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Andy,
Here you go:



viewtopic.php?t=9802[/url]

Many Eb tubas are easy players, not just the Willson. The older rotary Ebs (e.g. Miraphone 183) can be just as difficult to play as the small rotary F's.

In general, though, a 4/4--5/4 Eb comes the closest to be an all-around horn, IMOHO.

TubaAS wrote:Yeah, I'm thinking about doing that, or I really want to try making my own Eb, out of either a York monster or Conn Eb body and a new 5 valve set that I would buy.

The King and Holton Monsters are very close in size to the York Monster (e.g. bells and bottom bows are pretty much interchangeable), so don't limit your search to just Yorks unless you've got a real preference.

Here's a good lookin' chassis for your first attempt:

http://cgi.ebay.com/TUBA-REAL-VINTAGE-R ... dZViewItem
Have fun, and let us know how it turns out!
MF

TubaAS wrote:
Thanks for that advice Chuck. You've done some of these creations before, so you would know best. Does the monster Eb work as an Eb tuba with this setup, as someone told me that the intonation on those is awful.

Thanks a bunch.

One of the things to look out for is an Eb which was manufactured as high-pitch (A=452 or so) and extended to low pitch. In my experience, these don't have really wonderful intonation.

Otherwise, they can be pretty vairable.

On the other hand, the pre-1900 Yorks are built beefy, with heavy metal and caps on both bows.

I've only had one Holton monster and didn't like it, but it was another one of the extended high-pitch models. It had incredibly funky intonation.

The nice thing is that parts for these old horns abound, if you can latch onto a good valveset and bell (since a lot have been scavenged for the bell and bottom bow only).

Mike Finn wrote:Here's a good lookin' chassis for your first attempt:

http://cgi.ebay.com/TUBA-REAL-VINTAGE-R ... dZViewItem
Have fun, and let us know how it turns out!
MF

I always wanted to have an Eefer. After I get this out of soaking in Limeaway for a week, I'll let everyone know what's underneath!