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Rotary Neptune's come with two leadpipes, a medium one marked 'M' and the other Large marked 'L'. The letter is after the serial number on the underside of the pipe.

I have always preferred the 'M' pipe on my old Neptune, but on thoroughly trying out my new goldbrass Neptune today, have rather taken a liking to the 'L' pipe.

I am just curious which one other Neptune owners prefer and why?

Some find large leadpipes giving too unfocused a sound. The difference between the Besson 983 and the 982 is one of the discussions.

You have told about your new lighter Neptune responding better, possibly due to thinner sheet metal. With the open leadpipe you still make the upper overtones respond on this fine tuba, so that it stays focused. Plus the wider leadpipe improves the lower overtones so that sound fuller at the same time as the focus is kept.

When Søren visited me last year we had upwards of 15 basses in my small home, which were tested over 9 hours (home as well as basses). Søren liked all the basses I liked, but that was not reciprocated. Søren is not silly. The reason is another. While I am a fairly efficient player, I never play with a high wind pressure because of my sore lungs. Søren is much stronger (and 35 years younger), so he is able making tubas respond, which I don’t find really being alive.

Klaus

I love the big, full sound that I get with the "L" tube, but I still get more than enough big, full sound with the "M" tube and much better control. With this horn, a big sound is not a problem, but for me, the notes slot better and I can control intonation better with the smaller leadpipe.

I only had the L pipe with my Neptune but I really didn't like it(thus why I play on my handmade PT-6 now!). It made it super woofy and really hard to articulate clearly but that could of been a personal problem or a horn + mpc problem(I was using a PT-50).

Take it for what it's worth
Doug

Although I have both, I only tried the L once, when I first got the horn. I had forgotten that detail until just this instant. The M was so much better for me that I left it on and haven't looked back - maybe because I'm so old, or maybe because I'm lazy. Thing is, now I've lost a bunch of weight and got in pretty decent cardiovascular shape, so the L might work out better now. I'll try it again when I get the horn back from tubatinker (he's venting the valves for me).

Any more responses?

The last few days since getting my goldbrass Neptune I have extensively tried out and compared both leadpipes and although I love the open low register provided by the "L" pipe, have in conclusion gone back to the "M". The reason being at times with the "L" I have found myself producing unintentional vibrato. I think the larger pipe requires more control (even on my handmade beauty) which although I could practice to support, don't really feel the necessity when the big tuba produces such a wonderful sound using the smaller pipe.

It is also my perception that Neptune 'projects' better out front using the "M" pipe.

Initially I used the 'L' leadpipe because I supposed that it was more easy and free-blowing to playing in low register. Currently, instead, I'm playing with the 'M' leadpipe because I feel the sound more focused and defined and the articulation is clearer. Now, studying with this leadpipe, also the low register is clearer and seems with more core!
To come to a conclusion: I think that also the M leadpipe can generate a big sound like the L leadpipe. But with the 'M' I can playing with more cleanliness and more control.

(I play the Neptune with Laskey 30H)