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Ever go shopping for one thing and get another? I had been looking for a while for either a large F tuba (45slp or 822) or a small CC tuba. I love my Nirschl CC and York F set-up yet there was a large gap between the two. So after playing a few different horns I came across this horn.
http://s299.photobucket.com/albums/mm30 ... 0F%20Tuba/" target="_blank

This Alexander used to belong to my old teacher Dr. John Richards. This horn has got to be one of the best F tubas I have ever played. A beautiful sound, an awesome low range (low C? not a problem) and best of all, GREAT INTONATION. The only down side to this horn is the valve lay-out. This horn is set up with the vienna 3+3 setup which has the main three valves in the left hand . But once you get used to it it is really easy to use.

The funny thing with this horn and me is that I have played this horn before. When I was in High School and learning to play F tuba this is the horn that Dr. John gave me to learn F tuba with. At the time I didn't know what a good F tuba was like and the valve setup kicked my (didn't help that he just handed me the horn and said "now go home and learn F tuba. I'll see you next week") But now going back and playing it again has shown me what a great horn it is.

So I ended up getting the Alexander. It's not the size of horn I was looking for but I couldn't pass up an amazing tuba. Hope you all enjoy the pictures. I put the alex next to my York F for comparison.

Enjoy.

Bob1062 wrote:Cool horns! What do you think of the York?

The York was the first tuba I ever owned (thats why it's on top. They are in order as to when I got them). It plays with the ease of the Yamaha little F tuba yet has this brilliant sound that you just can't get from any other horn. Sweet horn for Berlioz any high orchestra lit. yet has a killer low end (pedal C is better on the York F than many CC tubas). Yet it does not have that german sound that I think F tubas should have (duh its a York). Both the Alex and the York are GREAT F tubas but I like the Alex better. And I do need a small CC tuba and wouldn't mind trading the York for one.

tubashaman wrote:Probably a stupid question.....but does the 3+3 setup help out the intonation of the low C?

This setup does give me a lot of options for different fingerings. For the low C I can use 3RH (same as fourth valve), 1+3LH, or 1RH+1LH. However I just use 3RH as it is well in tune.

Compare the Alex with Gary Buttery's seven-valve version:

Hi-
And here is a pic of the traditional European style for a F tuba-4+2-this is my old Alex 6v F tuba from what we think is c. late 1940's. It is an amazing horn. Today, Alex makes 5v F's as model 155 and 6v F's--in the 4+2 style-- as model 157.
Regards-
mark
jonestuba@juno.com" target="_blank

I had an Alex F of identical setup. The valves were as follows:

L1 = Wholestep (slightly sharp)
L2 = Halfstep (slightly sharp)
L3 = Wholestep (slightly flatter) OR 1.5 steps with the pictured extension

R1 = 1.5 Steps
R2 = Slightly low 1/2 step
63 = Perfect 4th

It's almost as though you could play it as a three-valve F in your left hand at first, and a 3 valve CC on the right hand when you held down 1 & 3 on the left hand, and treated the 6th valve as a 2-step slide in CC. That gets you going, and you can refine it from there...

Great horn, though not my favorite Alex in the long run. Gave the valve setup a year trial, then converted it to a 5-valve in a standard setup.

J.c.S. (who has no idea what the 7th valve is on the other picture...)

tubashaman wrote:Can someone explain (in half/whole steps or semitones) how the valve setup works on a 3+3 or a 4+3

On my horn it goes as following,
Left hand
1st: whole step
2nd: half step
3rd: minor third

Right hand:
1st: a little flat minor third
2nd: little flat half step
3rd: Perfect fourth

tubashaman wrote:Sounds confusing

I think I will stick to my 5 valve 4+1(thumb or LH) Miraphone 180.....and stick with a normal 5 or 6 valve set up on a horn which I like the sound

As fascinating as unusual tubas are, we have got to remember that the main purpose is to make music to the best of our ability, so I think you have the right idea James.

However, very nice to see such unusual tubas around all the same, so thanks to the OP for the horn dorn!

Neptune wrote: As fascinating as unusual tubas are, we have got to remember that the main purpose is to make music to the best of our ability

And make music I shall! This horn was my old teachers main F tuba for his stay with the Oregon Symphony (52 years I think?). I had talked to Bob Rusk about getting the valves changed around and he said that he did that to an Alex he used to own yet he said he had no problem playing it in the 3+3 setup and played it that way for a long time. If I ever want to get something else I might have this done for ease of selling the horn. However I don't have any problems playing it as it is and will be using it in a solo performance next week. (A lot of low range runs are a lot EASIER with this valve setup AKA the VW run from pedal F to C)

Nice to hear that it will be well used and works for you. Good luck with your solo performance!

bububassboner wrote:

tubashaman wrote:Can someone explain (in half/whole steps or semitones) how the valve setup works on a 3+3 or a 4+3

On my horn it goes as following,
Left hand
1st: whole step
2nd: half step
3rd: minor third

Right hand:
1st: a little flat minor third
2nd: little flat half step
3rd: Perfect fourth

Wieprecht and Moritz live on!

Tony Clements has a nice Anton Dehmal F tuba with this valve setup....




Russ Dickman