3/4 BBb rotary

[MaryAnn]

Well I have gone and ordered that 3/4 size 4-rotor BBb from Wessex. Won't get it until some time in "in the middle of the month" and then will be shipped to me. Will report....my concern is intonation since I'm pretty sure the ergonomics will work just fine. Trying to find a cheap substitute for my Miraphone 184, which left with everything else when I had to downsize. I realize it will not be a Miraphone but if it plays well enough I'll be satisfied.

[Wyvern]

Hope you enjoy the new tuba Mary Ann. I think you will be well satisfied. I personally checked at the factory in January and they were gorgeous, complete with gold brass bell. One of these is being used by player in Swedish National Guards Band and he loves!

Look forward to your report.

[michael_glenn]

I haven't played the Chinese copy, but I have played the German original. The intonation was 100% spot on. I still miss that tuba...

[MaryAnn]

What is the German original of this tuba?

[michael_glenn]

Well it looks a whole lot like my old MELTON 186 (not miraphone. Melton.)

[Michael Bush]

If yours is as good as the one I had for a while, you're going to be fine. Mine was a really sweet little tuba, with point and shoot intonation. If I had any need for a 3/4 BBb, I would buy it again without hesitation.

[MaryAnn]

yes, it does look like the Melton 186 wrap.

[bort]

Congratulations! Let us know how it goes!

[The Big Ben]

I'm curious about how this one plays. Sometimes a 3/4 is a "student tuba" and sometimes it is more capable than that.

[MaryAnn]

It's the Mosel. I'm getting a 3/4 because I just don't have the air for a full size, nor the physical strength to carry one around, and where I play will be happy with any solid, on time, in-tune bass line. (That "huge" tuba in my avatar is the 184 Mphone.)

[Pat S]

Congrats on the acquisition. I look forward to hearing your thoughts once you've put it through its paces.

[Three Valves]

That's a neat little tuba!!

http://www.wessex-tubas.com/bbb-lightweight/" target="_blank

[MaryAnn]

It arrived today. I went to a friend's house for the unveiling because he has a lot of mouthpieces.

I didn't find any physical problems with it. I wish the 2nd valve slide were a little shorter. I won't have any trouble playing it in tune. I had to pull the tuning slide a good two inches, but I may have been playing at the top of the slot due to five years off. Build quality seems to be quite nice. No problem getting everything from the pedal to a few notes above the staff.

The small bore, which is mostly why I got it, works well for me. It doesn't suck the air out of my lungs, even in the octave above the pedal, which I found very accessible. I felt no need for a 5th valve. Some might find it a bit resistant especially if they are accustomed to a large bore BAT. But it is going to work well for me.

The major problem is the leadpipe, which is several inches too high to rest the tuba on the chair, and the angle of the leadpipe. If I just sit in the position I should be in, with my upper lip touching the mpc, my lower lip does not even touch. I need to have about a 30 degree angle down before the mpc will sit correctly on my face. Even with the tuba on a stand as low as it can go, and me sitting on a pillow, and the bow stuck as far under the chair as I can get it, and sitting on the very edge of the chair, I cannot get into a comfortable playing position and have to tilt the top of my head back and put a crick in my neck. I will say that this is not unusual setup for tubas; it just is extremely uncomfortable for me.

This will have to be custom fixed, and I know of no one anywhere near me who can do this type of work. Sending it somewhere would be an exercise in futility because this kind of adjustment really has to be done in person. So if anyone knows anyone competent within driving distance of Tucson, please let me know.

The supplied mouthpiece worked surprisingly well. If I want to cut through better, I liked my friends MFH4 for that. Mouthpieces seemed to affect tone quality more than intonation, which is pretty much what I expect. I did a pretty wide range from deep ones (supplied, Wick 5L) to the more shallow (MF4H.) My own 7B also worked just fine.

[bort]

Is it that the leadpipe is odd in general, or that it's simply not where it needs to be for you?

Lowering a leadpipe should be minor surgery for a competent repairman -- the only downside is that it will probably leave some marks on the lacquer, but that can probably be touched up as well.

Good luck!

[Wyvern]

Mary Anne, pleased to hear the tuba reached you safely and plays well.

Regarding the leadpipe angle not being right for you, one possible solution may be to insert sousaphone bit between mouthpiece and receiver to angle as you wish. If you contact Andy Loree, he will be happy to send you one or two complimentary.

As your main tuning slide is out (the tuba is made to A=442Hz with slide all the way in), you can then push in somewhat.

[MaryAnn]

Thanks. I"ll contact Andy for a couple of bits...that would certainly be better than either bending the mouthpiece shank or the leadpipe. There is no problem with the leadpipe per se except that it is uncomfortable for me in particular. It is typical, and I realized that I played my 184 in the same awkward position all those years, and no wonder I had neck problems. When I play horn, or trombone, or cornet, they are all downward angled at about 30 degrees. For some reason tuba players are expected to have the leadpipe straight out, which doesn't seem like it's going to work for all of them, given all the angles you see with smaller brass that can be easily put in the needed position.

[Three Valves]

I'm happy the tuba arrived safely and appears to be in tune and of decent quality.

I'll have to try one myself next chance I get!!

[Tubaryan12]

Congratz on the new horn.

I keep a Conn bit in my bag at all times. Sometimes, depending on how I feel, I just want to change the angle of the horn and a bit is perfect for that.

[MaryAnn]

A friend has temporarily lent me a bit and it puts the angle just right, so I am hoping that will be the solution. However, in cold weather I may have trouble getting it up to pitch.

[aaronliu]

I found this thread very interesting. I've started out on a 3/4 B flat rotary, and I think it has intonation issues. I'm just starting on the tuba. So far, I think that I would much rather play a compensating tuba. I would feel much more secure being able to adjust the intonation of any note immediately. I grew up as a trombone player.