How many tubas have you owned, total, over the course of your life? I just saw one of my old horns on EBay and it got me to thinking. I am only 33, and my list is growing. Bones and Euphs are OK, too, but please lets keep this to low brass, else the list could get a mile long.
Owned (but own no more): 6 tubas 2 bones
MW 25 BBb(old version 90 degree bends in 4th valve and Getzen on bell)
Mirafone 190 BBb Kaiser
Conn Monster Eb
Yamaha YFB621 F
Bohm & Meinl piston CC
Mirafone 1290 CC
Reynolds Double Rotor - F and E natural(!) bass trombone
Holton TR181 Screw Bell inline double rotor bass trombone
Current 3 tubas, 1 bone - see signature
How many horns have you owned?
-
MartyNeilan
- 6 valves
- Posts: 4876
- Joined: Fri Mar 19, 2004 3:06 am
- Location: Practicing counting rests.
How many horns have you owned?
Adjunct Instructor, Trevecca Nazarene University
-
Dan Schultz
- TubaTinker
- Posts: 10424
- Joined: Thu Mar 18, 2004 10:46 pm
- Location: Newburgh, Indiana
- Contact:
Current stable:
Martin 'Mammoth' BBb sousa
Martin 'Medium' Eb sousa
Cuesnon Eb 'pea shooter'
Miraphone 183-4 Eb
Miraphone 184-4 CC
King 1235 bell-front front-action 'monster' Eb 4V
Carl Wunderlich BBb 4V (B & S stencil)
Conn 'monster' Eb front-action 3V
Conn 36K fiberglass sousa
York/Olds Eb 'Franken' helicon
Conn 4V upright euphonium
Have owned in last three years:
Conn 36K BBb sousa (another one!)
York Eb 4V sousa
King Eb 4V sousa
Conn 28K (Eb) 4V sousa
Buescher Eb sousa
King 1235 3V front-action bell-front
King 1130 BBb (two of 'em)
York Eb 'monster' upright
Holton Eb upright
Conn Pan American Eb sousa
King 'monster' Eb upright
Plus a few others I've forgotten about.
Martin 'Mammoth' BBb sousa
Martin 'Medium' Eb sousa
Cuesnon Eb 'pea shooter'
Miraphone 183-4 Eb
Miraphone 184-4 CC
King 1235 bell-front front-action 'monster' Eb 4V
Carl Wunderlich BBb 4V (B & S stencil)
Conn 'monster' Eb front-action 3V
Conn 36K fiberglass sousa
York/Olds Eb 'Franken' helicon
Conn 4V upright euphonium
Have owned in last three years:
Conn 36K BBb sousa (another one!)
York Eb 4V sousa
King Eb 4V sousa
Conn 28K (Eb) 4V sousa
Buescher Eb sousa
King 1235 3V front-action bell-front
King 1130 BBb (two of 'em)
York Eb 'monster' upright
Holton Eb upright
Conn Pan American Eb sousa
King 'monster' Eb upright
Plus a few others I've forgotten about.
Dan Schultz
"The Village Tinker"
http://www.thevillagetinker.com" target="_blank
Current 'stable'... Rudolf Meinl 5/4, Marzan (by Willson) euph, King 2341, Alphorn, and other strange stuff.
"The Village Tinker"
http://www.thevillagetinker.com" target="_blank
Current 'stable'... Rudolf Meinl 5/4, Marzan (by Willson) euph, King 2341, Alphorn, and other strange stuff.
-
tubaman5150
- 3 valves
- Posts: 375
- Joined: Fri Mar 19, 2004 11:53 am
- Location: Manhattan, KS
Own:
Willson 3050S
Meinl Weston 45slp
Have owned:
VMI Neptune (piston)
Miraphone 186
Miraphone 181
Meinl Weston 2155
Perantucci PT-6P
Willson 3050S
Meinl Weston 45slp
Have owned:
VMI Neptune (piston)
Miraphone 186
Miraphone 181
Meinl Weston 2155
Perantucci PT-6P
Last edited by tubaman5150 on Thu Oct 28, 2004 12:58 am, edited 1 time in total.
No one who tells you what you want to hear at someone else's detriment is acting in your best interest.
-
Dylan King
- YouTube Tubist
- Posts: 1602
- Joined: Tue Aug 17, 2004 1:56 am
- Location: Weddington, NC, USA.
- Contact:
My tuba chronology.
1989 : Mirafone 187 picked out by my cousin, Lester Dropkin, who plays tuba for the Redlands Symphony and the San Bernadino Symphony. It had a left hand fifth valve and a jigger on the fifth valve slide. It also had this cool thumb ring that worked the first valve slide. Lester said it came from a dude who played in Denver.
1992 : Rudy Meinl 6 valve F tuba. I was a new student with Tommy Johnson, but had know him in high school through Doug Tornquist. He knew I needed an F, and because there wasn't an internet, we couldn't figure out how we might possibly find one for sale. So Tommy, having a huge collection of F tubas, sold me the horn after he had just modified it in Rodd Stewart's magical hands of brass. It's for sale. I need a piston F.
1994 : Sell Mirafone 187, so sad.
Buy Yorkbrunner. 'Nough said. Tastes great, more filling.
2000 : Play with Motown legend Andre Williams. I didn't like sitting on stage while everyone else was pimpin'. I bought a 1931 York sousaphone with a 750 bore. It came with two socks in the tubing, foam peanuts, and 3 cat toys. I had Robb Stewart fix it up. Andre wanted me to dance around on stage when playing my solos. Unfortunately it turned out that Andre was into some shady business, and I never got to play the horn with him. I got it out a few times at the Temple Bar in LA with a band called The Double Zeros. Since then it has been in my closet. I'm also considering selling it. I can't take it with me where I'm going.
In the market for : Piston F tuba with a flawless low register and good intonation. We'll see...
Who needs all these tubas? It's whacky I tell 'ya!
1989 : Mirafone 187 picked out by my cousin, Lester Dropkin, who plays tuba for the Redlands Symphony and the San Bernadino Symphony. It had a left hand fifth valve and a jigger on the fifth valve slide. It also had this cool thumb ring that worked the first valve slide. Lester said it came from a dude who played in Denver.
1992 : Rudy Meinl 6 valve F tuba. I was a new student with Tommy Johnson, but had know him in high school through Doug Tornquist. He knew I needed an F, and because there wasn't an internet, we couldn't figure out how we might possibly find one for sale. So Tommy, having a huge collection of F tubas, sold me the horn after he had just modified it in Rodd Stewart's magical hands of brass. It's for sale. I need a piston F.
1994 : Sell Mirafone 187, so sad.
Buy Yorkbrunner. 'Nough said. Tastes great, more filling.
2000 : Play with Motown legend Andre Williams. I didn't like sitting on stage while everyone else was pimpin'. I bought a 1931 York sousaphone with a 750 bore. It came with two socks in the tubing, foam peanuts, and 3 cat toys. I had Robb Stewart fix it up. Andre wanted me to dance around on stage when playing my solos. Unfortunately it turned out that Andre was into some shady business, and I never got to play the horn with him. I got it out a few times at the Temple Bar in LA with a band called The Double Zeros. Since then it has been in my closet. I'm also considering selling it. I can't take it with me where I'm going.
In the market for : Piston F tuba with a flawless low register and good intonation. We'll see...
Who needs all these tubas? It's whacky I tell 'ya!
-
tubatooter1940
- 6 valves
- Posts: 2530
- Joined: Mon Mar 22, 2004 11:09 pm
- Location: alabama gulf coast
-
Lew
- 5 valves
- Posts: 1700
- Joined: Fri Mar 19, 2004 4:57 pm
- Location: Annville, PA
When I got back into playing in 1993, after an 18 year hiatus, I bought a King 2341 (this was the 2 piece version). I bought it because I couldn't find a good used horn (pre-internet it was a lot harder to find out about what was out there) and I wanted a 4 valve, front action horn, and I remembered Don Butterfield recommending this when I was in High School.
After playing on this for a number of years I became frustrated with what I found to be a "stuffy" low range and the "King Spin" that I seemed to have to do several times a rehearsal. I found Dillon Music and fell in love with a "Styriaton" Cerveny 786 stencil and traded for it.
I continued to add several other horns to the collection, including a sousaphone for my college alumni band, but the "Cerveny" was my main horn. When the new, one piece, King came out I decided that I had to have one, primarily because although I loved the sound of the rose brass Cerveny, I couldn't get the projection from it that I wanted, and I was running out of air with it.
I sold the Cerveny stencil and bought a new King, which has been my primary horn ever since. Earlier this year I decided to add Eb to my repertoire. I tried a number of horns, but decided on a Besson 983. I now use the Besson for the larger community band I'm in where there are as many as 7 tuba players, and the King for the smaller band. The Besson will also come in handy for the occasional quintet gigs.
Over the years I have also tried to keep a recording bell BAT for those large, outdoor venue gigs. I originally used Conn 20J's, then a Conn 22J, but sold those when I was tight on money. This year I bought a Martin BAT for $1000 that fits the bill perfectly for this purpose.
Those 3 horns, (new) King 2341, Besson 983, and Martin BBb BAT, are the primary "players" in my collection. I still use my sousaphone for my college alumni band and some of the other horns for Tuba Christmas. Everything else is just there because I thought they would be fun to own. Here's the complete rundown.
Currently own:
1893 Distin BBb tuba
1901 Distin Eb tuba (plus 2 other "parts" Distin Eb's)
1894 Distin Bb helicon
1891 Distin Eb helicon
1939 Keefer Bb sousaphone
1923 Keefer Eb sousaphone
1935 King Bb sousaphone
1956 Martin BBb recording bell BBb BAT
2002 King 2341 BBb tuba (newer, 1 piece)
1890 Boston Musical Instrument Mfgy Eb tuba (Bombardon?)
2004 Besson 983 Eb tuba
1917 Gold plated Conn euphonium
1950 5 valve King double bell euphonium
1899 Distin Valve Trombone
1893 Distin euphonium
No longer own:
1993 King 2341 BBb tuba (2 piece model)
1999 Styriaton (Cerveny 786 stencil) rose brass BBb tuba
1976 Besson 3 valve comp. BBb tuba
1960 Boosey & Hawkes "Regent" BBb tuba (non-comp)
Several King sousaphones
1967 Conn 20K sousaphone
1925 York Monster BBb sousaphone
1921 York Monster Eb tuba
1904 York Eb helicon
1922 Buescher raincatcher Eb sousaphone
1921 Conn BBb raincatcher sousaphone
VMI 3302
1919 Keefer Eb tuba
1929 Keefer Eb sousaphone
Conn 21J (have owned and sold 3 of these)
1934 Conn 22J (side/front action version of the 21J)
1924 Conn Double Bell Euphonium
1890 J.W. Pepper Double Bell euphonium
That's all I can think of, but that's probably most of it, not counting the dozens of euphoniums, baritones, and smaller brass that I have owned over the years.
After playing on this for a number of years I became frustrated with what I found to be a "stuffy" low range and the "King Spin" that I seemed to have to do several times a rehearsal. I found Dillon Music and fell in love with a "Styriaton" Cerveny 786 stencil and traded for it.
I continued to add several other horns to the collection, including a sousaphone for my college alumni band, but the "Cerveny" was my main horn. When the new, one piece, King came out I decided that I had to have one, primarily because although I loved the sound of the rose brass Cerveny, I couldn't get the projection from it that I wanted, and I was running out of air with it.
I sold the Cerveny stencil and bought a new King, which has been my primary horn ever since. Earlier this year I decided to add Eb to my repertoire. I tried a number of horns, but decided on a Besson 983. I now use the Besson for the larger community band I'm in where there are as many as 7 tuba players, and the King for the smaller band. The Besson will also come in handy for the occasional quintet gigs.
Over the years I have also tried to keep a recording bell BAT for those large, outdoor venue gigs. I originally used Conn 20J's, then a Conn 22J, but sold those when I was tight on money. This year I bought a Martin BAT for $1000 that fits the bill perfectly for this purpose.
Those 3 horns, (new) King 2341, Besson 983, and Martin BBb BAT, are the primary "players" in my collection. I still use my sousaphone for my college alumni band and some of the other horns for Tuba Christmas. Everything else is just there because I thought they would be fun to own. Here's the complete rundown.
Currently own:
1893 Distin BBb tuba
1901 Distin Eb tuba (plus 2 other "parts" Distin Eb's)
1894 Distin Bb helicon
1891 Distin Eb helicon
1939 Keefer Bb sousaphone
1923 Keefer Eb sousaphone
1935 King Bb sousaphone
1956 Martin BBb recording bell BBb BAT
2002 King 2341 BBb tuba (newer, 1 piece)
1890 Boston Musical Instrument Mfgy Eb tuba (Bombardon?)
2004 Besson 983 Eb tuba
1917 Gold plated Conn euphonium
1950 5 valve King double bell euphonium
1899 Distin Valve Trombone
1893 Distin euphonium
No longer own:
1993 King 2341 BBb tuba (2 piece model)
1999 Styriaton (Cerveny 786 stencil) rose brass BBb tuba
1976 Besson 3 valve comp. BBb tuba
1960 Boosey & Hawkes "Regent" BBb tuba (non-comp)
Several King sousaphones
1967 Conn 20K sousaphone
1925 York Monster BBb sousaphone
1921 York Monster Eb tuba
1904 York Eb helicon
1922 Buescher raincatcher Eb sousaphone
1921 Conn BBb raincatcher sousaphone
VMI 3302
1919 Keefer Eb tuba
1929 Keefer Eb sousaphone
Conn 21J (have owned and sold 3 of these)
1934 Conn 22J (side/front action version of the 21J)
1924 Conn Double Bell Euphonium
1890 J.W. Pepper Double Bell euphonium
That's all I can think of, but that's probably most of it, not counting the dozens of euphoniums, baritones, and smaller brass that I have owned over the years.
Last edited by Lew on Mon Nov 01, 2004 6:00 pm, edited 3 times in total.
-
Highams
- pro musician
- Posts: 793
- Joined: Fri Mar 19, 2004 3:17 am
- Location: Slough, Berkshire, England
- Contact:
Euphoniums currently in my collection;
Willson 2900 (1992)
Highams of Manchester 5 valve (1891)
ditto (1902)
ditto 4 valve (1915)
Courtois 4 valve (1900)
Besson 3 valve (1912)
Besson Enharmonic 4 valve (1915)
Hawkes Dictor 4 valve (1920)
Others I have owned and passed on are several Sovereigns (mk1 early model) 2 Imperials and a Yamaha 321S.
www.euph9.freeserve.co.uk/neweuph.htm
Willson 2900 (1992)
Highams of Manchester 5 valve (1891)
ditto (1902)
ditto 4 valve (1915)
Courtois 4 valve (1900)
Besson 3 valve (1912)
Besson Enharmonic 4 valve (1915)
Hawkes Dictor 4 valve (1920)
Others I have owned and passed on are several Sovereigns (mk1 early model) 2 Imperials and a Yamaha 321S.
www.euph9.freeserve.co.uk/neweuph.htm
Aspire & Be Inspired !
-
Gorilla Tuba
- pro musician
- Posts: 379
- Joined: Fri Mar 19, 2004 9:16 pm
- Location: Pittsburg, Kansas
- Contact:
In Chronological order:
Big European Amati BBb rotary
4 Rotary valved Helicon in F - now at Tuba Exchange "museum"
Miraphone 187 BBb
B&S PT-3 (my first CC)
Conn 3J - Now being sold by a "tunenetter"
Miraphone 186 CC - 4 valve
Mirafone 186 - 5 valve
Meinl Weston 182 F Tuba
Current Horns - not likely to change anytime soon
B&S PT6 - CC
Meinl Weston 45S - F tuba
King 2280 Euphonium
looking for a smaller CC for quintet - wish I had that 3J back!
Big European Amati BBb rotary
4 Rotary valved Helicon in F - now at Tuba Exchange "museum"
Miraphone 187 BBb
B&S PT-3 (my first CC)
Conn 3J - Now being sold by a "tunenetter"
Miraphone 186 CC - 4 valve
Mirafone 186 - 5 valve
Meinl Weston 182 F Tuba
Current Horns - not likely to change anytime soon
B&S PT6 - CC
Meinl Weston 45S - F tuba
King 2280 Euphonium
looking for a smaller CC for quintet - wish I had that 3J back!
A. Douglas Whitten
Associate Director of Bands
Assoc. Professor of Tuba & Euphonium
Pittsburg State University
Associate Director of Bands
Assoc. Professor of Tuba & Euphonium
Pittsburg State University
-
ai698
- pro musician
- Posts: 448
- Joined: Thu Mar 18, 2004 11:04 pm
- Location: Shamrock, TX
Yamaha YEB321 Eb, pick over a like new Miraphone 186-5v CC next a
Rudy RM45 CC then a
MW 46F (for $2k, not the best F I've played, but for that price, it's a great horn and a great sound)
Weril J681 CC, traded the Yamaha for it (fits what I'm doing now, the Eb was sadly sitting not being played
)
The future- a new F, Miraphone or a Gronitz
Rudy RM45 CC then a
MW 46F (for $2k, not the best F I've played, but for that price, it's a great horn and a great sound)
Weril J681 CC, traded the Yamaha for it (fits what I'm doing now, the Eb was sadly sitting not being played
)The future- a new F, Miraphone or a Gronitz
Steve W
Rudolf Meinl RM45 CC, Meinl-Weston 46 F, Mack-TU410L
Rudolf Meinl RM45 CC, Meinl-Weston 46 F, Mack-TU410L
-
phaymore
- bugler
- Posts: 100
- Joined: Fri Mar 19, 2004 5:39 pm
- Location: Hickory, NC
-
cambrook
- pro musician
- Posts: 547
- Joined: Thu Sep 16, 2004 8:50 pm
- Location: Perth, Australia
The first tuba I owned was Mirafone 186-5U CC, replaced by a Cerveny Piggy CC which saw me through College and on which I won my job 21 years ago - funny how time flies! Sold that for a handmade HB-390 4/4 CC (HB-2P to you guys:-) in 1988, still got it.
A few years later the orchestra grew a bit bigger (7 or 8 double basses instead of 4 or 5) so I got a lovely 5/4 Rudy CC as well.
Also used to have a Wilsson 3+1 (top action) EEb, which I replaced with a Besson 981.
That's all so far!
A few years later the orchestra grew a bit bigger (7 or 8 double basses instead of 4 or 5) so I got a lovely 5/4 Rudy CC as well.
Also used to have a Wilsson 3+1 (top action) EEb, which I replaced with a Besson 981.
That's all so far!
-
MaryAnn
- Occasionally Visiting Pipsqueak
- Posts: 3217
- Joined: Fri Mar 19, 2004 9:58 am
Haven't sold any, yet (but what the hey, it's only been three years...)
MPhone 184-5U CC
MW 182 F
McClellen 3-V top piston Eb, that I forget I own because it sits in a box somewhere
Starting to lust after a bigger CC, altho the 184 was plenty loud for the orchestras I played it in, and I can just whomp the brass band with the low range.
MA
MPhone 184-5U CC
MW 182 F
McClellen 3-V top piston Eb, that I forget I own because it sits in a box somewhere
Starting to lust after a bigger CC, altho the 184 was plenty loud for the orchestras I played it in, and I can just whomp the brass band with the low range.
MA
-
Scott Sutherland
- pro musician
- Posts: 220
- Joined: Thu Mar 18, 2004 10:53 pm
- Location: Carlsbad, CA
-
Matthew Gaunt
- pro musician
- Posts: 280
- Joined: Fri Mar 19, 2004 2:28 am
- Location: Chicago IL
- Contact:
wow - this may be quite difficult!!!!!! - have had way to many (can hear david fedderly chuckling all the way up here in massachusetts). some I had for a loooooooong time, many for not that long...
CC's
Piggy (belonged to Bob Searle and then Jon Sass) then to...
Old Meinl Weston 32 -Standard model (some believed it was Warren't old horn) - was playing mainly quintet so went to...
Bill Bell model Meinl weston went to...
Meinl Weston 2144 (1st generation, had pick of this or a 2145 with sam pilafian's name stamped on the bell -liked how the 2144 played better) went to...
late 60's mirafone 186 - had nickel valve casings, gold brass leadpipe and main tuning slide - great condition and not overhauled! -added
5/4 cerveny (601 I think) - went from 186 and it to...
old rudy meinl 3/4 (was dave unland's) - added
getzen cb50-main horn for couple years (back and forth with rudy) then sold, later had another for about a year when with boston brass)
after selling 2nd cb50, and rudy then got piston meinl weston 2155
sold that and went to 2145 - (current horn) - also added to this stable a newer meinl weston 32 (for sale), newer 186 (may be for sale) and another old rudy meinl 3/4 (traded for spare 2145)...
also had in addition for a while a 2165 and culbertson piston cc
F's
started with yamaha ?321 or 381? -top action 4 valve with 5th rotor in 4th valve slide - replaced by...
old mirafone 180? - replaced by...
yamha 621 (an early one ser# 100005) - current horn
euph
current is silver yamaha yep321
don't even get me started on mouthpieces!!!!!!
if you have one of my old horns, love to hear how it/you are doing!
CC's
Piggy (belonged to Bob Searle and then Jon Sass) then to...
Old Meinl Weston 32 -Standard model (some believed it was Warren't old horn) - was playing mainly quintet so went to...
Bill Bell model Meinl weston went to...
Meinl Weston 2144 (1st generation, had pick of this or a 2145 with sam pilafian's name stamped on the bell -liked how the 2144 played better) went to...
late 60's mirafone 186 - had nickel valve casings, gold brass leadpipe and main tuning slide - great condition and not overhauled! -added
5/4 cerveny (601 I think) - went from 186 and it to...
old rudy meinl 3/4 (was dave unland's) - added
getzen cb50-main horn for couple years (back and forth with rudy) then sold, later had another for about a year when with boston brass)
after selling 2nd cb50, and rudy then got piston meinl weston 2155
sold that and went to 2145 - (current horn) - also added to this stable a newer meinl weston 32 (for sale), newer 186 (may be for sale) and another old rudy meinl 3/4 (traded for spare 2145)...
also had in addition for a while a 2165 and culbertson piston cc
F's
started with yamaha ?321 or 381? -top action 4 valve with 5th rotor in 4th valve slide - replaced by...
old mirafone 180? - replaced by...
yamha 621 (an early one ser# 100005) - current horn
euph
current is silver yamaha yep321
don't even get me started on mouthpieces!!!!!!
if you have one of my old horns, love to hear how it/you are doing!
Faculty
Bienen School of Music at Northwestern University
Northern Illinois University
Wheaton College
https://www.music.northwestern.edu/facu ... thew-gaunt
Bienen School of Music at Northwestern University
Northern Illinois University
Wheaton College
https://www.music.northwestern.edu/facu ... thew-gaunt
-
Rick Denney
- Resident Genius
- Posts: 6650
- Joined: Mon Mar 22, 2004 1:18 am
- Contact:
You'll know you have truly arrived when you can justify bringing a 6/4 tuba to that quintet rehearsal.MaryAnn wrote:Starting to lust after a bigger CC, altho the 184 was plenty loud for the orchestras I played it in, and I can just whomp the brass band with the low range.
Rick "thinking the vibrations must affect rational thought" Denney
-
Rick Denney
- Resident Genius
- Posts: 6650
- Joined: Mon Mar 22, 2004 1:18 am
- Contact:
Re: How many horns have you owned?
Lessee (with year of acquisition)...MartyNeilan wrote:How many tubas have you owned, total, over the course of your life?
1976 Besson Stratford 3-valve BBb tuba (a "gift" from my HS band director upon graduation)
1984 Cerveny/Sanders SM1314U 4/4 BBb tuba
1985 Triebert baritone horn
1985 Bach Mercedes II valve trombone
1988 Musica 4-valve F tuba
1988 F.A. Reynolds baritone horn (four-valve top-action euphonium from 1937)
1990 Yamaha YFB 621 F tuba
1991 Miraphone 186 BBb tuba
1991 Vespro BBb tuba
2000 York Master BBb tuba (with both bells)
2001 Missenharter Eb (now F, sort of) tuba
2001 Besson Imperial/New Standard (you tell me) 4-valve compensating euphonium
2002 Conn 20J BAT
2003 Holton BB-345 BBb BAT
2003 Olds Ambassador straight tenor trombone
2003 Conn 48H straight tenor trombone
2004 B&S Symphonie pre-Parantucci 5-valve F tuba
I still own the Reynolds euphonium, the Yamaha F, the Miraphone, the York Master, the Missenharter, the Besson euphonium, the Holton, the Olds and Conn trombones, and the B&S.
Rick "printing this thread out for his wife" Denney
-
Matt G
- 5 valves
- Posts: 1196
- Joined: Fri Mar 19, 2004 9:24 am
- Location: Quahog, RI
Some good stuff...
Late 80's Miaphone 186-4U BBb. Great sound and pitch. Traded cuz i needed a CC...
Yamaha YCB-822. One of the best sounding horns I have owned to date. Awesome valves. Great build. The funkiest intonation I have ever dealt with. This was a very early example of the horn, the more I think about it, I think it was in the teens or tweny's of production.
Miraphone 188-5U CC. I traded my YCB-822 for this horn. The pitch was great, the response was lightning fast, the low register was super loud. This was an old Tommy Johnson horn I bought from a guy who moved to Orlando from L.A.. The horn had some dents and stuff, but looking back on it, I made my best auditions on this horn and made the most money with it. I think Chris Olka was jealous of this horn for like 2 minutes.
Yamaha YFB-621. I bought this F off of Chris Olka. I used it for quintet playing and stuff in college. After college it got stowed in the closet. This F was like a CC tuba with F tuba fingerings. Pitch was tough but manageable.
VMI 5198CC (Culbertson Neptune). I thoguth I needed this horn. I sold my 188 (for $2500 ??!??!!??!!!??) and F (for $3500) so I could buy this horn. I liked it enough and I owned a good example of the series, but it ultimately wasn't "fun". I think it was because the low register was a little "soft".
Meinl-Weston 32CC. Traded my VMI for this horn even. Great horn. Just about everything the 188 was. No complaints. Sold this horn to Matt Gaunt. If you want one of the best all-around CC's (IMHO) you should drop him a note. This thing sounds like an Alexander and has pitch nearly as good as a 188/186. The low register was/is wicked loud!
Frankentuba. BBb. Miraphone 190 bell on an old holton assembled horn made from York bracnhes and a Holton Short Action valveset. I am saving money to replace the valveset. This is the best 6/4 I have ever played (IMHO). Good pitch, open sound, still enough color thanks to the Miraphone bell. Thanks Chuck(G)!
Besson BE-993. 3+1 BBb. I bought this horn for brass banding. Unfortunately, some outside problems arose from school and other things, so I can't participate right now. It plays good enough. Definitely not my main horn.
Wish list:
Decent 3/4 or 4/4 CC. I will hold on to the next good one. Finances will not force a sale.
Oh and yes, I will own an F tuba again. This time, it will be a "German" F tuba. I hope to find a good, old B&S when one pops up. I'll deal with a funky low register, that is NOT a problem.
Oh and I got trombones, trumpets and other crap, too. Tubas are enough for now...
Late 80's Miaphone 186-4U BBb. Great sound and pitch. Traded cuz i needed a CC...
Yamaha YCB-822. One of the best sounding horns I have owned to date. Awesome valves. Great build. The funkiest intonation I have ever dealt with. This was a very early example of the horn, the more I think about it, I think it was in the teens or tweny's of production.
Miraphone 188-5U CC. I traded my YCB-822 for this horn. The pitch was great, the response was lightning fast, the low register was super loud. This was an old Tommy Johnson horn I bought from a guy who moved to Orlando from L.A.. The horn had some dents and stuff, but looking back on it, I made my best auditions on this horn and made the most money with it. I think Chris Olka was jealous of this horn for like 2 minutes.
Yamaha YFB-621. I bought this F off of Chris Olka. I used it for quintet playing and stuff in college. After college it got stowed in the closet. This F was like a CC tuba with F tuba fingerings. Pitch was tough but manageable.
VMI 5198CC (Culbertson Neptune). I thoguth I needed this horn. I sold my 188 (for $2500 ??!??!!??!!!??) and F (for $3500) so I could buy this horn. I liked it enough and I owned a good example of the series, but it ultimately wasn't "fun". I think it was because the low register was a little "soft".
Meinl-Weston 32CC. Traded my VMI for this horn even. Great horn. Just about everything the 188 was. No complaints. Sold this horn to Matt Gaunt. If you want one of the best all-around CC's (IMHO) you should drop him a note. This thing sounds like an Alexander and has pitch nearly as good as a 188/186. The low register was/is wicked loud!
Frankentuba. BBb. Miraphone 190 bell on an old holton assembled horn made from York bracnhes and a Holton Short Action valveset. I am saving money to replace the valveset. This is the best 6/4 I have ever played (IMHO). Good pitch, open sound, still enough color thanks to the Miraphone bell. Thanks Chuck(G)!
Besson BE-993. 3+1 BBb. I bought this horn for brass banding. Unfortunately, some outside problems arose from school and other things, so I can't participate right now. It plays good enough. Definitely not my main horn.
Wish list:
Decent 3/4 or 4/4 CC. I will hold on to the next good one. Finances will not force a sale.
Oh and yes, I will own an F tuba again. This time, it will be a "German" F tuba. I hope to find a good, old B&S when one pops up. I'll deal with a funky low register, that is NOT a problem.
Oh and I got trombones, trumpets and other crap, too. Tubas are enough for now...
Dillon/Walters CC
Meinl Weston 2165
Meinl Weston 2165
-
Gongadin
- 3 valves
- Posts: 496
- Joined: Wed Aug 04, 2004 10:40 pm
- Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Tuba InvenTory
Before I started playing tuba I was given a Besson 220, which I sold. I found two 1930s silverplated Eb 3v sousaphones (Buescher, Martin) and a barebrass Besson BBb helicon missing a valve in a junk shop. Sold them. Now I wish I had the Besson and maybe the Martin.
Bought a cheap Conn BBb sousaphone and bought a case from someone else and sold the two as a pair.
Then I started playing tuba!
I bought an ancient silverplated BBb Besson Class A 3v and took a bunch of lessons. My teacher suggested I get a 4v horn, so I sold the Besson and bought a tall skinny 1936 King rotary valve horn. My teacher suggested I get a "more conventional" instrument, so I drove from Montreal to Pennsylvania and back in one day to add a 1914 bare brass upright bell BBb to my arsenal. Then I purchased a silverplated BBb leaky old (1905) King 3v helicon, which I hope to have patched soon.
Hope one day to visit Dillon's and Baltimore Brass and try one of them Hersheybrunners or a someone-cut CC high end horn so that I can realize what you Tubenetters rave about.
Bought a cheap Conn BBb sousaphone and bought a case from someone else and sold the two as a pair.
Then I started playing tuba!
I bought an ancient silverplated BBb Besson Class A 3v and took a bunch of lessons. My teacher suggested I get a 4v horn, so I sold the Besson and bought a tall skinny 1936 King rotary valve horn. My teacher suggested I get a "more conventional" instrument, so I drove from Montreal to Pennsylvania and back in one day to add a 1914 bare brass upright bell BBb to my arsenal. Then I purchased a silverplated BBb leaky old (1905) King 3v helicon, which I hope to have patched soon.
Hope one day to visit Dillon's and Baltimore Brass and try one of them Hersheybrunners or a someone-cut CC high end horn so that I can realize what you Tubenetters rave about.
-
LOTP
- bugler
- Posts: 105
- Joined: Sun Oct 10, 2004 5:51 pm
- Location: Long Valley, NJ
Aside from 5 (F) horns...i"m primarily a hornist... an Eb alto and
(too) many trumpets.cornets and a flugel (homemade alto in F), my low brass collection includes:
Couesnon baritone(not euph)
Blessing bellfront euph
"Toneking" euph
Pourcell euph
Besson 3-valve compensating euph
1878 Conn tenor horn (Bb hp)
King 2B bone
Olds Ambassador bone (with extra sackbutt bell)
American Standard Eb suzi
Courtois 4-valve Eb tuba
No longer own:
Barcone small-bore BBb suzi
Hilyard (Pepper) Eb tuba
Cavalier bone
(too) many trumpets.cornets and a flugel (homemade alto in F), my low brass collection includes:
Couesnon baritone(not euph)
Blessing bellfront euph
"Toneking" euph
Pourcell euph
Besson 3-valve compensating euph
1878 Conn tenor horn (Bb hp)
King 2B bone
Olds Ambassador bone (with extra sackbutt bell)
American Standard Eb suzi
Courtois 4-valve Eb tuba
No longer own:
Barcone small-bore BBb suzi
Hilyard (Pepper) Eb tuba
Cavalier bone
-
cjk
- 5 valves
- Posts: 1915
- Joined: Fri Mar 19, 2004 12:16 pm
Cerveny Piggy CC
5 valves with the fifth being a Mirafone valve and a plunger on the main slide. It worked REALLY well. Sharp 4th partial and quite flat 5th partial I've played better ones. Sold this to get the Rudy below.
Original Mirafone 181 F
from when the 181 looked like a B&S copy.
VERY Nice scale. sorta OK low register. I got tired of it after around 9 or 10 years and didn't want to play it anymore so I sold it. It was not the horn for me.
4/4 Rudolf Meinl CC
5 valves. Very pretty sound. very sharp 6th and 8th partials. 3rd partial was a little flat too but easily manageable. If you counted them up, this Rudy had more bad notes than the piggy but I had to play them less often, ie, they weren't smack dab in the middle of the cash register like they were on the piggy. I think I kept this tuba for 7 years (?). I sold this tuba after I bought the Mira 184.
Cerveny Harmonia F
Neat curiosity. 6 valves, clockworks springs, the fifth valve was a quint valve. After I cleaned and oiled the valves, they worked fabulously. Sharp 3rd partital and a very flat fifth partial. I didn't need it so I sold it.
York/Conn Frankentuba CC
Made/Improved by Chuck Guzis. Sounded REALLY REALLY nice, 3rd partial a bit low but lippable or 1+3-able. This was a nice (albeit a tad too stuffy) instrument which I later sold. Sometimes I miss it and wish I still had it.
Buescher Eb
Sounds very pretty, just a dorking around instrument, not useful otherwise.
Boosey F tuba
Still have it, needs a valve job
Mirafone 184 CC
One of the most in-tune tubas ever made. 5th partial about 20 cents low but the Eb and D a half and whole step below are just fine. I play the E 3rd or lip it up. I'm REALLY happy with this instrument. I'll buy an additional, bigger instrument someday but I doubt I'll sell the 184. I had the 5th valve slide shortened to a flat whole step. That was probably a mistake from an intonation perspective but it was what I was used to at the time.
Christian
5 valves with the fifth being a Mirafone valve and a plunger on the main slide. It worked REALLY well. Sharp 4th partial and quite flat 5th partial I've played better ones. Sold this to get the Rudy below.
Original Mirafone 181 F
from when the 181 looked like a B&S copy.
VERY Nice scale. sorta OK low register. I got tired of it after around 9 or 10 years and didn't want to play it anymore so I sold it. It was not the horn for me.
4/4 Rudolf Meinl CC
5 valves. Very pretty sound. very sharp 6th and 8th partials. 3rd partial was a little flat too but easily manageable. If you counted them up, this Rudy had more bad notes than the piggy but I had to play them less often, ie, they weren't smack dab in the middle of the cash register like they were on the piggy. I think I kept this tuba for 7 years (?). I sold this tuba after I bought the Mira 184.
Cerveny Harmonia F
Neat curiosity. 6 valves, clockworks springs, the fifth valve was a quint valve. After I cleaned and oiled the valves, they worked fabulously. Sharp 3rd partital and a very flat fifth partial. I didn't need it so I sold it.
York/Conn Frankentuba CC
Made/Improved by Chuck Guzis. Sounded REALLY REALLY nice, 3rd partial a bit low but lippable or 1+3-able. This was a nice (albeit a tad too stuffy) instrument which I later sold. Sometimes I miss it and wish I still had it.
Buescher Eb
Sounds very pretty, just a dorking around instrument, not useful otherwise.
Boosey F tuba
Still have it, needs a valve job
Mirafone 184 CC
One of the most in-tune tubas ever made. 5th partial about 20 cents low but the Eb and D a half and whole step below are just fine. I play the E 3rd or lip it up. I'm REALLY happy with this instrument. I'll buy an additional, bigger instrument someday but I doubt I'll sell the 184. I had the 5th valve slide shortened to a flat whole step. That was probably a mistake from an intonation perspective but it was what I was used to at the time.
Christian