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Hello all, I'm currently playing a CC, but am frustrated by the fact that I can't really do solo stuff comfortably on it. Are there any Eb or F tubas that would work as an all-around horn, good for Orchestra, Band, Chamber, and Solo uses? I am limited to one tuba because of budgetary reasons.

You might do better to have a smaller all-around CC than the PT-6 in your signature. Personally, I find it easier to try and sound big on a smaller tuba, than to sound small on a bigger tuba.

I really don't think there is a small enough tuba that would be good for solos and would have enough umpf for larger ensembles.
(that includes CCs, Fs & Ebs) Small is small regardless of the key. Sell the PT6 and by 2 BMBs - one F (w/ small bell) and one CC (4/4)
With that combo you could play anything.

I owned a Willson 3200 piston F tuba for a while. My impression was that it would make an excellent do-everything horn. Low range is big and easy with a secure high end. I think it could replace a 4/4 C in most situations.

If I had to get rid of all of my tubas and only have 1 tuba to use for everything I would choose something like the Willson 3400 Eb, which is a great all-round horn. A large F tuba like the MW2250 would also work well.

It just depends on your balance of priorities - how much solo stuff (and what type of solo stuff) vs how much larger ensemble stuff (and what type of ensemble).

A 3+1 compensated EEb tuba with 19" bell will do everything. Maybe not the best tool for every job, but nothing is more flexible.

Mark Horne wrote:I owned a Willson 3200 piston F tuba for a while.

I go almost a day without this website and they already have tubas with 3,200 pistons

I'll second Jonathan's sentiment about the compensating Eb tuba--ever since I got mine (an older Besson 981 with a Conn 4J 18" bell), I've actually switched over to using it for most things (warmup every morning, lots more rep, even some formerly CC tuba-centric excerpts sound great on it). They really are fascinating horns, but as was said up above, you really need to dive into the Eb world headfirst. It's an oddly vexing move at first, but it takes only a short while to really warm up to it (especially if you dedicate your time just to that horn).

Doc wrote:I've been playing F tuba exclusively for a year.

What model?

Is that one of the ones that looks like a B&S, or like the first 181 that's of the current style?

Regardless, sounds like a cool horn, and that you're not taking the easy way out of anything by using only that.

Beautiful tuba! It's been a while since I've seen a "Premium" one (with the fancy triangle on the bell). Way cool, Doc!

Bill, you ditched your Kantsul?

SO how many Americans are moving toward EEb as a do it all bass tuba? How many are considering a 3+1(19inchbell) and a Wessex Bombino EEb or a Wessex/Gnagey EEb or a Wessex Danube EEb as a small horn. Or even a Norwegian Star and a Starlight?

I think that the 3 +1 EEb tubas are excellent all purpose,tubas. However, if you are expecting to produce the type of sound that a 5/4 or 6/4 tuba has the capability of producing, you may be disappointed or worse injure yourself trying. I think the same is true if your expecting to sound like Roger Bobo on his solo albums with a 5/4 or 6/4 tuba. Yes, it can be done, but it's a lot of work. If I were called to play a job in which I didn't know what was going to be on the stand, I would definitely bring the EEb. You "can" play anything on the compensating EEb.

There's no replacement for displacement ,as they say.

I've been playing a Besson 983 Eb as my only horn for over a decade now. Currently, I play with a local brass band (playing the Eb bass part, so that's a perfect fit), and I play in a wind ensemble at a local university. While there are times where I would like a larger horn (BBb or CC) for the wind ensemble, it gets the job done pretty well, and I've not had any complaints from conductors. I've also played it in an orchestra a few times (at the same local university, when there were no tuba students) with success. It was a smallish orchestra, though.

Dan, I totally agree/