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How many of you play Eb tubas and why. For me I like Eb cause as a cornet player that doubles on tuba I can play bass cleff as treble and change the key signature down a 3rd.

I started on a BBb. About 40 years ago, my wife bought me an Eb for $20. I guess I'm too lazy to learn a different set of fingerings, but more importantly, it fits what I play. I play in quintets and a community band. The Eb is a welcome in both groups.

OPUS: $20? WOW im jealous. I got mine for $100 and another 300 will be spent for a valve job and it will be perfect. Did you have to spend any extra money for repairs or was it in good condition when you gotit?

$20 in 1971 (~40 years ago) dollars is equal to about $111 today. No need to be jealous, it seems.

http://146.142.4.24/cgi-bin/cpicalc.pl? ... year2=2011

My $20 tuba is a 1912 Martin upright. It did not need much work, a cleaning was about it. Since then I had a brace replaced and got a good mouthpiece. It could use valve guides and needs classic oil. I played it for Tuba Christmas this year. It is great.

opus37 wrote:It could use valve guides and needs classic oil. I played it for Tuba Christmas this year. It is great.

Just put a drop or two of pharmaceutical grade mineral oil in your usual valve oil. A lot cheaper, and won't gunk up.

I switched to antique Conn Monster Eb's because they have the old gorgeous heirloom Conn tone, are lighter than a large BBb, and are relatively cheap even though they usually take a bit of restoration or repair. I've used them in small ensembles, brass band, and as the only tuba in a reasonably large concert band. They can do the job in most settings.

Though I've never tried the Meinl-Weston Eb's (maybe someday . . .), I've tried most of the current crop of Eb's now available. I haven't seen any other Eb's other than the Kanstuls that can put out that same quantity and quality of sound. Someone on this board previously made the comment that the Monster Eb's were a failed attempt to make an Eb with a contrabass sound. I don't consider them a failure, at least for a niche market.

heirloom sound

I hear this term get tossed around quite a bit. What exactly does it mean, or at least, what do you think of when you hear the phrase "heirloom sound"? Round and warm?

The classic American tone, warm, strong bottom, good brightness on top, less emphasized middle. Almost a stereotypical tuba tone.

Maybe I need to think this description further . . .

I play Eb tuba as my bass tuba and CC as my contra-bass. I began playing Eb tuba in 1979 when I was at the Philadelphia Musical academy. It was time for me to learn to play a small instrument. My teacher, Paul Krzywicki, returned from a Philadelphia Orchestra tour of Japan with several Eb tubas from Yamaha. He told us to learn to play Eb. They tended to cost less than an F tuba and, for my concept, sound more like a tuba than the European F tubas did.

I now play an Eb tuba of my own design. The bell and big plumbing are from a 1910 vintage York Monster Eb tuba. the 4, front-action piston valves are from two Buescher Sousaphones and are .687" bore, a larger bore than J. W. York used on the Monster Eb tuba. A fifth valve from Meinl Weston was added after the 4-valved cluster and is operated with a thumb lever. The leadpipe is the large, Allied universal tuba leadpipe. My Eb tuba has a HUGE sound with great intonation and is quite agile for technical passages. It has gotten through Rite of Spring, Symphony Fantastique, Symphony in D Minor as well as other pieces.

Bloke Said:

Okay, so we know what you're thinking about . . .

Then I started looking for graphics for a rebuttal (yes, pun intended) . . . no. Just no.