1990: Yamaha 621F. This was the instrument I used in 1992 to play every weekend at Fiesta Texas--my one and only real pro gig. Also used for Heritage Brass and still used small ensembles.

1992: Miraphone 186 BBb, then a Vespro BBb while the Miraphone was being overhauled, and then sold to a church in '94. Traded the Sanders and the Musica for the Miraphone--a good trade. Still have the Miraphone, and it's what I use when I have to stand and play a BBb.

2000: York Master BBb, a partial step to a more American-sounding tuba. It's the backup for the Holton.

2003: Conn 20J, whetted BAT appetite, but had unmanageable intonation.

2003 or 4: Holton 345, better in tune that any of Bloke's and still that sound. It's what I use when I play in a large group and can sit.

2005: B&S Symphonie, what I use when I need a large-ensemble F. Also, a Conn 14K, just because.

2007: Martin TB31 upright-bell fiberglass tuba. The only thing I've confirmed in the week I've owned it is that I WILL be using it. For something.

Rick "non-professional" Denney

[jma78]

Between age 10 and 17 (One tuba at a time), all instruments owned by the school band.

- Amati, Eb, 3-valve (piston) "mini tuba"
- Amati, Eb 4-valve (rotary)
- Yamaha Eb, YEB-341
- Glassl, 3-valve, Eb-fiberglass sousaphone
- Yamaha Bb, YBB-641
- Conn, 3-valve, Bb-fiberglass sousaphone

age 17 military service

- Besson, compensating, Eb-tuba
- Besson, 3-valve, Eb-sousaphone

Between age (ca.) 17 and 24

- Meinl-Weston, S46, F-tuba (changed to PT-16, age 21)
- B&S, PT-16, F-tuba
- B&S, PT-6, CC-tuba

Between age (ca.) 24 and 27

- B&S, 3100 (non-perantucci), F-tuba
- Meinl-Weston, Fafner, Bb-tuba

Currently (age 28 )

- B&S, JBL Classic, F-tuba (this is a new improved 3100)
- Meinl-Weston, Thor, CC-tuba

[Daniel C. Oberloh]

Junior High school:
7th grade-Besson Stratford BBb
8th-9th- Olds O-99 ?

High School: Mirafone 186 (built in late 60s)

Repair School and apprenticeship training years borrowed another Besson Stratford, still too poor to own my own horn but had the best of friends who supplied real nice loaners because they felt the Besson was holding me back, they were right.

Borrowed with much appreciation to this day and unwavering affection to those responsible for making it happen:
Mirafone 186 BBb
Rudy-M BBb

First horn of my own:
B&S Sanders 5V CC (New) Still have it after more then twenty years.

The second: that I play regularly:
Hirsbrunner HB-2P, My "Dream Horn" we met in 1988 and were reunited six years later. we have been working together ever since.

The Third: Dixie and "roughing it" Horn:
1929 King CC (four front action piston valve .750 bore, recording and upright bell) I will probably be restoring this lovely horn in the next few years, then, no more roughing it. It will be way to purdy. Sure is fun to play.

Forth: Project horn in the works for what ever I damn well feel like:
Hirsbrunner HB-6 (late1960s?) A horn that promises to be a great deal of fun when it is completed.

Daniel C. Oberloh
Oberloh Woodwind and Brass Works
www.oberloh.com