The 3+1 compensated EEb thread

[cctubaneeds]

I have been thinking a lot about Eb tuba a lot lately too.

I have been through my fair share of instruments, probably too many. Bottom line, I keep wanting to be a CC player, but end up liking my EEb's so much more.

I play in a "Wind Ensemble". The group is very specific to only have 1 per part except clarinets (doubled). I bought a 4/4 CC for this purpose but I just don't like it(or even the better horns I have had) as much. Unfortunately I am the "low player" I practice and have the chops for the crazy low stuff this group plays so the CC works better, maybe I need to toss a bunch of money at a york copy like everyone else is doing....

I studied tuba years ago. I bought a sold, traded, used schooled owned, and was issued (army) many different instruments. When I took a break, bought a house and got married I sold every instrument and bought a B&H Imperial from a widow that wanted me to have it. I think it was the date range people claim EEbs were the best. It was in amazing condition but I didn't have context then but man that horn was good. Since that time I have played 8 different EEb's on and off. All of them ended up being very good, with only 1 being bad. The bad one is a 1913 Boosey and sons with really leaky valves, with really thick valve oil even it plays okay.

I might have to come to terms and just become a EEb tuba player again. I prefer the sound and character. For me pitch seems way easier to manage than CC or BBb.

The EEb's I have played (all I have spent months with not just picked up once)

82" 19" B&H Imperial - Amazing instrument, should have kept and best EEb I have played. Lots of character, perfect do it all horn.
Older (late 90's?) Besson 983 -pitch was rough, very mouthpiece sensitive. But still a very useable instrument
Newer (late 2000's?) 983 - pitch was better, build was better. Better than the other 983, I don't know what this instrument is trying to be, it not an F and it doesn't have that EEb tone to me
York (UK) Preference EEb - Vanilla, it was fine, the build was fine, very bland.
60's B&H Class A 4v Comp 15" - I think the valves were leaky, needed new guides. More compact sound, great solo horn
Yamaha NEO - Most similar to the Imperial I had, a little less colour but the build quality ease to play was there.

Currently have in my possession
1913 Boosey Solbron 15" - the lead pipe is chopped up and extend to bring to pitch, the valves were copper plated and still leak - With some work/parts maybe this horn will be fun
Besson Franken horn - Started life as a silver 4v comp, might have had a crushed bell or a small bell but an unmarked lacquered 19" thick brass bell was put on it. A new standard shank lacquered lead pipe was added too. I can't find a serial or any markings. This horn plays very well, not magical, pitch is good, it has been played a lot and signs of age. This horn needs thicker valve oil too.

EEb is natural to me. Does anyone else use EEb's like a contrabass? I might be wanted to much from my horns. I have started saving in my ideal world (in my mind right now) is there a path to having two Eb's? A Big and small? Is there one that is bigger/broader/more contra like than the rest? Miraphone? Sterling? Wilson?
The small ones are obvious what options that are out there.

[GC]

I use my Packer Eb for brass band, concert band, and quintet. However, I've lately begun to think I'd be better off with a small or medium BBb for concert band work. So much concert band music simply lies better on contrabass. I can play all of it on Eb, including notes on down to pedal Bb and lower, but sometimes it's just more difficult in the low register.

[Donn]

Does anyone else use EEb's like a contrabass? I might be wanted to much from my horns. I have started saving in my ideal world (in my mind right now) is there a path to having two Eb's? A Big and small? Is there one that is bigger/broader/more contra like than the rest?

Yeah, you can play the parts on an Eb. I'm doing it, with a big, quality 5V Eb, but ... I'm playing in the kind of group where you can do what you want. It's fun. It isn't a contrabass.

Everyone loves a car analogy, here's one from 1965:


It's a pickup truck, right? You can haul stuff in it.

If I was you, I'd keep my eye out for a contrabass tuba you like better, if you're going to have two tubas.

[MaryAnn]

Ain't nobody mentioned the Bombino. Nobody has one? It's more like a great big euph?

[Donn]

.

[cctubaneeds]

Going on Dwerden, the Adams euphs seems to be all the rage. I wonder if Adams will ever venture into Eb comps....

[GC]

Whether they actually made any, I don't know, but they were in their web site: http://hirsbrunner.com/lang/engl/instru ... index.html click on Eb instruments, and both instruments it shows are listed as compensating.

[cjk]

Whether they actually made any, I don't know, but they were in their web site: http://hirsbrunner.com/lang/engl/instru ... index.html click on Eb instruments, and both instruments it shows are listed as compensating.

I guess they made at least one.

[GC]

But has anyone ever heard of someone playing one?

[AndyCat]

I know someone with a Hirsbrunner BBb comp 3+1, so they must have done EEb. It is a very fine, but heavy, instrument.

[humBell]

Just to add to the list of makes in the original post, a Higham (or more specifically, Higham Premier, making it younger than 1934) 3+1 comp Eb exists, and it has a pretty big sound for these tubas. Not sure how it compares to the recording bell bloke uses, but someday i hope to find out.