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Has anyone used the Jinbao(Mack, Shiller, etc. ) F tuba successfully in a quintet? Is there enough depth? Is the intonation good enough(alternate fingerings accepted) to allow upper voices to tune?

Do you mean the F Tuba with 38cm bell or the new with 40cm bell?

I didn't realize there was a newer model with a larger bell. Interesting.

I prefer my Getzen CB-50 in quintets because of familiarity, but my Jinbao would work well if I wanted it to. I have a main tuning slide kicker on mine as well. That plus the 6 valves puts just about every note in tune as well as any other F tuba (except a Firebird, but that's because those things are awesome!). Back to the point, though. The Jinbao F with a kicker is a good quintet horn.

I had the first iteration; terrible, terrible horn.

If the horn needs 6 valves and a main slide kicker to play in tune, then get a different horn.

I was watching Cleveland play Bruckner 4 the other night. The tubist was playing a 6 valve tuba, 4+2 and had a slide kicker on the thumb, which he can be seen using in at least one clip. Sounded great. I agree that a point and shoot tuba with few adjustments is most desirable, but if 4+2+kicker works for you then great!

Interesting. Does anyone know what it was?

jon112780 wrote:If the horn needs 6 valves and a main slide kicker to play in tune, then get a different horn.

As opposed to all those 3 and 4 valve F tubas that have a full chromatic scale and play perfectly in tune with no slide pulling???

My point is that playing in tune with fewest number of valves (and some slide movement) would seem to be preferable than with a greater number of valves (and some slide movement).

As far as F or Eb tubas go, 5 valve non-compensating or 4 valve compensating horns with some slide movement seems quite common.

Are F tubas the only ones to "need" 6 valves to play in tune?

I've never seen an Eb, CC, or BBb with 6 valves.