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Is the high range on your horn sharp or flat? My 983 is a bit sharp in the upper register, and I've just taken it for granted, and lipped down or pulled the 1st slide a bit. However, I have played a couple bass tubas recently that go flat in the upper range and it drove me crazy! I just couldn't get them in tune.

Now I'm not planning on changing horns, but what do you do if your horn plays flat up high (other than lip up). I used my slightly sharp high range as an excuse, but now I found the alternative is much more frustrating

Well, you know what the trumpets say, "I'd rather play sharp, than play out of tune."

One option might be to put some sort of pull rod on the main tuning slide so you can adjust pitch on any and every note while playing. (otherwise selling it might be the best option)

If you use a deeper cupped mouthpiece on an F tuba (or Eb), the pitch on the eighth partial and higher can go quite flat, but if you use a shallow cupped mouthpiece (i.e. Tilz/Perantucci 9 or PT64 or the like), it usually will be OK. Just make sure the shank size matches the horn and your way of blowing; for me a Tilz PT 9 (or PT 64) with an "S" shank works the best for me on PT10s, but on MW 45SLZs or 45SLPs a standard "American" shank (or in Perantucci/Tilz language, XS) works for me.

There are lots of F tubas out there to choose from these days, but the one I keep hearing the most positive things about is the new JBL classics B&S. I haven't tried one yet, but look forward to checking it out.

(My current F is a Miraphone 181, which incorporates the valveset from the Firebird F; I have found that it works best for me with a Tilz9 w/ an S shank) BTW, I like it a lot!

Try out as many Fs or Ebs as you can, but have enough mouthpieces at your disposal to make the best decision.

Good luck.
Feel free to PM me if you want more blabbage/opinions.

Best,
CJH

alternate fingerings are a lazy man's route if you aren't a slide pusher/yanker...

i am a lazy man, and therefore i use alternates.

I used to have a small BBb tuba that played flat above the staff, and I found some alternate fingerings that worked well.
For example, the first ledger-line C above the staff was right on when I used 3rd valve instead of 1 or open. (On your F tuba that would be a high G.) Try it!

tubasinfonian wrote:alternate fingerings are a lazy man's route if you aren't a slide pusher/yanker...

i am a lazy man, and therefore i use alternates.

I disagree. I usually don't like to pull slides, either. But on our last community band concert, we had the Gillingham arrangement of "Be Thou My Vision," and the legato line of the bass in D minor, including a lot of D's C's and G's, played a better fluid legato by resetting slides and using alternate fingerings until the key change.

Like anything else, alternate fingerings and slide pullings are another tool in the tool box to be used on the occasion(s) as required.

Oh, yeah - high range intonation. I am lucky. In my matching mouthpieces to instruments, I have great intonation in the high range on my Besson with the Wick 1. The Miraphone, because of the changed geometry of the retrofit bell, the high range can be a little squirrley if I'm not careful, warmed up, and focused. But that says more about me, and not about the Curry 128D.