Origins of the Great Divide

[EdFirth]

Herb Wekselblatt was still using a Sander Bb in the Met orchestra when I took with him in 1973. He was curious about Mirafones and was going to order two, pick a winner, and let me buy the other one at his cost. Unfortunately his wife became very ill and before the horns came she passed away and I got out of the Army. But years later, while in Tampa with the circus I had to visit a repair shop where the repair guy told me a story about spending hours cutting on a Mirafone for him. He also, at the time I was going to him for lessons, told me that he had a little four valve Olds tuba(99?) that he would pull out when the conductor asked "for the F tuba". Ed

[swillafew]

Because of Bill Bell and Arnold Jacobs. They were both "orchestra tuba titans" who held a lot of sway in the tuba community.

I heard that as well (many years ago), that by requiring a C instrument, Bill Bell turned a generation of players that way. According to the version of the story I heard, it ensured nobody played anything but high quality horn, and thus the requirement.

[iiipopes]

You forgot:

Kirk vs. Picard

Ginger vs. Mary Ann

Daphne vs. Velma

Trixie vs. Bubbles

Coke vs. Pepsi

[BrassedOn]

Sweet tea vs unsweet.

Which always cracks me up that plain iced tea is a
negatively marked case, as if the sugar was removed.
BBb bass in orchestra is the unsweet tea of the tuba world.

In the euphonium world,
Cheapo horn (+decent, dependable used car)
vs Premium horn (+motor scooter)