Musica Steyr Austria

[greenbean]

This may interest some of you. This little gem now resides in my house.

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Boy, did I get lucky. This is a great playing 3/4 BBb tuba that must have been played for a year or two and then put in the closet. Based on my reading here and elsewhere on the web... I think it was made between 1990 and 1996 by Musica in Austria using Amati/Cerveny parts. It appears to be pretty much a Cerveny 483 with a smaller bell (14 1/4"). A couple of minor dents but otherwise like new. Valves have miniball mechanism and are smooth and silent, thumb ring is adjustable, horn is 32" tall, comes in a J Winter case. I haven't weighed but but it is light and comfortable to hold. My guess is .787 bore, like the X83 models, but I haven't measured it. Intonation is great - at least in my current range. And it sounds great!

[toobagrowl]

^ That's a great looking tuba! Looks to be in near-pristine condition. Though your tuba is short/squat, I'd call it a 7/8 or compact 4/4 tuba due to the bows/bore size.

I played a Musica BBb (made with Cerveny 681 parts) tuba as one of several tubas at my first college. It played OK with a clear sound and projected well for it's size. The only pitch issue I remember was the flat open 5th partial (D in staff), everything else was close/on. The only other "weird" thing about that tuba was the open 4th partial ('tuning note' Bb in staff) played/responded "dead"; it did not resonate as well as the other notes, and felt 'stuffy' response-wise. But I liked the light weight of that tuba!

There were also many 'Musica'-labeled tubas that were made with VMI/B&S parts

[greenbean]

You are right - there is nothing "3/4" about this horn. I did got out my Mirafone 186 and put them on the floor together and did some comparisons using a tailor's tape measure. This horn has very similar dimensions as the 186, except for the bell. The upper bow is a bit narrower but, in general, the overall dimensions and the branch diameters at similar points are pretty close. I think the best description is "compact 4/4."

Playing it is an interesting experience. It is so light and compact but the sound that comes out is so big. It is surprising because it "feels" like a small horn but it is a real powerhouse! A bulldog comes to mind - squat, sturdy, and strong. And what comes out of the bell is beautiful (given my playing abilities). I haven't found any tonal or intonational oddities yet. Great fun!

[Charlie Doell]

Definitely looks like an Amati Musica, not the MW/Conn Musica BBb that I play.

I picked up my Musica BBb in 1996 at Dillon for around $4K. The price included a hard case that broke in a week. Matt & Steve quickly ordered a (Donna) Altieri bag for no charge, and I've been using it ever since!

I'll try to post a few images of my horn soon, so you can compare. It's a 4/4 with a really thin profile, unlike some of the 3/4-4/4 Cerveny BBb's you'd probably compare. My fav feature is its linkage adjustibility; just a dab of C/S Tuning Slide gel and a drop of valve oil reset the thing to factory specs - with no noise!

[vespa50sp]

Definitely looks like an Amati Musica

There sure seems to be a lot of Amati/Cerventy type stencils/tuba parts (valvesets?) cropping up from that part of the world pre and post WWII. Can't hardly track them all.

[jonesbrass]

Yeah . . . Cerveny. Complete with marshmellow valve stops. Easily replaceable, but probably should never have been on the tuba in the first place.