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There hasn't been a lot of discussion about this recently (maybe for good reason?)

Has anyone played one recently? How was the sound/intonation/weight/etc? (Standard TNFJ questions...)

For which ensembles would you think it appropriate?

Seems like a cool horn, just haven't gotten a chance to play it (Maybe in March...)

I tried one when I visited the factory earlier this year. Had a very good clear sound, but I would say definitely a small ensemble tuba. Would be great as a BBb for playing in quintet, solos and of course jazz.

I didn't check intonation, but nothing bad jumped out at me. The front valve version in my opinion played better than the top valve.

Great minds think alike...

I was wondering about this horn, too. The price is reasonable and, other than the fact the bore is on the small side for 'big sound', it looked attractive.

I've heard Howard Johnson playing jazz on what was probably his Mahillion (sp) Belgian horn the HoJo was fancied after. "Someone" posted a clip of Howard playing with The Band when one of the Belgian horns was for sale on DaBay.

I would imagine the 'size' of the sound was not one of the considerations for frequently instruments are electronically supported in a jazz situation. In such a situation, I'm guessing nimbleness is a virtue.

The Big Ben wrote:I would imagine the 'size' of the sound was not one of the considerations for frequently instruments are electronically supported in a jazz situation. In such a situation, I'm guessing nimbleness is a virtue.

I've seen Howard Johson in person twice and both times his tuba had a mic attached to it.

pretty great horns. They don't have overwhelming power in the sound but are extremely agile and are a hoot to play. Both the front action and the top action play very well. I cut my teeth on a top action Mahillion many years ago in high school, and it was a very good horn, though not the biggest sounding.

These are very nimble and have a very quick valve set. The tuning is excellent and the sound has a nice resonance to it. If you work at it, you can get some strength out of the low register.

I would say they are great solo and quintet instruments and a very good section horn in a larger ensemble. However, if you're going up against 80 strong players by yourself, you're going to be pretty tired when the day is over. You can do it, but it's more like a wrestling match than a musical experience.

Roger

What about an orchestra with about 45 players?

Since I swear that I'm the only one in that (community) group who even LOOKS at their music between rehearsals (different thread), I've never been to concerned with the "proper" horn for the job and just concentrated on playing in tune and making a good sound.

I do play regularly in a quintet (of which the members DO practice, and which creates income) and have been looking for a good horn for that that will also cover some small ensemble bases. My EEb is the closest so far, but I find the sound a little thin sometimes, but no one else seems to notice/care.

The nimbleness of this horn is something that intrigues me. We tend to play music that jumps all over the place quite often. If I can find a horn as nimble as my EEb, with just a little more presence to the sound, I might be sold.

dtemp wrote:If I can find a horn as nimble as my EEb, with just a little more presence to the sound, I might be sold.

Have you considered a 4/4 CC to give extra presence? Although I would not want to be without the weight of my Neptune, or clear voice of my Melton Eb as appropriate - if I HAD to only use one tuba for all my playing, it would have to be my PT-20 4/4 CC.

Jonathan "who thinks no BBb would not be desirable for playing Berlioz"

Neptune wrote:Jonathan "who thinks no BBb would not be desirable for playing Berlioz"

why? maybe it's not ideal, but it is certainly doable. I wouldn't want to use a BAT BBb for Berlioz, but the key doesn't really matter, IF it's done well.

I think that my BBb horn works wonderfully well for Hungarian March and for most of the Symphonie Fantastique (at least, as well as any other CC tuba would).

It's a nice horn -- it's probably the "lightest" BBb I've ever played, the sound is smooth and clear. It seemed a lot like an BBb with an Eb heart.

As for common applications, I'd say it would work well in a chamber orchestra or quintet for someone who preferred staying on BBb. ...for someone who wants to bridge the gap to the bass tuba side while still playing a BBb contrabass tuba.

It looks gorgeous -- silver with a large engraving of the cool "Gravity" logo.