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What do you tubenetter's think about the Conn 56J CC tuba?

I played one for a year or two. Super hyper 2nd partial C, sharp 4th partial C, flat D, lousy slide setup,... I think I've mentioned this before and some people have dismissed it... If you're looking at one I'd pass on it.

58mark wrote:Look at the Eastman CC for a far superior tuba in that style

I'm staying away from Eastman. I've played several and I just did not like them, from the way they played to how they were built. Just my personal preference. I'm more of an old Conn, B&S, Miraphone, and Meinl Weston person. (I typically don't go with the "BIG BRANDS" but I've played several of different models of those and loved them. I was just curious about that 56J as I have an old Conn 25J I absolutely love!

I think they are fine, but for me are just too short. I hate having the bell be that large and close to my head. Better than the Getzen G50, but not by much.

Check out that Conn/Dillon CC for sale on the board here. I've never played it, but if Matt Walters built it, I'd bet that it knocks the socks off of any 56J.

bort wrote:I think they are fine, but for me are just too short. I hate having the bell be that large and close to my head. Better than the Getzen G50, but not by much.

Check out that Conn/Dillon CC for sale on the board here. I've never played it, but if Matt Walters built it, I'd bet that it knocks the socks off of any 56J.

No doubt, Matt is the man!

The gnagey one post down would probably make you happy

58mark wrote:

mwlorrison893 wrote:

58mark wrote:Look at the Eastman CC for a far superior tuba in that style

I'm staying away from Eastman. I've played several and I just did not like them, from the way they played to how they were built. Just my personal preference. I'm more of an old Conn, B&S, Miraphone, and Meinl Weston person. (I typically don't go with the "BIG BRANDS" but I've played several of different models of those and loved them. I was just curious about that 56J as I have an old Conn 25J I absolutely love!

If you don't like the Eastman, you're going to hate the Conn 56j

IMHO, if you don't like the eastman but want the 56j, I would take the other tubenetters advice and look at some other tubas, like that tempting conn/dillon beauty that was mentioned earlier. Personally I've never cared for the 56j, but it is YOUR money...

58mark wrote:

mwlorrison893 wrote:

58mark wrote:Look at the Eastman CC for a far superior tuba in that style

I'm staying away from Eastman. I've played several and I just did not like them, from the way they played to how they were built. Just my personal preference. I'm more of an old Conn, B&S, Miraphone, and Meinl Weston person. (I typically don't go with the "BIG BRANDS" but I've played several of different models of those and loved them. I was just curious about that 56J as I have an old Conn 25J I absolutely love!

If you don't like the Eastman, you're going to hate the Conn 56j

+1

IMHO, if you don't like the eastman but want the 56j, I would take the other tubenetters advice and look at some other tubas, like that tempting conn/dillon beauty that was mentioned earlier. Personally I've never cared for the 56j, but it is YOUR money...[/quote]


I was just asking. Never said I was going to buy it. I didn't know if it played like the old Conn's or not. Just curious.

The 52J, 54J, and 56J (often referred to as the 5xJ series) is a totally different animal than a "vintage" Conn like a 25J or other earlier tuba offerings from Conn.

My preference in 5xJ series is actually for the smallest one of the bunch, the 52J. I played many of them before ultimately deciding to buy a used G-50 (no longer have it). I found the 5xJ Conns to be very inconsistent from one tuba to the next and build quality varied greatly in my observation (some very much looked and felt "cheap"), but the great ones were great. Overall I thought they played fine and didn't have unworkable pitch. Sound was fine, I thought. Slide layout wasn't the greatest, but it worked ok for me. The best of the bunch that I ever tried was actually a lacquer 52J that was at the long-gone Brook Mays Tuba Store in about the year 2000. Whoever ended up with that tuba got a really nice one.

That said, the greatest success to come out of UMI (Conn/Selmer/King, etc.) of a tuba in this style is actually the modern version of the King 2341 BBb. Just a great tuba and what the Conn 5xJ tubas really could have been.

If you are looking at a 5xJ Conn tuba, you owe it to yourself to try the Eastman. I've never tried one and they didn't exist at the time that I bought the Getzen, but I can't imagine buying a 5xJ tuba without trying the Eastman alongside it. Matt Walters did the Conn prototype and has stated publicly that the final build was not exactly what he had in mind and that compromises were made in many areas. Matt also designed the Eastman and says that it has been produced essentially as he designed it and more-or-less how the Conn project was supposed to turn out. As others have said, if the Eastman is not your cup of tea, you probably won't like the Conn.

I'll second the King 2341 as being better than the 56J. If you're looking for a 4/4 American horn, go with a Getzen G-50, an Eastman, or a 2341 (my personal preference is in that order). I know the G-50 gets a lot of mixed reviews, but it really is a great horn once you iron out the quirks that the factory missed (badly tapered leadpipe, overly thick bell, and questionable bracing). If you take it to someone who is familiar with Getzens, you can get one hell of a good tuba for a reasonable price. I understand why a lot of people don't bother, but I've always seen the diamond in the rough with these models.

Rantings of a Band Director trying to play tuba again....

I have a 52J and have been playing on a 2341 my school owns a lot recently. Love, love, love the tone of the 2341. Very round, but focused. My 52J slots in better in higher mid range and up. Low range also speak a lot easier on the 52J. 52J feels more nimble. I should really record myself and do some blind hearing tests.

That said...I keep thinking about selling my 52J and getting a horn with a bigger bore. Tried a Miraphone 1291 recently and the low range spanked both Conn/King horns. I'm so accustomed to the shorter throw on the King/Conn pistons though...why can't someone just make a perfect horn?

(Submitted with the acknowledgement that most posts here get shredded to pieces, since it is the internet after all)

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Just a suggestion. You won't find any of those problems in this instrument. PM or email me.