TubeNet

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For me, it is my BE 983. Wow, is it ever fast! Before this horn I had a 982, and I thought that had a pretty quick response until I tried the newer 983. The new design really allows for a quick, open sound in any register - no resistance at all! I love it.

PT tubas have, for me, tended to respond quickly throughout the model line.

There are certainly others, but that factory (also VMIs, etc) puts out a relatively large number of models with quick response.

Color me stupid, but how does one tell a "quick" response on a tuba?

Every horn I've ever played, from my little Olds O-99, through the big Bessons and Sousaphones all seamed the same. A note here or there might not respond, or more likely it was me, but mostly low register stuff, below Ab or G.

Maybe I could drive to Memphis and play a "quck" and a slow horn?
I'll be in Dallas around Thanksgiving, any store thee I can vist to see get an understanding of this?

The tuba with the quickest response will be the tuba with the shortest leadpipe. The tuba with the quickest response will also be the one that "slots" the best and will have the cleanest articulation but will be the least flexible and the bendablility of notes will be limited. A super quick responding tuba will also give you fits when you try to play very smooth slurs.

A number of years ago, I heard the president of a very well known instrument manufacturing firm give a talk about tuba design. He spoke at length on the subject of leadpipe length and how it affects the playing characteristics and these were his findings. After playing on and owning many horns with varying leadpipe configurations, I would agree with him.

Ed Jones wrote:The tuba with the quickest response will be the tuba with the shortest leadpipe. The tuba with the quickest response will also be the one that "slots" the best and will have the cleanest articulation but will be the least flexible and the bendablility of notes will be limited.

Ed, I think there's more to it than that.

My Miraphone is like all Miraphones, it tends to slot easily, respond quickly, and be a little stiff. It also has a long leadpipe--much longer than the one my Holton. The Holton is also quite responsive, but it is not too slotty and I can bend pitches all over the place. The York Master, also with the shortest leadpipe of the three, is between the other two in bendability, but is less responsive than either.

I'll grant that a given instrument may go one way or the other with changes in leadpipes, but I think you have to consider the leadpipe as one part of a total system. And it may not be the definitive part.

To me, "responsiveness" is the ease with which notes are started, and in that category, the Meinl-Weston 2000 is the most responsive CC I've ever played, with the Getzen G-50 being right there with it. True, both have shortish leadpipes. But both also seemed pretty bendable to me.

Rick "who may be missing what you are saying" Denney

Well, my cornet responds a whole lot faster than my CC tuba.
MA

My kazoo responds faster than any of my instruments so HAH!

Fastest ever I've dealt with (Contrabass):

70's model Mirafone 186CC. The ~16.5" bell. It was light too, a key factor, I believe.

Bass tubas are quite various.

I would argue that a medium-sized lightweight F tuba like a PT-10 would be the best.