Alexander 163 in Quintet?

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eupho
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Alexander 163 in Quintet?

Post by eupho »

I have the chance to purchase an affordable Alex 163 clone and am curious if there is anyone using a real 163 or a clone in quintet or ia it just too much horn? Thanks
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bort
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Re: Alexander 163 in Quintet?

Post by bort »

Depends on the quintet! Probably a little much, but with some attention and control, just about anything would work in a quintet.
Heavy_Metal
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Re: Alexander 163 in Quintet?

Post by Heavy_Metal »

Which clone?
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Old (early 1900s?) Alexander BBb proto-163
1976 Sonora (B&S 101) 4-rotor BBb
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pjv
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Re: Alexander 163 in Quintet?

Post by pjv »

Yes. I own a 163 and it works just fine. The question is whether or not you want to use a 4/4 contrabass tuba in a brass quintet setting.
I've recorded my quintet often with my B&S Symphonie but also with my Ales 163 and the differences are negligible. This probably has little to do with the instruments themselves and everything to do with the sound similarities of a large German bastuba and a small German contrabass tuba. In other words I and my colleagues can barely hear the difference and the differences we do hear don't have a dramatic effect on the music. It almost always comes down to the same thing; which instrument is easier for me to play on a specific piece.
A bass is in general cleaner and obviously easier in the high register. Specific plus with the Symphonie is that it is also very easy in the low register and tunes very easily.
A contrabass is obviously easier in the low register. Specific plus with the 163 is that playing clean is very easy on these tubas and their high register is very easy and accurate. Mine is a BBb and the tuning is a no brainer. For me this is an important starting point; brainless intonation.
I prefer taking one tuba to a gig and usually play F tuba with most brass-5 music. If there is a lot of bass line stuff then the BBb might get the job.
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Re: Alexander 163 in Quintet?

Post by Tom »

I've played my Alexander 163 in a brass quintet. The repertoire really called for contrabass tuba and since my contrabass tuba is an Alexander, that's what I played on. It was fine. They can be played with a light touch and work in a variety of situations if they need to.

I do have an F tuba that I play extensively and use the vast majority of the time I'm playing in a brass quintet, but I suspect most players either have only one tuba or perhaps they are fortunate enough to be setup like me with one contrabass tuba and one bass tuba. What that really means is that most quintet players are usually just playing the only tuba they have - whatever that make and model happens to be - they probably don't have a "quintet tuba" and a "solo tuba" and a "large ensemble tuba" and so on...

With that said, I don't think I'd buy an Alexander 163 with the sole intention of using it as a brass quintet instrument. If you have one already or want to buy one to play primarily in other settings, then the Alexander 163 (or clone) is fine. I just think there are better choices if you really want a "brass quintet tuba."
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Re: Alexander 163 in Quintet?

Post by Tom »

No argument from me on those points.

I was referring to "brass quintet" in this context:
bloke wrote: "Brass quintet" (the ensemble in the USA, and not a "brass quintet" piece-of-music written for a brass quintet) usually means "two trumpets, a horn, a trombone, and some sort of bass instrument - most often: some sort of tuba".
Further, I was thinking the same regarding the following:
bloke wrote: If someone owns ONE bass brass instrument, THAT is the instrument they will use in THEIR brass quintet...
...but if someone owns MORE than one bass brass instrument, they are different, several of them are good, and the player has mastered the playing of them, various COMPOSITIONS (depending on how they are written, and how the player believes they should sound) may be played with various instruments.
:tuba:
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Re: Alexander 163 in Quintet?

Post by doublebuzzing »

I don't see why a 163 couldn't be used in quintet. It's roughly the size of a 186, correct? If it seems too dark for your group, try a shallow mouthpiece like a C4 or Loud 10.

A 164 could present a challenge for use in a quintet.
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