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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aHIwfWa ... e=youtu.be" target="_blank

Has to be the Rudy Meinl 6/4 BBb.

The B&S Neptune is also a REALLY large tuba, with a 20.5" bell. I sometimes regret selling mine, but plain and simple, it didn't fit in my car, so what was the point?

I'm not sure if the Neptune is significantly larger than other 6/4 tubas, but it's a really, really big tuba.

bort wrote:The B&S Neptune is also a REALLY large tuba, with a 20.5" bell. I sometimes regret selling mine, but plain and simple, it didn't fit in my car, so what was the point?

I'm not sure if the Neptune is significantly larger than other 6/4 tubas, but it's a really, really big tuba.

Have to disagree. The Neptune is smaller than most 6/4 tubas.
It has a big bell but is smaller than the Holton 345, Nirschl, 2165 etc etc. The body is basically a PT6 I believe...
It's maybe comparable to a PCK or some other 5.5/4 tubas.
Somewhere I have a picture of my old Neptune and 345 which I'll dig out...

Peach wrote:

bort wrote:The B&S Neptune is also a REALLY large tuba, with a 20.5" bell. I sometimes regret selling mine, but plain and simple, it didn't fit in my car, so what was the point?

I'm not sure if the Neptune is significantly larger than other 6/4 tubas, but it's a really, really big tuba.

Have to disagree. The Neptune is smaller than most 6/4 tubas.

Fair enough... I was just thinking in terms of height and bell diameter, and I thought it was bigger in that regard. You're right though, in terms of the size of the taper and bell flare, others are fatter.

probably actually in the Sousaphone family - Jumbos are clearly larger than 6/4 Conns, and the largest tubas are only basically even with or just edging out a 6/4 Conn.

I think the big Rudy is probably the biggest "real" tuba out there.

That said, the Miraphone 190 I borrowed was considerably bigger than the traditional 6/4 piston tuba. It played well and sounded awesome- I was able to induce many cases of the giggles in my colleagues.

Also, my old Conn was pretty big. I've sat it next to a big Holton and a 2165. It was at least as big if not slightly bigger, and the bell was 22".

bloke wrote:If I build the new "largest tuba", does it have to be playable, or just "the largest" ?

(I'd really like to do something that would make the entire world sit up and take notice...)

The OP asked about the largest tuba and ruled tubas like "Big Carl" out of the competition. So, it would have to be playable.

I suspect the 6/4 Rudi is still the biggest tuba available today. Getting one requires only money, not having good luck and timing on the vintage market. But the Rudi requires lots of money.

The F.X.Huller and Hess instruments described above were probably as rare in their day as the Rudi is now, but one can still have a 6/4 Rudi made on special order.

I would love to see a picture of the Huller next to the Rudi, from enough of a distance that perspective distortion doesn't play tricks on the comparison. I wonder if only the bell is larger.

Rick "who found the Rudi to be surprisingly playable" Denney

ValveSlide wrote:Nirschl 6/4 BBb vs Nirschl York model 6/4 CC...

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Holy hell I didn't think the BBb was that much bigger than the CC. Although when I play tested the BMB 6/4 CC and the BBb, the BBb felt considerably larger and sounded as such. I ended up getting the BBb, the notes sat better and the tone was IMO bigger than the CC. They are heavy as hell though.