Giovanni wrote:Etched on the retina of my eye is Arnold Jacobs, Frank Crisafullo, Raymond Cichowicz, Bud Herseth and a horn player whose name I forget but shouldn't have, playing as a quintet with Maestro Jacobs on his York tuba
Philip Farkas, probably? That's a quintet of which I should really find some recordings.
I'll second the nomination of the PT-20 as a viable horn. I don't know why, but it and the VMI-labeled BBb equivalent 3302 both play like I'd want a tuba to play.
I would look at a 2155. It is a great horn that can sound big if you need it to. Plus the price is not to bad. I'd hold off on getting a BAT, until you decided what your playing situation is.
The MW 2155/MW2000 are great sized horns that work well in chamber and large orchestral settins. Since switching from the Yorkbrunner I not only feel more comfortable using CC in quintet, but feel that the 2155 actually sounds much bigger than did the HB-50 in orchestra...owing in part to the quality of sound that is issued, not so much the size of the bore.
Make sure the instrument you buy makes an immediate impact on you. After that it is simply a matter of finding the mouthpiece that fits best with that instrument. You will not grow into a horn, since you would be playing an instrument that does not neccessarily compliment your style of playing you may develop detrimental habits in order to make it do what you want.
If you want a BAT, by all means buy it, but don't get the one that holds the most "mystique" for you. When I first bought my Yorkbrunner, Mr. Fedderly told me that I was probably buying it because of this reason and offered me a very generous offer to switch me over to a MW2155, this was 7 years ago...which I played in his basement and, addmittedly felt very comfortable with at the time. My pride got the better of me and I kept the HB50. After some success, but fighting the horn for this period I decided to sell it and ended up being blown away by none other than a 2155.
My current teacher just recently bought a 1291 and it is comparable, in size, to my 2155. The sound is less directional with more overtones. I will keep my 2155 just because I still like the sound and the way it blows...but both have the ability to sound like, and even bigger than 6/4 tubas.
