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Nice TMEA pics from Barths Brass Blog...FYI...
Mark

https://picasaweb.google.com/1095046074 ... 0/TMEA2013" target="_blank


http://www.barthsbrassblog.com" target="_blank

Although the dependent 5th valve would take some getting used to, I would love to get the 6/4 CC and the F.

Now I just have to let the wife know.

FWIW, the link didn't take me to any pictures of tubas at TMEA.

Fixed now, I believe....
mark

They had an armada of tubas at the Custom Music booth including a PT-22 Eb and the usual array of F, BBb, and CC tubas. Sad to say that Meinl Weston didn't even show up this year but were represented at the Buffet group booth. The more interesting horns at the entire exhibit were the ones that I've never heard much about like the G&P Milano 13 which was an awesome little tuba minus the extremely flat low C and my first tuba that I bought the PT-20 (not the piston version gasp) which I am enjoying thoroughly. On a side note they also had a Bruckner in silver playing at the Miraphone booth which was an amazing tuba just a little too big for what I need and they had a Siegfried which is by far the best BBb tuba I have ever played but enormous and expensive.

I was at TMEA from Fri. into early Sat. morning and I got to play several horns. I was thoroughly impressed with the 6/4 CC and the F at the Gemeinhardt booth. The 6/4 was very easy to play and the pitch seemed good and it seemed to respond evenly through the range for me. Then, Friday evening, I got to hear Alex Cauthen play it with the Dallas Wind Sym. I thought it sounded amazing. Kudos also to Jason Wallace who was the other tubist in the ensemble and played on a Thor. Together they presented a firm and solid bottom to the band. At the end of Church Windows, they put out a sound that I attributed mostly to the organ, but when I looked, the organ wasn't playing. I can't test drive F tubas as well as I haven't owned one in 20 years, but I am thinking of getting back into that. That F felt pretty good to me. It produced a nice, big and open blowing F piston tuba sound, if that makes any sense. The pitch seemed good and when a friend passed by and held a tuner over the bell, I had to pull the main slide a little and then the notes I played were spot on. The wide horizontal brace is a comfortable place to rest the left wrist for pulling slides when needed. It's also a convenient handle for carrying it around. I am giving serious consideration to these 2 instruments. I may not scrutinize the workmanship as some others do. All that I know is that they both played and sounded amazing to me, with very good pitch, the valves were smooth and they can be had at an affordable price. Richard is to be commended for the work he's done with these instruments.

At the Miraphone booth with Richard Murrow, I spent time on the 186 and 188, as I used to own both of these. The 188 was nice and was what I expected from Miraphone who always produces fine instruments. I was very impressed with the 186 and wished I had my 1972 186 back again. I know there was a period where they weren't as good as earlier made horns, but this one seemed as good to me. The other tubas I played there were all fine instruments as one would expect from Miraphone.

Not much to say about the Kanstuls, except that they didn't impress me. For some, they might be fine tubas, The 5/4 was extremely uncomfortable to hold for me.

At the Buffet booth, they had a stable of MW horns, but still no 3450, which is the horn I currently own and play the most. I did play the Thor a lot and I really enjoyed it. Given a choice, I would prefer to own that tuba over the 6450.

I couldn't get near the Adams tubas any time I passed that booth. Tuba Exchange was pretty crowded too, but I did play a silver 186 clone that was a pretty nice tuba.

I spent some time talking with Jeff Rideout at Custom Music. Unfortunately, I never did sit down and play and tubas there.

At one point I was walking around with my grandson in his stroller. He liked all of the tubas.

Believe me you did not miss much of anything by not playing the new Adams tubas. I was really let down by the ones they had there.

Northernlb wrote:If I have my info right kalison became G & P Milano. Not much buzz about them, but everything I read is really great tubas, on the order of the kalisons.

The G&P Milano 13 was a great tuba, it was very zippy in but slow to respond down low. Excellent construction and very smooth silk like sound, however they should really cut down the main tuning slide because the CC's were very out of tune.

What a pleasure to meet Bill Troiano and his son at TMEA. Bill has had a fine career in NYC and 'retired' to Texas. His skills and background will land him a lot of work once he gets his name around. He's got great stories, too!

I got to see Schlep again and the dude took my picture. Think it broke the camera. Met some other brothers of the tuba as well, from Virginia, Oklahoma and Texas. Good comradeship all around.

I absolutely loved the Miraphone 1293. It is a significant change from the 1291 or 92. It had the kind of response Hirsbrunner's had, exactly the same from bottom to top but the sound was definitely Miraphone. I'd buy it in a minute if I had the money. Rich Murrow is very high on the Bel Canto but I'm just not a fan of F tubas with rotary valves. If I have to learn to play low C, I don't want it. The Petruchka still makes my mouth water.

As Bill said in an earlier post, I played the BMB 6/4 CC on the Dallas Wind Symphony Concert. I found the horn to be quite the Howitzer, one of the band members asked how the floor shakes when I was only playing soft sustained low notes. It is an excellent horn. Jason Wallace tooted around on the BBb 6/4 a lot and loved it (I didn't touch the BBb). I have to confess, I couldn't play the dependent valve comfortably on the 6/4. I'm too old to change, I guess. I can manage it on the F easier and would be completely comfortable with that.

I am highly impressed with the BMB F tuba. I played two in May and this one was every bit as good as the others were, which speaks of an enviable consistency if it holds true.

Most amazing at the Gemeinhardt booth were the three mouthpieces Barth brought. They were the current Helleberg model; one was stock, the second had about 3/16th's cut off the end of the shank and the third had about 3/8th's cut from the shank. The more that was removed, the better the response got on the 6/4 CC. The low register on that horn is snappy in response anyway, the cut shank made it absolutely surprising. The best low register I've ever played on a 6/4.

I guess I'm going to have to take another look at the stuff Alan Baer posted about mouthpiece gap. I used to think it really didn't apply to tuba. I was wrong.

I had cut some mouthpiece shanks years ago and didn't like the result. However, I cut half an inch or more. I don't remember the response change, I just remember how much more air I could blow through the horn, not in a good way.

I listened to Lee Hipp play on the BMB 6/4 BBb, and I walked to the other side of the hall. I'd guess I was about 150 feet away. The sound carried through the cacophony of the exhibition hall clearly and with a lot of definition. I think these horns are the current runaway best of the 6/4 tubas.

The prices are great! I hope he can keep them at this level. Very exciting.

Thanks for the kind comments, Alex. It was a pleasure meeting you and hearing you play too. Man, I have a lot of stories!! And, I did really like the BMB 6/4 CC and F too. I hope we hook up again soon!

schlepporello wrote:

Alex C wrote:I got to see Schlep again and the dude took my picture. Think it broke the camera.

Unfortunately, the pics came out OK. But they're on the laptop which still hasn't been unpacked. I'll get 'em posted soon enough. ;^)

See, it broke the camera. Sorry.

Nice pics!!
Mark

I personally had a blast at TMEA this year. Heard many fine ensembles and tried out many great tubas. I finally learned F tuba and spent a lot of time trying out a fairly good amount. I personally really liked the Petruschka and the Adams F tuba. That was the first time I had head of Adams and was very impressed by the overall response and feel of the instrument. List price for the Adams f is $13.5k. One of my friends was quoted $6.2k on an $8+k euph, so I'm sure they had "special" show prices. As for the Petruschka and myself we clicked and had some stellar chemistry going on. That particular one at the show played really well and had a nice tone color to it. (idk maybe our inner nodes matched up)

I also ran into familiar faces and made new friends. It really blows my mind as to how small the Tuba (euph) world is.

-Cheers
JJ