Dalyans are the real deal.

[Rick Denney]

Lee Hipp stopped by for a visit on the 4th to watch fireworks and catch up. We had a good visit and I'm glad he was able to come up from where he's teaching at the Eastern Music Festival.

He brought a Dalyan Prague model for his own use in North Carolina. This was the same instrument that Bloke said nice things about a few days ago.

I'm going to say nice things about it, too.

A close inspection of fit and finish tells me that I would have thought Cerveny had really outdone themselves if the label had said Cerveny. I didn't see anything on the tuba that suggested cheesiness. When I tried it out, I reached over to grab the first-valve slide, and it moved as well as if it had been specially tweaked for easy movement, which Lee tells me it has not. All the slides were really well fitted--something you don't usually see at low price points.

if it has any weakness in its scale or intonation, I was not good enough to detect it. It should come as no surprise that Lee made it sound beautiful, but I didn't feel like I was having to fight any battles to get my best out of it, either. But I didn't spend much time playing it--why would I waste the opportunity to hear Lee try out all those other tubas sitting in my living room? I already know what I sound like.

The sound of the Dalyan with Lee doing the playing was compact compared to my York Master and especially compared to the Holton, but without any apparent stuffiness in the low register. Considering its size, the sound was larger than one would expect. Just about anything you'd find to like about a good Cerveny Piggy would apply. I will not hesitate to recommend it to those who would be in the market for something like a Piggy or a Meinl-Weston Model 18.

And my old San Antonio sensibilities are pleased to note that they are being imported by a company that is also the real deal when it comes to importing tubas. I do miss the great opportunity I had living in San Antonio to go try out instruments at Orpheus. I gather that the connection between Orpheus and Dalyan is such that we can expect a long-term commitment.

Rick "hoping his tubas will forgive him for taunting them with a taste of greatness" Denney

[Ace]

Rick, I'm glad to read your comments about the Dalyan Piggy. So, that's you, Lee Hipp, and Bloke that have reported favorably on this horn, and all of you are more than qualified to evaluate the instrument.

I wish I knew more about the Dalyan four-rotor CC tuba. Brasswind is taking orders for them at about $2,800. The first shipment is due in this month from China. I have placed then cancelled my order twice, but maybe I shouldn't be so uncertain about Dalyan horns. They have been making tubas for 50 years, and supply some of China's finest military bands. Perhaps I'll reinstate my order. I wish Dalyan made a five-rotor CC, but my first tuba (a Meinl Weston Wm Bell four-rotor horn) was quite adequate for most things.

http://www.dalyantubas.com/html/dalyan_low_brass.html