NY Phil Tuba

[tofu]

If Al is rocking a 188 in the Phil, I think hes the only one on the planet that would have the guts to do it.

188 is a super clean horn and at the hands of an expert sounds great, but it's really not a horn (IMHO) to be playing in the NY Phil,
Im sure I have never heard an orchestra recording where I was like "wow amazing!", and someone was playing a miraphone of any stripe.

Orchestra tuba in the US is about york sounding rich tubas. The 188 would sound amazing in Amsterdam however. Or LA. (cue Roger Bobo reference)

How about Tommy Johnson - probably the most recorded tubist ever from all the great orchestral movie soundtracks he did. He certainly rocked Miraphones like the 184 /185. Plus, if I recalled he did a famous recording with the LA Phil playing the Planets having the tubas doubled by Tommy Johnson and Jim Self. Then there is that other one time La Phil guy who also rocked Miraphones like the186 etc - Roger Bobo. There have been and are plenty of folks in US who have played something other than York sounding tubas. Alex 163's have very popular horns in US orchestra's over the years for instance. I've certainly heard "wow amazing" from those Alex players.

[Dave Roberts]

I played a 188 at the audition for my gig. It was my only horn and worked for everything. Others had up to four horns. The committee was laughing about that pretty hard. I think most committees laugh at people who drag more than two horns on stage for finals. I found out in casual conversation years after the fact that they said one guy looked like a self-contained convention booth with all his horns and gear. They actually liked that I could do everything on the one horn convincingly. Of course they probably assumed that I had a closet full of horns at home and not that I was using a school-owned horn. Glad they did not ask! I love the 188 and always will. I wish I had the bucks to get one. I would sell my beloved Piggy in a heartbeat if I could parlay that into a nice 188, but the values are too divergent to allow for that right now. Alas...

Me too, Wade. Would gather a guess that there were a number of us that won gigs in the '80's on the 188. Loved that Tuba, so versatile.

[pjdicris]

Big Al is going to bring the 188 back in style

It's about time

[TubaGuyBen]

............

[vapourboy]

I'm all for more rotor German 188s, etc, horns being played in major US ensembles. Only good could come of it, as long as no promotional deals are hammered out resulting in the 188 being re-marketed with some prominent player's name slapped on it and the price increasing by 50%.

[Chuck Jackson]

There are even legends of vintage Alexander tubas being in demand again.....

As it should be.


Chuck"The Emperor may finally understand that his new clothes are not nearly as stylish as the old ones"Jackson

[joh_tuba]

Soo... hipsters play tuba?

[jamsav]

[quote="mexicantuba"]If Al is rocking a 188 in the Phil, I think hes the only one on the planet that would have the guts to do it.
Im sure I have never heard an orchestra recording where I was like "wow amazing!", and someone was playing a miraphone of any stripe.

Orchestra tuba in the US is about york sounding rich tubas. The 188 would sound amazing in Amsterdam however. Or LA. (cue Roger Bobo reference)[/quote


Couple years in this forum and I have observed some pretty whacky statements.
This one is right up there ....

[swillafew]

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It's not like the NYP ever had a rotor man in it.

[MartyNeilan]

I remember this guy there who used to sound absolutely incredible on his rotary valved 5/4 frankenhorn, until he had to build the absolute biggest and most freeblowing 6/4 piston tuba made.

[TexTuba]

I remember this guy there who used to sound absolutely incredible on his rotary valved 5/4 frankenhorn, until he had to build the absolute biggest and most freeblowing 6/4 piston tuba made.

[UDELBR]

I remember this guy there who used to sound absolutely incredible on his rotary valved 5/4 frankenhorn, until he had to build the absolute biggest and most freeblowing 6/4 piston tuba made.

Wow. Warren played no part in his own downfall (if that's what you mean).

[cjk]

Bort sold his 188 so now they can be cool again.

[bort]

Bort sold his 188 so now they can be cool again.

Nah, I just got out before the 188 jumped the shark. It's not going to be cool anymore once everyone knows it's cool. Joking, of course!

[MartyNeilan]

I remember this guy there who used to sound absolutely incredible on his rotary valved 5/4 frankenhorn, until he had to build the absolute biggest and most freeblowing 6/4 piston tuba made.

Wow. Warren played no part in his own downfall (if that's what you mean).

Never said that. Just remember liking his Frankenstein sound more when heard from the cheap seats at Avery Fisher, and so did many others.

[bort]

Weird, I thought you were talking about Baer. I don't know much about his early NY Phil days, but he *did* start as a rotary player and went on to build a 6/4 tuba that fits that description.

Big shoes to fill for the next dude/lady in 30 years or so...

[MartyNeilan]

The Baer horn is slightly smaller, not nearly as open, and most likely lighter than the original Deck 6/4 horns.
Joe has been doing an outstanding job of trying to combine the best attributes of both tubas in his personal 6/4 - the bigger bell of the Deck with the tighter front end of the Baer. I don't think anybody is putting heavyweight top & bottom caps on tubas anymore, coupled with the additional weight of the "tone ring" in the bell.