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I own a Willson 3050 and I like the instrument alot but........

1. The tuba is built to put the bottom on a large ensemble so the sound is not right for soloing in my opinion.

2. The sound has alot of core to it and you have to work to play the tuba light.

3. All but the best players will have trouble controling the instrument in a chamber setting. (quintet)


If you plan on having one tuba something smaller would be my suggestion. If you live near St Louis let me know and you can come over and try my Willson and see what you think.

I can't say much about the 2145 because I have not had alot of time playing one.

Alex Borst

Pearl01 wrote:I am looking into purchasing a CC horn for college in the fall, and I have narrowed it down to these 2 horns. Are there any pros/cons for either of them? I have played both at Baltimore Brass, and I think the big difference for me was the size of the 3050 compared to the 2145.

I have a 3050RZ, which was my first CC after playing Eb horns.

You would not be disappointed and would be a better player for making the 3050 your main tuba, because, as others have said, "it does not play itself." The 3050 likes to have lots of air, and will obediently respond by rattling the walls when needed with larger ensembles.

But I find it challenging to be nimble with fast passages in works such as circus marches, to name just one example.

Therefore, I'd be inclined to recommend a 4/4 instrument for all the solo and small ensemble works likely to be rehearsed and performed at college.

Wow, what a diverse pick. That's like saying, I have narrowed down my pick to two cars, a Civic and a Suburban. Both are good, but they are really at diametric ends of the spectrum - the 2145 is on the small-4/4 end and the Wilson is nearly a BAT in size and definitely sounds like one. Have you considered something in the middle like a 2155, 1291/2, etc?

IF you are really in love with the Wilson, is there any way you could squeeze in an inexpensive F to complement it, and eventually trade up?

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PS

Thanks for the input.