Melton 2000 x Melton Ursus

The bulk of the musical talk
Post Reply
User avatar
cle_tuba
bugler
bugler
Posts: 161
Joined: Thu Aug 27, 2009 1:33 pm
Location: Brasil

Melton 2000 x Melton Ursus

Post by cle_tuba »

Hello guys!
Has anyone had a chance to try out Melton Ursus and Melton 2000?
I would like to hear them ...
Best
Cleverson Zavatto
Tubist
User avatar
cle_tuba
bugler
bugler
Posts: 161
Joined: Thu Aug 27, 2009 1:33 pm
Location: Brasil

Re: Melton 2000 x Melton Ursus

Post by cle_tuba »

I saw a MW2000 on melton's website: http://www.melton-meinl-weston.com/en/i ... -allround/" target="_blank and also on the store's website: https: //www.fmb- direkt.de/melton-c-tuba-2000s
Cleverson Zavatto
Tubist
MikeMason
6 valves
6 valves
Posts: 2102
Joined: Fri Mar 19, 2004 1:03 am
Location: montgomery/gulf shores, Alabama
Contact:

Re: Melton 2000 x Melton Ursus

Post by MikeMason »

Intonation was not its only strong suit. Great horn.
Pensacola Symphony
Troy University-adjunct tuba instructor
Yamaha yfb621 with 16’’ bell,with blokepiece symphony
Eastman 6/4 with blokepiece symphony/profundo
besson900
bugler
bugler
Posts: 125
Joined: Tue Mar 26, 2013 2:03 pm

Re: Melton 2000 x Melton Ursus

Post by besson900 »

I had a chance to play on Ursus and to be honest it wasn't for me instrument worth 15k euro. I never played on 2000 so i can tell You what i think about it but i checked this instrument and i have question:

CAN YOU EXPLAIN ME WHY IT COAST 21(fckn TWENTY ONE !!!!) thousand euro, it is more than Baer :shock: :shock: :shock: :shock: :?: :?: :?:

Here is the link to FMB website where is price of it
https://www.fmb-direkt.de/en/brasswind- ... tuba-2000s" target="_blank
User avatar
binlove
bugler
bugler
Posts: 70
Joined: Sun Feb 15, 2015 4:05 am

Re: Melton 2000 x Melton Ursus

Post by binlove »

There is currently a 2000 in the showroom in Geretreid. Based on that, I have to think they’ll make you one if you have the cash.

To the original question, I played both the 2000 and the Ursus in Geretsreid about a month ago. For reference, I owned a great 2000 when I was playing professionally (thanks Morris K). I loved that tuba and felt it was very easy to play.

With that said, for me the Ursus is hands down the better player - more feedback to the player, more responsive, and much better low register. But, the ergonomics of the 2000 were more comfortable.

The Tuono they had was a whole other level above both of those.
User avatar
Matt Walters
The Tuba Whisperer
The Tuba Whisperer
Posts: 462
Joined: Fri Mar 19, 2004 9:20 am
Location: Woodbridge, NJ

Re: Melton 2000 x Melton Ursus

Post by Matt Walters »

INTERESTING how things go FULL CIRCLE. I agree it would be fun to compare them back to back on someone else's dime. Here is a story from about 15 years ago that applies here.

In the pre Buffet Group days when Dillon Music was a Meinl Weston dealer importing Meinl Weston products directly from the company in Germany, we asked Meinl Weston to make an exclusive horn for us. The MW2157 was to be the MW 2155 body but with the original bigger 19" bell from the VMI Apollo F tuba, and the more efficient MW 45SLP leapipe. They said, "Okay but we'll have to charge you more money and by the way, we're coming out with the 5450 that is also bigger than a 2155 but going to sell for even less and every dealer can sell that against your MW 2157." Wasn't that nice of them? We went ahead and stocked then sold several of our MW 2157 tubas to discriminating players over the next couple years. Then came the WWBW bankruptcy / Tubadome fiasco and that is another very long story.

Follow along to see how this goes in a full circle: Since they replaced the big 19" bell on the original Apollo F tuba with the 17.75" bell from a 2155, we knew the bigger 19" bell would fit a 2155. I think the 19" bell on the original Apollo F tuba came from the B&S GR-41 (B&S PT606P). Could be vice versa, but I had to say a VMI product to stay away from the B&S exclusivity issue in those days.

Now a many years later, the B&S GR-41 is reinvented as the MW 3225-2 Ursus with GR-41 branches but the smaller 17.75" bell from a MW 2155/2000. On the Ursus, the 5th valve is moved from just after the 4th piston on the GR-41 to the bugle side of main tuning slide. Then, the slide tubing is rearranged to be like current Meinl Weston tubas. Same valve block. I'm thinking the leadpipe is smaller on the Ursus than what is was on the MW 2155/2000. On the Ursus you can change the mouthpiece receiver gap by changing bits in the receiver.

So 15 or more years ago I proposed a horn similar to the MW 2000/2155 with a little more breadth of sound but not as chubby as the GR-41 by putting on a bigger bell on the thinner 2155 body. Now they have taken the larger bodied GR-41 and tightened it up with a smaller bell.


You say tubato and I say tubaato.
Matt Walters
Last chair tubist
Who Cares What Ensemble
Owns old tubas that play better than what you have.
ckalaher1
3 valves
3 valves
Posts: 288
Joined: Tue Jun 15, 2010 2:35 am

Re: Melton 2000 x Melton Ursus

Post by ckalaher1 »

The 3225 that I played was a very nice playing tuba, and it seemed to be nicely in tune with itself, although I didn't put it on a tuner. Even response top to bottom. No weird responding notes or anything like that.

Having said all that, I found it to be a pretty uncomfortable tuba to hold. Seemed like a real reach to the valve section, and I'm tall with long arms. I don't remember much about the couple of 2155/2000s that I blew on, but I don't recall them being uncomfortable at all.

The 3225 seemed pretty expensive, too. The 3450 seemed like a more comfortable tuba at a lower price point with similar sonic capabilities, at least to me.
sweaty
bugler
bugler
Posts: 80
Joined: Tue Mar 05, 2013 11:49 am

Re: Melton 2000 x Melton Ursus

Post by sweaty »

I own an Ursus, and I've found that lower register notes tend to be a bit low (which was fixed with a slightly shallower mouthpiece). But the Ursus has an incredibly beefy sound that you can't get with a 3450. Ergonomically, it takes a little bit of getting used to, but I find it comfortable to hold. You just have to rotate the horn towards you.
Post Reply