TubeNet

Right, imagine you'd been given enough money to buy an EEb and a BBb for your band. Have to be 3+1 compensators, and have to be those keys. Also have to be brand new, so current models only (part of the conditions of the grant!)

With the demise of Besson, what should be on our test list from peoples experience?

York (Schreiber)?
Buffet Sovereign?
Miraphone?
Willson?
Hirsbrunner?
Mr Tuba?
Yamaha? (Rumours of a Xeno BBb abound over here??)

Anyone else you can think of, or any playing experiences?

Isn't there also the London Musical Instruments "Royal" range which seem based on the old Sovereign?

I have not played any on your list except the Mr.Tuba EEb which seemed good tubas.

Definitely. LMI was started by Ex-Besson employees:

http://www.londonmi.co.uk/

And there are reviews at 4barsrest.com

In addition, Mark Carter, a/k/a Mr. Tuba, has a private label line made by Melton/Meinl-Weston that has great reviews on TubaNews.

I don't know if the Virtuosi line of Chinese brass instruments overseen by John Packer & FirstBrass have a tuba line yet or not.

I haven't heard much about whether the Besson name will appear on any new tubas... only the euphoniums. The high-end euphs will be coming from Meinl with the low-ends ones coming from the same sources they have for several years.... probably Indian (I almost said 'Indiana' )

Anyway, does anyone have any info that Meinl (or perhaps Walter Nirschle) might produce any tubas bearing the Besson name?

Our band was in the same position about a year ago.

I've found that the new Yamaha tubas are excellent and I would recommend both the EEbs and BBbs.

I especially love playing the YEB-632S and am currently using it exclusively for all my playing (solo and band.) It has a great core to the sound but I find it doesn't project as well as Besson EEbs I have played in the past. It is a fun instrument nonetheless.

Thanks,
Chris

I don't care as long as it's big and shiny- always a sign of a good tuba.

All of the major manufacture instruments listed are excellent for someones needs and concepts. So, I'm not trying to get into a "this horns better than that one debate", but I do want to offer a different opinion about the Miraphone.

Belltrouble said:

"Miraphone EEb,nicely made,very expensive,and their sound isn´t everbodys choice,during a workshop in belated october held overhere at germany a few players tried the Miraphone 1261,nobody liked it due to that sound,it was breaking up too early and one of the british players even asked for that instrument being a redesigned basstrombone.......,the 4th valve is located very high and you have to long all around the instrument for to operate it."

I'm not sure where you got your price info, but every price comparison that I have seen has the Miraphone 1261 and M7000 Ambassador considerablly under the Besson, Wilson, or Yamaha EEb compensating EEb's. The Miraphone EEb is actually a larger than horn the the Besson or the Yamaha and at least in the situations where I have played my Ambassador there has been nothing but compliments about projection, volume, quality of sound and the intonation is excellent!

Thanks for all the info guys, and Jonathan, it will be big and shiny don't worry!

I've got 2 London Musical Instrument tubas coming to try next week, and am looking into trying the Miraphones after these. Unfortunately, especially on the BBb side, there don't seem to be many more options that have been built yet!

As we try them (Jonathan Hall, jmh3412, is actually the other recipient!) I'll keep you updated on our findings. After living with sometimes unusable Bessons for 10 years, I'm definitely taking my time though!

I mentioned Mark Carter out of the box. His tubas have great review articles on TubaNews comparing them to the Bessons very favorably.

I'm having trouble finding the reviews for Mark Carter's [Mr., Tuba]tubas on Tubanews. Can anyone dierect me?

Thanks,
royjohn

royjohn wrote:I'm having trouble finding the reviews for Mark Carter's [Mr., Tuba]tubas on Tubanews. Can anyone dierect me?

Thanks,
royjohn

http://www.tubanews.com/articles/contentid-200.html

Very little has been said about the Hirsbrunner models. Of course, us Americans have to deal with Custom Music Co. if we want a Hirsbrunner, and to my knowledge they have not imported either the HBS 692 3+1 compensating BBb or the HBS 688 3+1 compensating Eb tuba.

My limited experience with playing Hirsbrunner BBb tubas both here and in Europe suggests that these instruments would be worth looking into. I have enjoyed playing their BBb tubas, somewhat more than their CC tubas. The model 692 BBb has the same bell diameter, overall height and bore size as their professional 4/4 CC tubas, which seems large-enough-but-not-too-large to me. The model 688 Eb has the same bell diameter as the BBb, an only slightly smaller bore size, and is not quite 1 inch shorter overall as compared to the BBb, so it is no small tuba.

The Hirsbrunner instruments I have played seemd to be somewhat lighter-weight instruments in comparison to the Willsons, and both have built an enviable reputation for quality. In the aforementioned situation, I would seriously consider purchasing the Hirsbrunners.

On my quest to find new BBb comps for band, I'm in the lucky position to have access to many of the current makes, a sort of Tubageddon.

Here are some photos of the current 2 I'm trying, a London Musical Instruments Royal (silver with gold bits) and a Miraphone Ambassador 9000 (Lacquer).

My recently overhauled 20 yr old Besson 992 (my benchmark for all BBb's!) is included for comparison.

My 992:









The LMI Royal










The Miraphone Ambassador 9000









All 3 together!















I'm hopefully getting the Buffet Sovereign to try as well. I've had the "prototype" York, but wasn't too inmpressed. Apparently, the players from Black Dyke are going to sort it though. I'll try it again then.

The LMI is the country mile winner so far BTW.

Tuba dorn (and what a tidy lounge!!)

jmh3412 wrote:Tuba dorn (and what a tidy lounge!!)

Yes, and it's John Bennets Lounge. Mine wouldn't fit 3 tubas in it!!!

Andy, How do they ergonomically compare in reach to 4th valve and height of mouthpiece?

Neptune wrote:Andy, How do they ergonomically compare in reach to 4th valve and height of mouthpiece?

So far the LMI is the only one to be playable without holding it strangely, ie on one knee at an angle to your body. LMI will make one for you specifically though anyway, as they're all made to order, so that's not much of an issue. In fact they're desperate for people to see them making them to quash all the rumours about their part sourcing etc. I'll probably take a visit sometime.

The Miraphone is (to me) particularly uncomfortable, and the EEb wasn't much better according to Jonathan Hall. We have an LMI EEb tomorrow as well to try, so side by side will be interesting.

My old 992 can sit on your knee with no problems at all and is the comfiest position I've played on a BBb comp, both for leadpipe (concert model) and 4th valve. And that's 20 years out of date apparently. Progress ehh...........