Since I was in Baltimore anyway...
Posted: Wed Mar 24, 2004 4:20 pm
...I dropped by Baltimore Brass to get Albert to solder down a couple of braces.
And while I was there, I did a little tooting, just to prove to Mike Russo that I'm a no-account hobbyist (Dave and Albert already knew the answer to this issue).
I didn't spend more than a minute or two with any instrument, so to make an impression, it would have to really glow in the dark.
I finally got a chance to play a Fafner, and yes it glows in the dark. It is more agile than the Holton, but has a more direct and focused sound. Not smaller, just more direct and focused. It was far easier to blow than the other big rotary kaiser tubas I've played, which include the Miraphone 190, the Rudy Meinl 5/4, and the Cerveny 601. Great tuba.
And at Dave's beckoning I played a G-50 with an actual York bell. It's a wonderful instrument, but then I like all the G-50's. I didn't compare it side-by-side with a G-50, but it certainly lost nothing and likely gained some.
All the King 2341's in their stock seem to be good ones. I think King has worked through some of the issues with their first run of these instruments.
I played several CC's, but found what I've found before: If someone gave me a Meinl-Weston 2000, I'd learn CC fingerings just to play it.
And the big news for those who desire big BBb BAT's is what's on the way. They had three sets of Holton outer branches, one that came from a CC conversion, that will all be supplied with valvesets and configured for BBb. I've played several of the Holton BBb tubas that they have brought back to life, and they are all wonderful. Not as wonderful as mine, but still better than just about any of the alternatives in BBb. Of course, I'm partial. I also played a BBb Holton that had just had a 2165 valveset installed, and it's an option for old Holtons whose valves are missing or unrepairable. Not cheap, of course, but a near-perfect fit and good quality valves. But they are heavier than the Holton valvesets, and add noticeable weight.
Rick "whose wife paled with panic when told I'd been to BBC" Denney
And while I was there, I did a little tooting, just to prove to Mike Russo that I'm a no-account hobbyist (Dave and Albert already knew the answer to this issue).
I didn't spend more than a minute or two with any instrument, so to make an impression, it would have to really glow in the dark.
I finally got a chance to play a Fafner, and yes it glows in the dark. It is more agile than the Holton, but has a more direct and focused sound. Not smaller, just more direct and focused. It was far easier to blow than the other big rotary kaiser tubas I've played, which include the Miraphone 190, the Rudy Meinl 5/4, and the Cerveny 601. Great tuba.
And at Dave's beckoning I played a G-50 with an actual York bell. It's a wonderful instrument, but then I like all the G-50's. I didn't compare it side-by-side with a G-50, but it certainly lost nothing and likely gained some.
All the King 2341's in their stock seem to be good ones. I think King has worked through some of the issues with their first run of these instruments.
I played several CC's, but found what I've found before: If someone gave me a Meinl-Weston 2000, I'd learn CC fingerings just to play it.
And the big news for those who desire big BBb BAT's is what's on the way. They had three sets of Holton outer branches, one that came from a CC conversion, that will all be supplied with valvesets and configured for BBb. I've played several of the Holton BBb tubas that they have brought back to life, and they are all wonderful. Not as wonderful as mine, but still better than just about any of the alternatives in BBb. Of course, I'm partial. I also played a BBb Holton that had just had a 2165 valveset installed, and it's an option for old Holtons whose valves are missing or unrepairable. Not cheap, of course, but a near-perfect fit and good quality valves. But they are heavier than the Holton valvesets, and add noticeable weight.
Rick "whose wife paled with panic when told I'd been to BBC" Denney