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Hey, I'm still on the "hunt" for a horn, so I was wondering what your opinions are on the F. Schmidt (VMI/B&S) 3301/2. I played one at TMEA, but it's impossible to tell how the horn sounds at these conventions.

Thanks in advance!

Joseph Guzman

PS-I've used the "Search" function, but sometimes fresh opinions are nice (and I couldn't find too many posts on the horn)

I'm not a fan. They look good and are comfortable for me to hold, but I just don't think they play that well. The sound is also rather smaller than I would expect. Slightly larger and slightly smaller tubas that I like better are the 1291 and 2341. My pick of the bunch would be a 1291.
I do like the rotary 2301, though I'm still not a rotary stovepipe guy.

I like mine (smile).

At the moment, I play it mostly in a brass choir and people say they like the sound- I sure do. I've also played it in an orchestra and a dixieland band- all good.

I've only had it about 6 months, but so far it's done everything I need it to do. When I was shopping around I tried Miraphones, Kings and St. Pete's which all were good, but I liked the Schmidt better, and so did the tuba players around me.

I use it when I want something bigger than my Willson Eb.

I've also owned and played a MW Bell Model and a CB-50, and I'd put my Schmidt in the same class- plays fine, in tune, does what I need it to do, people like the sound, well constructed, likely to hold it's value if I ever want to sell it.

Jack

I play a 3301 on a regular basis in a 35 piece church orchestra. It's plenty of horn for that. It plays in tune with a very nice sound which I would describe as between the German rotary sound and the American piston sound that gets talked about on this forum a lot. My only complaint with the horn is that it is really heavy for the sound output you get. I don't use it for quintet anymore not because it is too big but because it is too heavy to schlep. If it didn't weigh so much I would have never bought my Olds. I love the horn as long as I only have to carry it from the storage room to the sanctuary, but then again I'm nearly 64.

I had purchased one for the university I was teaching at in 2000. That particular horn was a great example of the 3301. This horn with a PT-88 on it had no problems on the bottom of a 90 member orchestra. I found it to be very flexible from Wagner to quintet to a nice solo sound. And what a GREAT high range. I agree with the last post that I have never played a heavier horn outside a 25J. It is a beast. In play testing about 10 of them, I did notice that the laquer horns seemed MUCH more responsive than their silver sisters. The silver ones were very dead sounding to me. my .02

UTSAtuba wrote:Hey, I'm still on the "hunt" for a horn, so I was wondering what your opinions are on the F. Schmidt (VMI/B&S) 3301/2. I played one at TMEA, but it's impossible to tell how the horn sounds at these conventions.

It's a good, solid, competent 4/4 Bb tuba, and most people who play Bb instruments would be tickled to be able to own one. In the same size and price category, I would probably prefer a King 2341, but with the awareness that it will not be nearly as well made. Sure, the Miraphone 1291 is nice, though bigger, but it's also far more expensive than a used 3301 with the F. Schmidt label. A used B&M Symphonic 5500 would be my favored choice of tubas of this type, but they are not that easy to find on the used market.

The F. Schmidt was an import stencil brand of Brook Mays a few years ago when they were attempting to establish themselves as a Tuba Presence. That didn't work, but now there are VMI 3301's with that label floating around, often for really good prices. They are identical to tubas marked VMI 3301 and (based on my comparison that was not side-by-side) B&S PT-2P.

For those who want a newish 4/4 front-action piston Bb tuba, this one is in the top two or three.

Rick "who has spent some quality time with this model" Denney