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The Eb part poll for BBB recently showed most players who replied used Eb tubas and the majority were compensating. I'm curious now how the Bb part instrumentation numbers will work out.

I use a bb flat Yamaha Neo.

Played bb part on willson 3100-rz4 BBb and besson 994 compensating for several years.

Will NOT play that Besson anymore due to serious ergonomic issues.

While I would like to have a BBb tuba, I really can't justify buying one just for RFB. I will have to stick with my CC. I wish I hadn't dragged my feet on the MW though.

These show up fairly regularly. Just keep an eye out.

I think it's a matter of "use what you've got". At least most are using BBb's. I expected to see more CC tubas than this, frankly. The poll's really just started, though.

Considering the uses of BBb tubas in the US, I was expecting most people to use non-comp horns that they use in concert bands.

One and only bump.

I use a Willson 3100 FA5. I played a Besson 994 for years and the Willson packs a lot more punch and weight. I have tried the Neo and it is a great instrument. If I had a choice I would like to try the Willson 3100 TA4, Neo, or Leviathan. The Prokofiev is also a nice horn.

When I bought a tuba, I bought one I'm the key of the last one I played. As you know, I play with 2 groups, with one being a brass band. I am getting by with the CC, but can see where a BBb would be better in the brass band music. Do I want a BBb, sure! Does it make sense for me to own more than one tuba? Probably not. Should I ever get another tuba, it will need to be an upgrade from what I have and could possibly be in BBb, but I am used to CC.

From what I've seen, BBb compensating horns are almost rarer than Eb horns. Also if someone is a big compensating tuba and brass band fan, they often have an Eb and Bb, while there are a ton of Bb's out there in general, so those people end up playing their Eb compensating tuba.

Considering that the older compensating BBb horns are ergonomic abominations for anyone who is not extremely tall, I can see why they're not in common use in US high school bands (ignoring the fact that many folks use the non-comp Yamahas that are pretty much the same shape and height, but are cheaper [or once were, anyway]). I'd personally love to see more use of comp BBb's in concert bands.

Wessex has their Excelsior, a tightly wrapped version that's similar in size and shape to a 3+1 Eb yet is a "5/4" horn. Supposedly Packer's 3+1 comp BBb's address some of the issues of handling and height. But unless a band director is a tubaist (tubist, etc.), how would he/she know to give them a try?

GC wrote:Considering that the older compensating BBb horns are ergonomic abominations for anyone who is not extremely tall, I can see why they're not in common use in US high school bands (ignoring the fact that many folks use the non-comp Yamahas that are pretty much the same shape and height, but are cheaper [or once were, anyway]). I'd personally love to see more use of comp BBb's in concert bands.

Wessex has their Excalibur, a tightly wrapped version that's similar in size and shape to a 3+1 Eb yet is a "5/4" horn. Supposedly Packer's 3+1 comp BBb's address some of the issues of handling and height. But unless a band director is a tubaist (tubist, etc.), how would he/she know to give them a try?

The newer Comp Bb's from Besson are no better! Other options from Yamaha + Wessex aim to address the 4th valve issue.
Interested why you would want to see/hear more Comp Bb Tubas in wind band?

As a British chap I've played in a number of brass bands on a variety of Bb's - far more than I ever should have owned for sure.
If I wasn't asked to regularly play below concert E I would likely choose to play a well kept 3v comp Imperial in band.
I like playing non-comp Tubas in general. Some of the best I've had in band would be a 5v Fafner and a Gronitz 5v PBK (the Gronitz had a crazy-good low register). I quite liked the Wessex Lucern and XL. The XL was heavy but sported a front-bell which would have been fun for outdoor shows.

If you only play in brass bands and want to buy a Tuba, I can see why you might want to use a 3+1 COMP Bb, but unless you're used to the setup I can't see why you'd bother. Occasionally you find very difficult passages in the 4th valve register but often the Bb parts like that work better in simllified version (picking out important notes etc).

As someone who is 6'2" with somewhat short arms for my height, I can see why anyone with short arms would have issues reaching the 4th valve. For me it's just the right location. Also the leadpipe is just the right height.

I tried out a YBB-632 when I purchased my 631, and while the front located valve was much easier to reach, the leadpipe was not nearly as well aligned with my face. That and the much higher price tag put me with the 631.

tbonesullivan wrote:As someone who is 6'2" with somewhat short arms for my height, I can see why anyone with short arms would have issues reaching the 4th valve. For me it's just the right location. Also the leadpipe is just the right height.

I tried out a YBB-632 when I purchased my 631, and while the front located valve was much easier to reach, the leadpipe was not nearly as well aligned with my face. That and the much higher price tag put me with the 631.

There is a tech in England right now that is able to remove the fourth piston on a compensating tuba and replace it with a rotary valve and place it almost on top of the first valve slide.I thought about doing this to my besson sovereign 981 ee flat but decided against it. I am close to 6 feet tall and I have never found my 981 or Yamaha bb flat neo uncomfortable to play.In all my years playing tuba I have always owned compensating tubas of either key.The sound that comes out of the bell is quite remarkable.

Peach wrote:

GC wrote:I'd personally love to see more use of comp BBb's in concert bands.

If you only play in brass bands and want to buy a Tuba, I can see why you might want to use a 3+1 COMP Bb, but unless you're used to the setup I can't see why you'd bother. Occasionally you find very difficult passages in the 4th valve register but often the Bb parts like that work better in simllified version (picking out important notes etc).

Unless you have a horn with extremely good false tones, the low Eb to Cb register gets more complicated with having to learn adjusted fingerings, lip up or down, pull slides, or add a 5th valve and learn a new set of fingerings for that register. With a compensating BBb, the notes are in tune with less effort and the fingerings stay pretty much the same as an octave above, just with the added 4th valve. I've seen a lot of people struggling to get notes in tune in this register and turning the sound into mud. Compensating is easier to adjust to.

Some people never play in this range. Some of us do. I'm fortunate that the local community band's conductor arranges a lot, and he likes low bass and octave dropping where it fits.

The 4th valve compensating system was added to solve a problem and does it well. I was never comfortable with standard 4th valve fingerings in that register when parts required much movement. 5th valves are a good solution but I never availed myself of them; they add another layer of complication and expense.

Played my 5-valve BBb the one time I've been in a brass band. I don't think (or at least I wasn't told) that it was out of place.

Most of the time people are happy with whatever you bring, at least in the US. There are people who really want the traditional British sound, though, and they're happiest with British-style instrumentation. Both sound good with good players, and not all brass bands go for purely British style.

I've never played in a band with compensating BBb basses. Maybe someday . . .