So how many Tubas have YOU owned?

[MaryAnn]

Have owned four, if you count the three-banger out of tune ancient piston Eb I started with.
Currently one, THE one.

[roughrider]

Own as many as you want --guilt free. Let's not turn this thread into a thread where we learn a valuable lesson.

Amen and Thank You for your response!

[MN_TimTuba]

Not many at all.
Yamaha YBB321, 1977 - 1990
Holton BB345, 1990 - present (1990 - 2017 was a generous long-term loaner!)

Once I decide to buy something, I tend to keep it (all 3 Jeeps were well over 250,000 mi when the left me).
Tim

[Chris Mayer]

All,

its a nice flash back on musical development. Now here is my tuba legacy:

1980-1985: Christian Reisser B 3/4 Tuba 3v
1984-2000: B&S F, non-PT, 6v, handmade unlacquered, gold brass, new (traded for a PT-6P in 2000)
1989-2012: Besson Class A, 3+1 comp, silver, made 1963
1990-1991: Cerveny Opera CC new (first approach to CC, sold for Alex 164)
1991-1996: Alexander 164, brass lacquered 4v used (traded for PT-3)
1996-2000: PT-3 handmade used (traded for PT-6P in 2000)
2000: PT-6P new (preparing for a potential musical mothball, family, job, thought, that piston valves are far more easy to get working after a longer period than rotaries. bigger, better ? yes, but quickly realized that with the loss of the F I have also lost versatility in playing....ok, dead end street.)
2000-2006: Besson 981 silver 3+1 comp (completing my tuba fingerings education with Es, ok comprimise on sound and flexibility versus F and B/ C tuba combo, very low mileage due to family and job, traded for PT-15 )
2006-2012: PT-15 gold brass, new ( end of tuba mothballing, job is not everything and music is a great work life balance, ...and the kids have grown up, 11 and 8 years then also playing music)
2010-2012: Alexander 163, brass, lacquered used (sound, sound, sound and the F needed a companion)
2012-2013: Alexander 156 3+3 F brass unlacquered, used , 1938 (gorgiuous sound, must have been stored somewhere for a long time as valves still had serious pop, in my opinion advantageous fingering eg 1r instead of 1+2, or 2+3r instead of 2+4)

- there was always a „reason“ for change and trade to progress
- always kept a F - B/C Combo - covering high/ solistic and fundamental areas as music demands
- expensive learning curve - should have stayed with my 2000 base F and CC combo thru 2012
- some regrets - should have kept the Alex 164 and not traded F and C in 2000 for mothballing basically on Besson 981
- always had high quality intruments (sound, craftsmenship) - despite this being „ my last tuba now“ high resale payed off nicely in progressing
- learned 5 tuba fingerings keys (B, F, C, Es and Viennese F)

I sold all tubas in 2012 for french horns (new challenge, easier to carry while on business trips to exercise). Embouchure transfer took me 1 year to feel fully comfortable on the french horn mouthpiece (from 32mm down to 17,3) and I have never player tuba since.

The experience of control of air volume and speed and the various fingering keys was and still is a great help in trying to master the french horn. Especially the fingering experience is a huge asset to cover different horn keys (in B, Es, C, A,...) on F or B side in treble or bass clef sometimes basically on „auto pilot“.

...still playing a Wagner Tuba (Alexander Model 108)


regards

Chris

[IsaacTuba]

Where do you guys even get so many tubas? I've got one.

[Bnich93]

c1932 HN White American Standard Eb (basically an ionic breeze, it hasn't even been moved for 6 years. Needs an overhaul but was a very cheap acquisition.)
B&S PT-4 (Sold last year)
Miraphone 181 F tuba "The Duke"
Hirsbrunner HB50 "The Nuke"

I only ever own two tubas at a given time for financial reasons. (my HN White dustbin doesn't really count)

[Voisi1ev]

Not so many, but I'm up to like 20 mouthpieces...I need to stop

Conn 52J used in 2002
Wessex Bombino used in 2018
Bb Yamaha Neo used in 2018

Sometime I think in the future I'd consider getting rid of the Conn and Yamaha for like the Wessex Prokofiev or the 6/4 BMB Bb.

The Bombino is perfect to play while teaching band to the kiddos.

[mckay]

I'm up to 10 tubas (or tuba-like things), never sold any of them. The one who dies with the most horns wins!
From lowest pitch to highest:

• 1906 Boosey & Company BBb helicon, 3-valve compensator
• BBb York-Conn FrankenHelicon
• Miraphone 191 BBb, 5 valves, gold brass
• Miraphone Siegfried (currently my "main axe")
• Miraphone 1291 CC (used to be my "main axe")
• C. A. Zoebisch top-action rotary Eb (probably made in the 1870s)
• Concord Cadet miniature Eb Sousaphone
• K. Weidlich 3/4 F tuba (made in the 1920s?)
• Miraphone 181 F tuba, gold brass, 6 valves (4+2)
• Wessex F cimbasso

I also own a few other instruments:

• Hawkes & Sons G bass trombone
• Holton TR181 bass trombone
• Holton tenor trombone (13th birthday present from my parents)
• Buescher "Grande" trombone, 1927
• Getzen bass trumpet
• Besson euphonium, 4-valve compensating (bought in 1974, Junior year of high school)
• Conn double-bell euphonium (5 valves, probably around 1890)
• No-name berlin-piston baritone (maybe 1870s?)
• No-name oval baritone or tenorhorn, 3 rotary valves, looks like it went through ww2 on the losing side
• John F. Stratton Eb alto horn, probably from around 1900 (not playable)
• Several junky old cornets

[bort]

Post a photo of the Siegfried!

[humBell]

I would point my curiosity at the compensating Boosey & Co Helicon.

In fairness, i should dredge up my Eb non-comp helicon...

Which because i am lazy today, is here:

viewtopic.php?f=2&t=67504&start=20#p575081

[Bill Troiano]

My Tuba History

1962 – new King 2341 (or 1241?) BBb w. bell front (SOLD)

1972 – new Miraphone 186 4U CC (SOLD)

1973 – used Orsi rotary CC (still own) (hangs on the wall as deco)

1976 – used King 2341 (or 1241?) CC w. 2 bells (SOLD) (used in the Lombardo Band)

1982 – new Sear Piggy CC – kept for 2 weeks and returned it to Walter

1983 – new Yamaha YEB321S Eb ( SOLD)

1984 – used Kalischen rotary CC, 4th valve 1+2 combo (SOLD)

1985 – new Miraphone 188 CC (exchanged for…)

1985 – new Miraphone 188 CC Anniversary model (SOLD)

1986 – new B&S Perantucci F (SOLD)

1987- new Hirsbrunner HB-1P CC (SOLD)

1992 – new Kalison DS model CC (traded for…)

1998 – new Conn 52J CC (SOLD)

2000 – new Yamaha 621 CC (still own)

2008 – Gnagey York/King CC (SOLD)

2009 – Besson 983 Eb (SOLD)

2011 – Meinl Weston 3450S CC (SOLD)

2013 – new BMB J845 CC (trade for…)

2013 – new BMB J844 CC (SOLD)

2013 – new BMB J445 F (still own)

2013 – used Miraphone 1292 CC (SOLD)

2014 – used Conn 36K fiberglass CC sousaphone (SOLD)

2016 – Jupiter / Stofer Custom CC sousaphone (still own)

2017 – 1965 Miraphone 186 5V CC (still own)

2018 – 1958 Conn 2J (silver) (SOLD)

2018 – Gnagey Yorl/King 4 valve CC (still own)

[adsteve]

I have owned 9 and I intend to not hit double digits.

2001-2006 Yamaha YCB 661 Piggy CC
2002-2013 B&S Perantucci Model F
2006-2010 B&S PT-20 CC (this horn was an absolute dog)
2010-2015 Miraphone 1291 CC
2013-2015 Yamaha 822 F
2015-2017 Yamaha YCB 621 CC (sold both of my horns due to focal dystonia and went with one horn)
2017 Eastman 632 CC
2018 Gronitz PF125 F (current horn)
2018 Mirafone 188 CC (current horn and the first time in my dystonia recovery I felt justified in owning two horns)

I am incredibly happy with my current setup and do not intend to purchase anymore horns. Famous last words, right?

[ScottM]

I presently own 4 tubas
Mirafone 184 4 valve ( lives at our cabin) from 1972
Mirafone 184 5 valve Gets lots of playing time. I bought used but is from 1974
PT20P 5 valve I use when I need more or different sound for various groups. I bought it used but I don't think it got played much. Plays well and like it.
Conn 14j Eflat Director model (presently for sale - someone please buy it)
ScottM

[phaymore]

St. Petersberg 201N BBb - sold
Yamaha YEB 632 Eb - sold
King 2341 BBb - sold
Miraphone 1291 5V BBb - sold
Conn 19J Eb - for sale
John Packer 377 Eb - for sale
B&S PT 22P Eb

[tclements]

Meinl Weston Bill Bell Model
Mirafone 186-5U CC
Mirafone 183-4U Eb
Mirafone 184-5U
Mirafone 180-5U F
Mirafone 188-5U "Anniversary" Model
Mirafone "Bruckner"
Hirsbrunner HB-2
Hirsbrunner HB2P
Hirsbrunner HB-50
Gronitz PCK
Gronitz PCM (currently)
Gronitz FZ-127
Gronitz PF-125
Gronitz custom PCM DD/CC tuba (currently)
Alexander 173 CC
Alexander 163 CC (6 valve)
Alexander 156
Meinl Weston Norm Pearson (currently)
Meinl Weston Tuono (currently)
Meinl Weston Baer 6450 (currently)
Meinl Weston 2260RA
Yamaha YFB-822
Yamaha YFB-641 (currently)
Yamaha YCB-661
Yamaha YEB-321
Rudy Meinl 5/4 CC
Rudy Meinl 3/4 CC
Willson 3050RZ
Walter Nirschl "York" Model
B&S JBL Classic
Holton 345 BBb
OLD B&S 4/4 CC

Various and sundry euphoniums, bass trumpets and bass trombones

[bort]

How many have I owned? The answer is always "1 less than I'm about to have owned."

Here's my list, in chronological order. I also played a B&S PT3 for about 3 years in college, but I didn't own that one.

Olds 99
VMI 4/4 CC (Meinl Weston 30)
Miraphone 1291
Marzan 5/4 CC
Miraphone 188 "Anniversary" Model
Cerveny 653
Rudy Meinl 4/4
B&S Neptune
Willson 3050RZ
B&S PT-7 (current)

[Heavy_Metal]

I'll have to show this thread to The Lovely Naoko, so she can see there really are people who own more tubas than me

Besides the ones in my signature, I had a little Besson 787 BBb for a while, and a Buescher 4-piston Eb that I got as part of a deal. They have both found new homes with the help of Baltimore Brass.

The Sonora was the first one I owned. My main horn now is (of course) the Alexander.

[Mark Horne]

I started teaching myself tuba in 2008 after many years of playing other brass, primarily horn. My equipment journey has been as follows:

Cerveny 681 5V CC (sold)
Alexander 163 5V CC (current)
VMI (B&S) Neptune 5V CC (current)
Mirafone 186 4V CC (sold)
Meinl Weston 45 5V F (sold)
B&S PT-3 5V CC (current)
Miraphone Firebird 6V F (sold)
Kalison Pro 2000 5V CC (sold)
Willson 3200S 5V F (sold)
Miraphone 186 5V CC (sold)
B&S Symphonie 6V F (current)
Alexander 164 5V BBb (sold)
B&S PT-20 5V CC (for sale)
Alexander 156 6V (3+3 customized) F (current)
Miraphone 1291 5V CC (sold)
Gronitz PCK 5V CC (current)
Yamaha 822S 5V CC (sold)
Meinl Weston Tuono 5V CC (for sale)
Kalison Daryl Smith 5V CC (for sale)
Meinl Weston 45SLP 5V F (for sale)

[SousaShark]

Two.

An old 3/4 Conn given to me by my late band director from Highschool, and a Stumpy from Wessex.

[Gus_Pratt]

Well as a hobby, I buy tubas off eBay and do minor repairs if needed and resell them, so I have owned quite a few. I did this some when I was younger, but stopped for about 15 years. I got back into this hobby in June 2017. Currently, I try only to purchase tubas for less then $500 that I can sell in the $750-1000 range. To put into perspective how many tubas I have likely owned, since mid 2017 I have bought 19 tubas. Of those, I have sold 11, and still have 8. 5 are playable, 3 need work. I used to get anxiety if I have too many tubas, until summer/fall of 2017 when I sold 5 tubas in 6 weeks.