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In a perfect, government-subsidized world, all tubists could own a stable of at least 3-4 tubes of various keys and sizes. Just like those spoiled prima-donna trumpet players. Do perfect and government-subsidized belong in the same sentence?

Anyway, I have considered a BBb for all of the reasons you mentioned, and still might go that direction when the time comes. The only one I don't get is Tournister. My fault, I know. I just don't know what that is.

Jonathan says a CC Tornister is coming sooooon...

I did just that. As a freshman in high school in the fall of 1976, I volunteered to play souzy. It was an old (even then) King fiberglass. I've played many tubas through the years, and recently acquired a Reynolds fiberglass. I had forgotten how much fun it is.

gregsundt wrote: Do perfect and government-subsidized belong in the same sentence?

NO. Something about an ox of some kind. I can't seem to remember. Or was it a moron? (Oops. Can I say that without being called all sorts of names?)

. . . why not jus play both, and use the BBb when (to you) appropriate?

k001k47 wrote:. . . why not just play both, and use the BBb when (to you) appropriate?

+1. ^This^

I think most of us - at least here in the US - started on BBb tuba in middle school, and played it thru high school. So just "re-learn" BBb and ADD it to your tuba family. No need to "permanently switch" to one particular pitch of tuba.
I use my Eb tuba for most quintet/chamber playing and CC for bigger/louder stuff. And sometimes I will use BBb for when I want a smoother, more "laid-back" dark tuba sound.

Most serious and even semi-serious trumpet players competently play BBb, CC, D/Eb and Picc trumpets, cornets and fleugelhorns. We can do something similar with tubas

The Big Ben wrote:Jonathan says a CC Tornister is coming sooooon...

True! Will be on website and taking orders from this weekend, with them available July. Photo of prototype CC at Frankfurt to wet your appetite...

tooba wrote:

k001k47 wrote:. . . why not just play both, and use the BBb when (to you) appropriate?

+1. ^This^

I think most of us - at least here in the US - started on BBb tuba in middle school, and played it thru high school. So just "re-learn" BBb and ADD it to your tuba family. No need to "permanently switch" to one particular pitch of tuba.
I use my Eb tuba for most quintet/chamber playing and CC for bigger/louder stuff. And sometimes I will use BBb for when I want a smoother, more "laid-back" dark tuba sound.

Most serious and even semi-serious trumpet players competently play BBb, CC, D/Eb and Picc trumpets, cornets and fleugelhorns. We can do something similar with tubas

A completely reasonable excuse is that too many tubas cost a lot of money.

I play F, Eb, and BBb interchangably, and used to play CC along with them, when I owned a CC. I could pick up any horn and play almost anything on each, within reason. It's been 25 years since I had a CC, so it would take a bit to get used to it again, but really not a problem.

I only got this BBb because it is my dream tuba, a 30 year fantasy come true. The Eb came in a package, a la American Pickers, with my helicon, which just happens to be BBb. If I had reason to have a smaller long horn, I'd probably get a Piggy or Rudy 3/4 in CC.

But, why eliminate one? They're all tools, as mentioned elsewhere. BBb vs CC is sort of like a large flathead screwdriver vs a smaller one. Maybe you can make one work for everything, but it may not be as good.

On the other hand, do you really need both??? Like in the "how many" thread, if you don't need it, you don't need it, but you may WANT it. Big difference.

eupher61 wrote:I
On the other hand, do you really need both??? Like in the "how many" thread, if you don't need it, you don't need it, but you may WANT it. Big difference.

That reminds me of the nice 20j I played on at Mr. Stofer's both at MWRTEC. I've wanted one ever since because they're just fun to play on.

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Here's the BBb and F combo: the small one is sold, it made way for the silver one.

I sold the small one after I played it in a pit orchestra, and I was confronted about not bringing a tuba to the gig by the conductor. One musician asked me what kind of trombone it was. After that night, the BBb was very popular in the pit. I use the same mouthpiece on both horns, a Kellyberg. The little horn was played with a Yamaha 67C4.

MANY times. If I could find a free blowing 5-valve BBb that had the right sound & played in tune, I'd probably jump at it.

No, the 191. And I haven't played a 5 valve.

eupher61 wrote:I only got this BBb because it is my dream tuba, a 30 year fantasy come true.

What tuba is that??

Found a great vid of the BBb M-W 195 "Fafner" & contrabass bone playing together.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cuVpjlYoP3I

Notice the dark, warm 'growl' of the Fafner -- typical of most rotary M-W contrabass tubas.

Just awesome!

bort wrote:

eupher61 wrote:I only got this BBb because it is my dream tuba, a 30 year fantasy come true.

What tuba is that??

Martin Mammoth, both bells, 4 front valves. Not a chamber horn, but for almost anything else, especially trad jazz, look out!

cktuba wrote:Switching back to BBb as your main axe? I have toyed with the idea. Why?
1. Because there are some really nice BBb tuba choices now.
2. I like the sound of a large BBb.
3. No desperately trying to reacclimate to BBb when playing a gig best suited for sousaphone.
4. Tornister (BBb Mighty Midget)

Discuss...

Yes. Well not "back" but sticking with BBb. In high school I played tuba. Unfortunately due to an exceptionally lame band director I never learned much.

A little over a year ago I decided to drag out one of my tubas (York Eb Monster) and begin playing again. The only wind instrument that I had played since high school was flute. Simple system (pre-Boehm) flute, "Irish" flute. These are effectively six hole diatonic instruments with additional keys for accidentals. Pitched in D. Keys with more than one flat are a pretty serious PITA. Based on this I decided that I "needed" a CC tuba as I was hoping to play with the same sorts of musicians (e.g. sharp keys).

After a couple of months holding this delusion I realized that a BBb tuba would work as well and completely agree with your #1 and #2 above.

BBb works very well for me, is natively a bit lower (the point of a tuba, no?) and I own more wonderful horns than I need because I could afford them.

Very happy now with that decision.

cktuba wrote:
1. Because there are some really nice BBb tuba choices now.
2. I like the sound of a large BBb.
3. No desperately trying to reacclimate to BBb when playing a gig best suited for sousaphone.
4. Tornister (BBb Mighty Midget)
Discuss...

1. Hmm?- Nope.
2.Yeah!
3.No
4.Never

I considered it twice -- once as a way to save money (186 BBb's can be pretty cheap!) and once to consider a Fafner (which is more tuba than I need). Glad I stuck with CC, there is nothing wrong with BBb, but I also know I didn't need to make any changes to be happy.