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KiltieTuba wrote:Ophicleide out - trombone in!

I've always like the idea of a slide on a tuba, it just sounds awesome - except for the long positions or double-slide.

So, how about an Eb Super Contra Alto Trombone?
Essentially, I would take a small Eb tuba and reconfigure the valve section and tubing, then add a custom-made slide for a super bone - like the one at Dillon Music.

It would remain an Eb tuba, but with a slide for awesome (I've been using this a lot lately) glissandi.

I talked with Dan about this and he said it's possible to make the slides, it will take work, but it will likely be easier to do than an ophicleide.
I've even got a design drawn out for possible positions of the tuning slides, leadpipe and the valve section/slide.

There are a couple of trombones out there with 'quad' slides. There's just too darned much straight-bore tubing to make good music... in my opinion, anyway.

http://www.robbstewart.com/OtherProject ... bones.html" target="_blank
Like this? The on of interest to you is at the bottom.

Sounds like a cool idea but, how heavy will it be? At first glance it seems like there might end up being a lot of weight put on the left wrist.

Or how about along the lines of this:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Firebird_(trumpet)

I played bass trombone for many years before going to tuba. The idea of all that weight on the left hand and manipulating valves is painful. I am assuming it would be tuba bore. The Firebird trumpet looks more promising in my eyes.

Just my humble opinion.

A long, usable tuning slide would do what you need. J.c. and I are working something like this out- basically an Eb valved bass with a top main slide to replace my trombones.

It's going to be an upright, front valved horn.

I know I have my own odd interests, but at least I think they fit into the broad horizon of low brass playing. Why not take your focus on subcontra sousas and (still not quite getting this one, yet) slide tubas ad put it towards something a bit more mainstream/but still unique/and also cool? You've got enough tubas, something cylindrical would be a nice switchup.

On topic- if you're not going to have 7 positions/6ish and valve tricks, a 3 semitone slide is the best setup. Why would you ever need a 2 tone gliss in regular music?

Do not, do not, do not mess with a trombone bell with a trumpet valve section. If you want to know how much that sucks as a simple combo play just about any regular valve tenor trombone.

KiltieTuba wrote: It would remain an Eb tuba, but with a slide

A trombone size slide (i.e., able to traverse the notes between open 3rd partial and open 2nd partial), will be almost 1/2 the length of the instrument when closed. It can be in Eb, but it can't really be a tuba.

Hmmm, have you not heard the Bb bass trombones that has been used for the last decade(s), huge instruments with enourmous mouthpieces that does not even sound close to a trombone? Those instruments sounds more like not so good tubas with slides for almost all players, except for the handful that have the resources to make them work.

I love the look of Rob Stewart's EEb Contra Bass trombone. I've always thought that it shouldn't be that difficult to engineer a combination Cimbasso/Contra Bass Trombone in FF or EEb. If the slides and the valve set were removable this would be an awesome beast to add to the arsenal. I might even sell 5 or 6 of my horns just to own one!

-Frank

Maybe something like this...

Frank Ortega wrote:I love the look of Rob Stewart's EEb Contra Bass trombone. I've always thought that it shouldn't be that difficult to engineer a combination Cimbasso/Contra Bass Trombone in FF or EEb. If the slides and the valve set were removable this would be an awesome beast to add to the arsenal. I might even sell 5 or 6 of my horns just to own one!

-Frank

Do you mean the double slide horn or the euph body one? It seems that Bill Reichenbach has gone from that double slide Eb to an F Haag.

A regular slide F contrabone is probably one of the easiest horns to put together- marching bari/euph bell, some valves, a tuning slide, and a bass trombone handslide. Now that my Kanstul F is gone I'm constantly on the lookout for a proper sized baritone to use, even though I don't play my slide horns anymore. Hell, a baritone with a Bb trombone slide stuck into it's tuning slide even gives you an F horn (tried it with my euph and 606 slide)!
I think a Bb bass trombone stretched out to a low G bass (same handslide) would be cooler and not look as weird but whatever. Frank, pick up a Jin Bao bass trombone and give -that- a go! I loves me some low bass trombones.

Have you seen the Minick contra bass trombonbone in BBb? One of those, only two made, very special instruments is now for sale at Noah Gladstone's Brass Ark. ( it is a bit slow loading but well worth the wait...)

Lingon wrote:Have you seen the Minick contra bass trombonbone in BBb? One of those, only two made, very special instruments is now for sale at Noah Gladstone's Brass Ark. ( it is a bit slow loading but well worth the wait...)

Damn...wish you hadn't provided me with that link! I was so blissful in my ignorance, not knowing that beautiful instrument existed.
I'm going to go check my lottery tickets right now!

tubahed wrote:

Lingon wrote:Have you seen the Minick contra bass trombonbone in BBb? One of those, only two made, very special instruments is now for sale at Noah Gladstone's Brass Ark. ( it is a bit slow loading but well worth the wait...)

Damn...wish you hadn't provided me with that link! I was so blissful in my ignorance, not knowing that beautiful instrument existed.
I'm going to go check my lottery tickets right now!

Me too!

The only instrument I covet more than that Minick contrabass trombone is this one (which I don't think was made by Minick):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CFabADpz9cg

The first minute and a half of the video is basically in the dark...it's worth sticking around until the lights come on.

I believe the base instrument there is a Thein.

Bob Kolada wrote:I believe the base instrument there is a Thein.

I think you mean bass...




Sorry, couldn't resist the easy pun...

Bob Kolada wrote:I believe the base instrument there is a Thein.

Looks like the JinBao contra with an added bell and modified valves?!

tubahed wrote: Damn...wish you hadn't provided me with that link! I was so blissful in my ignorance, not knowing that beautiful instrument existed.
I'm going to go check my lottery tickets right now!

rodgeman wrote: Me too!

I'm going to check up the possibilities to sell my house. There is one nice bridge nearby under which one can live...

PtubaBone!