Eastman EBC 632 - Yet Another Review
Posted: Mon Feb 22, 2016 1:28 pm
First off, a list of things I hate:
1. Soccer
2. Tuba reviews on Tubenet (usually written on the day the horn arrives)
3. Chinese horns
With that known, here is a fairly well researched opinion of the Eastman EBC 632 CC tuba:
[/URL]
I took possession of this instrument second hand about 3 months ago. It was owned by a fellow Tubeneter who is, to say the least, active in the buying and selling market here. Although he is a really great guy and a pleasure to work with, I must question his sanity for selling this instrument to me. The instrument is in mint condition. He crazy.
THE GREAT:
1. PITCH. I am not a big "I don't like to pull slides" guy. With every instrument I have owned I have found a way to make them sort of work. This horn is dead on with my tuner with nothing extra from me. Scary good. Now I have to unlearn old adjustment habits. This process is ongoing.
2. QUALITY and WEIGHT of SOUND. I love big, easy to blow 6/4 tubas. They glow and support so well. In a brass choir setting I found that this instrument has a supporting ability very much like a big Nirschl and a large Rudy I used to play. Is it as supporting (organ pipe-like) as a big Rudy? No. At least not in my hands. It is though surprisingly close. The supporting watts this thing has is the most surprising feature of this instrument.
[/URL]
THE GOOD:
1. SOUND QUALITY. There is nothing about the quality of the sound that jumps out to me. It sounds like a tuba. Not spicy like an old 186 or bland like a production Yamaha. Meat and potatoes here. I guess a MP change might make it different but I am too old and lazy to goof with that. I have had the same MP since the disco era and it fits in the horn. Works for me.
2. BUILD QUALITY. Solid. Valves to die for. Nothing loose. Slides all move well. Nice color buff before the lacquer. Cool looking bell engraving. Fairly hip detachable bracing gadgets. The reason I put the build in the "good" category is the lack of beauty details. Although the bell engraving is nice, there is nothing on the instrument that is in the least fancy. I miss the rotor cap engraving, the beautiful ONE PIECE braces, the perfect and deeply engraved ferrules, and the nickel silver bow caps/guards of European makers. This is all nit picky stuff and probably will not end up making me think less of the instrument in the future. I will have to learn to admire other instruments in long and boring rehearsals rather than my own. Kinda sucks.
[/URL]
THE AWFUL AWFUL AWFUL:
1. STRAP/HARNESS RINGS. Let's face it: Matt Walters is owed a lot by everyone who plays the tuba. The current interest in building and modification of instruments by all who visit here has been brought about by Matt and people like Matt. What he has done with this instrument AT THIS PRICE is great to say the least. However, Matt needs (IMO) to rethink the need for strap rings, as well as their placement. Why why why do they still exist as standard equipment when 80% of tubas produced for the US market will never be used that way. This would not be such a big deal except for the fact that the bottom ring on my horn hits me square in my ever-expanding gut. It is sorta sharp. This annoyance will soon be rectified in my garage with a torch.
TO SUM UP:
I have fallen for a Chinese horn. I will sell it for $12,000 to buy a used HB2 for sale in Japan that I have wanted for some time. That $12,000 is firm. That is how much I like this instrument.
Bravo Matt.
1. Soccer
2. Tuba reviews on Tubenet (usually written on the day the horn arrives)
3. Chinese horns
With that known, here is a fairly well researched opinion of the Eastman EBC 632 CC tuba:
[/URL]I took possession of this instrument second hand about 3 months ago. It was owned by a fellow Tubeneter who is, to say the least, active in the buying and selling market here. Although he is a really great guy and a pleasure to work with, I must question his sanity for selling this instrument to me. The instrument is in mint condition. He crazy.
THE GREAT:
1. PITCH. I am not a big "I don't like to pull slides" guy. With every instrument I have owned I have found a way to make them sort of work. This horn is dead on with my tuner with nothing extra from me. Scary good. Now I have to unlearn old adjustment habits. This process is ongoing.
2. QUALITY and WEIGHT of SOUND. I love big, easy to blow 6/4 tubas. They glow and support so well. In a brass choir setting I found that this instrument has a supporting ability very much like a big Nirschl and a large Rudy I used to play. Is it as supporting (organ pipe-like) as a big Rudy? No. At least not in my hands. It is though surprisingly close. The supporting watts this thing has is the most surprising feature of this instrument.
[/URL]THE GOOD:
1. SOUND QUALITY. There is nothing about the quality of the sound that jumps out to me. It sounds like a tuba. Not spicy like an old 186 or bland like a production Yamaha. Meat and potatoes here. I guess a MP change might make it different but I am too old and lazy to goof with that. I have had the same MP since the disco era and it fits in the horn. Works for me.
2. BUILD QUALITY. Solid. Valves to die for. Nothing loose. Slides all move well. Nice color buff before the lacquer. Cool looking bell engraving. Fairly hip detachable bracing gadgets. The reason I put the build in the "good" category is the lack of beauty details. Although the bell engraving is nice, there is nothing on the instrument that is in the least fancy. I miss the rotor cap engraving, the beautiful ONE PIECE braces, the perfect and deeply engraved ferrules, and the nickel silver bow caps/guards of European makers. This is all nit picky stuff and probably will not end up making me think less of the instrument in the future. I will have to learn to admire other instruments in long and boring rehearsals rather than my own. Kinda sucks.
[/URL]THE AWFUL AWFUL AWFUL:
1. STRAP/HARNESS RINGS. Let's face it: Matt Walters is owed a lot by everyone who plays the tuba. The current interest in building and modification of instruments by all who visit here has been brought about by Matt and people like Matt. What he has done with this instrument AT THIS PRICE is great to say the least. However, Matt needs (IMO) to rethink the need for strap rings, as well as their placement. Why why why do they still exist as standard equipment when 80% of tubas produced for the US market will never be used that way. This would not be such a big deal except for the fact that the bottom ring on my horn hits me square in my ever-expanding gut. It is sorta sharp. This annoyance will soon be rectified in my garage with a torch.
TO SUM UP:
I have fallen for a Chinese horn. I will sell it for $12,000 to buy a used HB2 for sale in Japan that I have wanted for some time. That $12,000 is firm. That is how much I like this instrument.
Bravo Matt.