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We’ve all seen ads for someone (like those in/entering undergraduate or grad programs) selling off their small CC to get a large horn.

From my experience, there's usually a trade-off or compromise when selecting big tuba vs. small tuba. The trade-off or compromise usually involves how much you want to work in certain aspects of playing. 4/4 and some 5/4 tubas usually offer better intonation, clarity, and response. However, 4/4 and some 5/4 tuba require more work to provide the quality/quantity of sound that is desirable in some large ensemble situations. 6/4 tubas offer "that" sound that some of us love and cherish. However, 6/4 tubas usually require more work for clarity, intonation, and accuracy. The keyword here is "work." Whatever tuba that you choose will require a lot of " work" in some aspects of playing. If I were going to college/university to study music education/performance, I would check with the college/university that I was planning to attend, or already attending to see what tuba they have available for use. Most colleges/universities usually have some type of tuba that will work or at least offer the ability to "get by" in your required large ensembles and the tuba(s) available for use are usually good enough to develop a solid foundation in good contabass tuba performance. If this were the case, and I had the money, I would purchase a decent "bass tuba" (F or Eb). Although a bass tuba isn't "necessary," it might afford you the opportunity to really "dig into" the solo repertoire and maybe some advanced quintet literature.

What tuba did I choose? I am an active duty Army musician, so BBb tuba makes the most sense for most of my playing needs. What BBb tuba did I "choose" for my job? A Meinl Weston 195P. Why? Because it's easy to play in tune, with good clarity, and offers the ability to play softly or produce an enormous sound when required.

Do I choose to use other tubas? Yes, occasionally I will use an Eb tuba for soloing or certain quintet works.

Could I do my job with only one tuba? Probably...but I don't like to work that hard and I couldn't perform certain literature as well as I could using a different "tool."

I don't own the MW 195P. It belongs to the U.S. Army However, I do own a BMB J765 BBb tuba. Although it's more "York" shaped, I have to say it's also a very good large BBb tuba. Definitely on my "top ten" large BBb tuba list. Along with the Siegfried and Hagen series. Really unbelievable how great and rather versatile large BBb tubas are available on the market these days.

bloke wrote:clarification:

My post mentioned the F tuba a great deal, because "small C" and "F" (at least, to me) seem a bit redundant.
(Due to a crazy bargain price, I actually bought a small C tuba after owning my F tuba for several years. I owned it for one week, played it at one Christmas Eve midnight mass gig, asked myself, "...so why do I have this...??", and sold it a week later.
"My (PREVIOUSLY owned...not the one mentioned just above) small C tuba disappearing" and "buying an F tuba" were approximately simultaneous, and had little to do with (immediately/eventually/whenever) acquiring a large C tuba.

I totally understand, and culminating with the B&S F was a surprise twist, "dance with who brung ya", and the happily ever after story we'd all hope for. Sometimes we are fortunate to find our life-mate horn early in life.

Dan Tuba wrote:From my experience, there's usually a trade-off or compromise when selecting big tuba vs. small tuba. The trade-off or compromise usually involves how much you want to work in certain aspects of playing. 4/4 and some 5/4 tubas usually offer better intonation, clarity, and response. However, 4/4 and some 5/4 tuba require more work to provide the quality/quantity of sound that is desirable in some large ensemble situations. 6/4 tubas offer "that" sound that some of us love and cherish. However, 6/4 tubas usually require more work for clarity, intonation, and accuracy. The keyword here is "work." Whatever tuba that you choose will require a lot of " work" in some aspects of playing.

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I concur. Having recently switched from a 5/4 to a 6/4 cc, the bigger one is a different animal altogether. It has a beautiful big sound, but requires work with intonation and quality. And it needs air, lots of air, much more air than I have ever put into any instrument. But I can see a reward at the end of the rainbow: A big, lovely tuba sound that will build a solid foundation under the band, and of course make the flute section complain about excessive vibrations, but bollocks to them.

I purchased a Mirafone 184 in 1972 when I graduated from high school. I used it all the way through college including grad school. It began to need valve work so I bought another one of the same vintage from a college friend that she wasn’t using and needed some money for a house she was building. A few years ago I decided I wanted a bigger horn and bought a PT 20 that was barely used. I used it in a local concert band and also played it in small community symphony.
I use the horn that suits the task. The director of the symphony likes the bigger horn and compliments my sound, so I use it there.
I use the184 when playing solo lit for my own enjoyment and often with the band as we have enough tubas we don’t need volume, we need clarity and the 184 provides that to the section. If the section is short on players I will bring the bigger horn to band but it is a lot heavier.
Side note as I am only 5’3 so the 5/4 and 6/4 horns are not really an option.
I agree with the thought of matching horn to person and to the task.
ScottM

I played a school-owned 184 C in college my final year - loved that horn! Wish I could justify having one now.

Went from a B&S Pt-4 that I owned for about 6 years to my Yorkbrunner. I have always been told that my horn became much too bright when I tried to push volume for large ensembles. At a NERTEC conference some years ago I fell in love with an HB50, so I spent a long time building up the means and got one. No regrets at all other than not having the option to play CC in quintets, but I have the 181 for that role.

Went from a 2155 to a Rudy 5/4 to a PT6 to my current Gnagey 4/4 CC. Looking back on it, every horn I had was the right horn for me at the time. Looking back on it, I could have never gotten rid of the 2155 and never suffered at all. But at the time, I was young, wanted the biggest horn possible, and I could always blame the horn when my sound broke up or I couldn't play loud enough.

The Rudy was my first "big" horn. It was the right horn at the time because (a) boy was it fun, so my practice sessions never ended; and (b) I knew any brightness/breaking in the sound was ME and not the horn. No question. So I had to fix it. The PT6 offered more flexibility and clarity. And again - any fuzzy attacks were MY fault, not the horn. And while it wasn't as dark as the Rudy, it COULD play as loud as necessary in any setting without breaking. So if it did? My fault. So. Fix it. Now that I'm playing almost solely for fun, having the smaller, less air-demanding horn with better intonation is perfect. I don't need playing to be a physical demand at this point. I want to be able to sit down and play. And since I have 15 years behind me where I played big horns, "MY" sound in my head is pretty big. So I produce a better sound on the Gnagey than I would had I not played the big horns for so long.

Could I have done everything differently? Yep. But every step was a learning experience and got my playing to where it is now, so it was all worth it.

The Conn 2/3J, B&S PT3/4, and Miraphone 186/188 and similar animals are all some of the best playing tubas money can buy and in the right hands puts out a very large sound that's appropriate for any situation, solo chamber or orchestra.

In contrast, the best playing and sounding 6/4 tubas almost all sound and play much smaller than their physical size suggests but with more challenging intonation and are really only great for one job.

timayer wrote:Could I have done everything differently? Yep. But every step was a learning experience and got my playing to where it is now, so it was all worth it.

Everything you wrote resonated with me, and is similar to my own trajectory through many tubas... starting with smaller tubas, moving on to the big ones, and now finding a desire to go back to something more medium-sized. And that's a good point too, I think I probably appreciate the medium-sized tubas even more now, since I've had a good amount of time on the huge tubas.

I know now that I should never have sold my old Miraphone 188, but I'm not sure I would have appreciated it as much if I hadn't experimented with the bigger tubas. I'm a one-tuba person, so it was either stick with something and forever wonder what could have been, or try something new and see what happens. I liked them all, but the 188 just was a "fit" for me more than any other tuba (second place is the 1291, which I could have also made myself be happy with). I try not to get too attached to physical objects though... they're only tubas... they'll make more.

Just because you like (or have liked) something doesn't mean you have to hold onto it for eternity. If it isn't making you happy or if you're simply ready to move on, that's okay. Sell it and do something else.

bloke wrote:What is considered “small“ these days…??

4/4...??

Why, are you aware of anything smaller?

bloke wrote:If (??) 3/3 is NOT smaller than 4/4, then my incorrectness - surely - is very minute...so I deserve at least an A-, yes?

At the very least, a participation trophy!