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Just saw this tuba on the Baltimore Brass web site -- a Scherzer CC tuba.

http://www.baltimorebrass.net/pic.php?id=1036

Anyone know anything about it? Has anyone played it? Really curious about it...someone could go home with a pair of CC and F Scherzer tubas for pretty cheap!

Scherzer is a very reputed name within trumpets, especially piccolo trumpets. Their craftsmanship is very good.

The photo of the CC tuba is not good enough to say much. The photo of the F tuba is much better and tells about an older instrument with S-links. Scherzer tubas never came in big numbers. During at least the latter half of the GDR-era Scherzer was part of the B&S-conglomerate. One may have the suspicion that Scherzer tubas were B&S instruments renamed for marketing purposes like cheating on exclusive dealership contracts. Doesn’t detract from the quality of the instruments.

Klaus

Wow, the picture of the CC is terrible. I was kinda interested in seeing such a thing.

Hm... I have a Knoth F-Tuba which was the predecessor of Scherzer. The linkages, paddles etc. look different to the tuba I have. But: Who'll know for sure?

muttenstrudel wrote:Hm... I have a Knoth F-Tuba which was the predecessor of Scherzer. The linkages, paddles etc. look different to the tuba I have. But: Who'll know for sure?

Well...how does it play!?

It's an old instrument, at least 60 years old, most likely older. On this picture it still has got the old S-linkages which I had replaced by Mininal-linkages in the meanwhile. It's made from gold brass, not lacquered.
It has a rather light sound and feel of playing compared with my B&S JBL Classic. Intonation is pretty good, just the fifth partial ("a" on the top line of the staff) is a tad flat.
Because it's only 15 pounds of weight I mainly use it for marching band and whenever I go to a gig by bike.

Price cut to $2995. Still for sale after almost 9 years.

I've played this several times, and liked it. A few highly trusted players I know also have tried it and liked it. When I talked to Kody(?) at BBC about it, he said that someone had cut the main tuning slide at some point, so intonation was a little off, and takes a little work. I believe he said it was a little different than you might expect. Not terrible, just different. I don't remember anything specific about intonation, but that usually means to me "yeah, it's fine."

Neal Tidwell played one of these C's in New Orleans. He got one of the most beautiful sounds I've ever heard out of it...and I heard him play it quite a lot. He had pitch issues when he first got it and went back to Custom Music, where he bought it , with Jake who leaned on Fred Marrik to cut the main slide. Which he did. Neal was a great guy and a great tuba player who left us too soon. Ed

EdFirth wrote:Neal Tidwell played one of these C's in New Orleans. He got one of the most beautiful sounds I've ever heard out of it...and I heard him play it quite a lot. He had pitch issues when he first got it and went back to Custom Music, where he bought it , with Jake who leaned on Fred Marrik to cut the main slide. Which he did. Neal was a great guy and a great tuba player who left us too soon. Ed

I played Neal's Scherzer for a while years ago. That horn is why I can't stop itching over the one at Baltimore Brass. Neal could make a garden hose sound good, though.

I thought it played like a Miraphone 186, but with a sweeter sound and more output before breaking up. Total guess... maybe it plays kind of like an older Miraphone 186?

imperialbari wrote:Scherzer is a very reputed name within trumpets, especially piccolo trumpets. Their craftsmanship is very good.

The photo of the CC tuba is not good enough to say much. The photo of the F tuba is much better and tells about an older instrument with S-links. Scherzer tubas never came in big numbers. During at least the latter half of the GDR-era Scherzer was part of the B&S-conglomerate. One may have the suspicion that Scherzer tubas were B&S instruments renamed for marketing purposes like cheating on exclusive dealership contracts. Doesn’t detract from the quality of the instruments.

Klaus

Or like the Cyborg instruments, including the King 2370 and recent Conn 36K sousaphones; and just about everything that came out of the last years of the Olds/Reynolds factory.

the elephant wrote:Not to be tacky, but I don't think he's going to read your reply to his post, man…

I know. But I had to vent on the Cyborg being no better than British Leyland in this regard: common parts, strange designs (like Conn f****** up Matt's prototype), buying up brands just to retire the competition, etc. I have a King Super 20 from the UMI parts bin era as they were clearing everything out before being bought out by the Cyborg, and it has a strange mixture of Super 20 and Silver Flair parts, for example, a Silver Flair pinky ring, valve caps and braces instead of Super 20, and Super 20 main tuning slide brace, finger buttons, first valve ring, etc. It is a Super 20 due to the valve bore, and what is what is engraved on the bell. But unlike a British Leyland vehicle, it plays great and cost me less than $600 including shipping some years ago.

I played that tuba and came very close to buying it. I love the sound. The intonation was workable. When I was considering it, I was torn between a MW model 30 and the Scherzer. Mark Chachich and I went over to Baltimore Brass one day and I played both tubas side-by-side with Mark playing his Alexander 163. Though, I was never a great fan of the MW 30 in the past, in the end, the MW 30 won out over the Scherzer. I am very surprised the Scherzer has been for sale as long as it has.

That looks a lot like the Scherzer I'm helping my friend sell right now!

Well If anybody is still here I may end up buying it and ending the sale forum haha

tobysima` wrote:Well If anybody is still here I may end up buying it and ending the sale forum haha

Well that’ll be cool! Be sure to say how you like it.

I got the 4 valve version that Tyler was selling, and I also really love the sound. Besides that, it’s such a nice size, and it looks so good

anotherjtm2 wrote:

tobysima` wrote:Well If anybody is still here I may end up buying it and ending the sale forum haha

Well that’ll be cool! Be sure to say how you like it.

I got the 4 valve version that Tyler was selling, and I also really love the sound. Besides that, it’s such a nice size, and it looks so good

I will! How big is the bell and how tall is it?

tobysima` wrote: I will! How big is the bell and how tall is it?

16.5” and about 39”
Baltimore Brass can tell you if theirs is a little different.

anotherjtm2 wrote:

tobysima` wrote: I will! How big is the bell and how tall is it?

16.5” and about 39”
Baltimore Brass can tell you if theirs is a little different.

I talked to them about it and ended up buying the M&M CC instead. They said the Scherzer was incredibly stuffy and not a good player.