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Just a curiosity, I have stumbled onto this topic (viewtopic.php?f=4&t=53988" target="_blank) as well as seen a Hirsbrunner Eb for sale looking very similar, are these horns common? The Nirschl I believe is a one off custom.

Anyone know anything about these? Are they fairly common? What experiences have people had with them?

I don't know if Nirschl has built an Eb tuba for a customer yet. At $14,000 it would have to be a terrific instrument.

That was the estimated price a couple of years ago.

I played a Hirsbrunner Eb at the Army SOM and it was an "interesting" experience. Very stiff to play, ok low range, super funky intonation,... In hindsight I'd have been better off playing one of the 20 Miraphone 1291 Bb's they had. I think Mike Finn posted a photo of my quintet with me playing it.

I played one in the presence of the master himself at the Tuba Conference in Denver 10-12 years ago. Also played the non-compensating front action EEb. They were beautiful things to behold...but I was a bit star struck. I think I posted a review at the time. They played wonderfully, but not so wonderful that I'd shell out the $$$ premium charge. I bought a Besson 981 at the conference, one of the last ones made in England for $5600 - that is fantastic despite stories of issues near their demise. The Nirschl was $16,000 per the builder...and was perhaps 5% better in playability than the Besson. But it had that name on the bell, which was so freaking enduring...

I owned the Nirschl for a while. Wonderful tuba and I on occasion miss it. I sold it as the high register was very open, and the low end I found too complicated fingerings-wise compared to my compensating Eb.