Alexander Tubas
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- bugler
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Alexander Tubas
I've read a lot about them and I'm looking for more. Do they manufacture/sell these anymore? If so, is there a website that has this information? (BTW, I checked out the MM Alexander & Mainz English website but it seemed remarkably devoid of a lot of information about tubas, is there a reason for this?) I've just heard a lot of positive comments about these horns and I'm interested if I'll ever be able to check any of these out on my own.
Thanks for your time and consideration.
Thanks for your time and consideration.
- Alex C
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Alexander tubas are still made but some would argue that the old ones have a unique sound not available in the new instruments.
I haven't played a new one but I owned an older Alex for about 3 years. I'm not a rotary valve fan and finally decided I could play better if I went back to pistons. However, I still miss the sound of an Alexander. If I had the money, I'd find a good Alex and just to hear the sound. Magic.
The website does have information on tubas. Maybe this page
http://www.gebr-alexander.com/instrumente/tubas/ will show you more.
I haven't played a new one but I owned an older Alex for about 3 years. I'm not a rotary valve fan and finally decided I could play better if I went back to pistons. However, I still miss the sound of an Alexander. If I had the money, I'd find a good Alex and just to hear the sound. Magic.
The website does have information on tubas. Maybe this page
http://www.gebr-alexander.com/instrumente/tubas/ will show you more.
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Brand new alex tubas are very hard to come by. The factory makes primarily horns-to make tubas requires a great deal of resetting the equipment. Since the horns are in great demand it isn't profitable for them to make tubas anymore-I think they do orders once a year or once every other year.
These horns have infamously bad intonation, but famously good sounds. People seem to like the sound of the alex, as it tends to fit one's impression of what a tuba sounds like.
My advice would be to try many, if you can-and are interested, and don't settle for one that has terrible intonation as it will eventually frustate you to no good end.
jon
These horns have infamously bad intonation, but famously good sounds. People seem to like the sound of the alex, as it tends to fit one's impression of what a tuba sounds like.
My advice would be to try many, if you can-and are interested, and don't settle for one that has terrible intonation as it will eventually frustate you to no good end.
jon
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Try this link:
http://www.tubamm.com/site/products.htm\
Then, click on the instruments beginning with the A-prefix. Example, A-163.
http://www.tubamm.com/site/products.htm\
Then, click on the instruments beginning with the A-prefix. Example, A-163.
- Paul S
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keep the Alex sell the 1291?
That was the comment I noticed immediately as well!LV wrote:I wonder why your teacher sold the 1291 and kept the 2 Alex CC's?Josh07 wrote:It's the most amazing tuba ever. I bought my teacher's 1291 and you gotta love the volume on this thing!!!! It plays in tune, too!!!!
Just curious...
I am certain most who have played an Alex understand why though.
Paul Sidey, CCM '84
Principal Tubist, Grand Lake Symphony
B&S PT-606 CC - Yamaha YFB-621 F
SSH Mouthpieces http://sshmouthpieces.com/" target="_blank
Principal Tubist, Grand Lake Symphony
B&S PT-606 CC - Yamaha YFB-621 F
SSH Mouthpieces http://sshmouthpieces.com/" target="_blank
- Rick Denney
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I can't speak for Dave, but Mike Sanders had an opportunity to buy his old Alex back some years after switching to a Yorkbrunner. After 10 minutes of playing the Alex in a rehearsal, he set it aside. He reported the reasons as being:Doc wrote:Why, Dave, why?
1.) It was just too much work to make the Alex work in the ensemble and hall, and
2.) He was scared the conductor would love the sound and insist that he keep playing it.
Rick "just reporting what he hears" Denney
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M&M
Replying to 'Ace;' Are you trying to tell us that M&M Horns are made by Alexander? The site that the link leads to does not come right out and say so. The horns keep popping up on E-Bay for much less than the supposed retail. I live about 30 miles away from the warehouse that they are sold from and will make it a point to go there, if the Alexander connection is true. Comments?
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To Jmerring above.
I wasn't suggesting anything.
Please check the site again.
http://www.tubamm.com/site/products.htm
Click on "products", then on any of the horns with an A- prefix. Note in the lower right corner the logo for Gebr. Alexander Mainz. To me, that indicates TubaMM is a dealer or distributor of Alexander tubas. (?) If you find out something about this, please let the board know. Thanks.
Ace
I wasn't suggesting anything.
Please check the site again.
http://www.tubamm.com/site/products.htm
Click on "products", then on any of the horns with an A- prefix. Note in the lower right corner the logo for Gebr. Alexander Mainz. To me, that indicates TubaMM is a dealer or distributor of Alexander tubas. (?) If you find out something about this, please let the board know. Thanks.
Ace
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Alexander Tubas
Hi, Friends;
I contacted local seller of the M&M horns, asking whether they were made by Alexander, since the "a" series that is shown on the M&M website are seemingly Alexanders. The response I received:
"No. Alexander are made by Alexander in Germany
We do have in stock at this time the ( clones ) as in the picture for delivery
Alexander does sell a send (sic; not this writer's) line of tubas that we also have listed
Thank you "
I am going to try to get to the warehouse/showroom and look more closely at the horns. I will post an update as soon as I am able to do it.
Jim
I contacted local seller of the M&M horns, asking whether they were made by Alexander, since the "a" series that is shown on the M&M website are seemingly Alexanders. The response I received:
"No. Alexander are made by Alexander in Germany
We do have in stock at this time the ( clones ) as in the picture for delivery
Alexander does sell a send (sic; not this writer's) line of tubas that we also have listed
Thank you "
I am going to try to get to the warehouse/showroom and look more closely at the horns. I will post an update as soon as I am able to do it.
Jim
Last edited by jmerring on Mon Jul 25, 2005 9:29 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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It seems to me that these guys could be in serious legal trouble. It is outrageous, if not criminal, that they would put the Gebr. Alexander Mainz logo on their A-series ads if these are not genuine Alexander tubas. I've seen a lot of shady business practices over the years, and this may be one of them.
- cjk
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I don't know what you guys are going off the handle about.
I don't see anything that suggests that M&M Instruments or Daylan instruments are made by Alexander on that website, http://www.tubamm.com.
They obviously sell three makes:
--Alexander
--M&M
--Daylan
What's so confusing there ???
I don't see anything that suggests that M&M Instruments or Daylan instruments are made by Alexander on that website, http://www.tubamm.com.
They obviously sell three makes:
--Alexander
--M&M
--Daylan
What's so confusing there ???
- ThomasDodd
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I think the confusion is between "M&M Instruments" (a instrument manufacturer) and "TubaMM" (a seller of M &M instruments).cjk wrote:What's so confusing there ???
Someone posted a link to TubaMM as a source for new Alexander tubas. Someone else read that as M&M instruments being made by the same company. So they contacted a local M&M Instruments retailer and asked if they were Alexanders. The reply was poorly worded, but that was from the local seller, not TubaMM.
TubaMM appears to differentiate their Alex products from the M&M products. Unless "6th generation" could equal "26 years" in somone's mind. I would think 6 generations to be more than 26 years though, at least 60
So, while TubaMM sellse M&M, Dalyan, and Alexander tubas, not all places that sell M&M tubas will carry Alexander tubas.
- cjk
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I believe that M&M is a "house" brand of "TubaMM". They seem to be the only place that sells them.I think the confusion is between "M&M Instruments" (a instrument manufacturer) and "TubaMM" (a seller of M &M instruments).
Google "MM-2A BBb Tuba" and see what shows up.
Please also note that "tubamm" and the "local seller" you mention are both in Florida. They are one in the same.Someone posted a link to TubaMM as a source for new Alexander tubas. Someone else read that as M&M instruments being made by the same company. So they contacted a local M&M Instruments retailer and asked if they were Alexanders. The reply was poorly worded, but that was from the local seller, not TubaMM.
I'm still not confused. sorry!
- Rick Denney
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"TubaMM" appears to sell Alexanders on their website. They do not publish prices, which is consistent with the likely fact that the instruments are available by special order only.the elephant wrote:Hmm . . .
Sounds intentionally unclear to me.
So do they sell Alexander tubas or not?
The local store that may be connected with "TubaMM" has Chinese tubas in stock. They do not have Alexanders in stock. Alexander did not make their Chinese tubas.
It seemed clear to me.
I believe that the mistyped word is "second", as in "Alexander does sell a second line of tubas that we also have listed." In other words, it's not their primary line that they have in their store, it's their second line.
I really do wish that stores would have at least one person available to answer questions who can communicate in the language of the land. It's annoying but it's the worst sin I see here. I don't think I see a claim that Alexander tubas are being stenciled, or that tubas marked "Alexander" are not made by Alexander.
Rick "who buys cameras from Ukrainians and who sees better writing from them" Denney
- Rick Denney
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Yes, up to a point, but I still think we are making it harder to understand than it is. The ad of theirs that I saw on TubaNews said "Alexander and M&M Tubas". I have seen or heard nothing at all to suggest that the Alexander tubas they advertise are anything but the real thing. I have only seen their words that said they only had M&M tubas in stock, and indeed they are not Alexanders and they are made in China.the elephant wrote:The writing is very unclear.
Whether they actually sell them or just advertise them to improve their line card is another matter, but that would require somebody willing to buy one to see.
Rick "who thinks the facts are clear enough" Denney
- ThomasDodd
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Could be. I didn't get the feeling that the "local seller" contacted was TubaMM though. The use of "local seller" would not be needed if you were contacting the company in question.cjk wrote:I believe that M&M is a "house" brand of "TubaMM". They seem to be the only place that sells them.thomasdodd wrote:I think the confusion is between "M&M Instruments" (a instrument manufacturer) and "TubaMM" (a seller of M &M instruments).
Please also note that "tubamm" and the "local seller" you mention are both in Florida. They are one in the same.
I wasn't confuesed either.
Then again, I'm not in the market for a new tuba now, or anytime in the next 10 years. When I am I don't think it'll be a new horn, but just new to me, something made 50+ years ago