Martin BBflat just listed

[Frank Byrne]

Thanks to everyone who contacted me with questions about my Martin BBflat Tuba. I just listed it on eBay:


http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... &rd=1&rd=1


Thanks for the interest and good advice from TubeNet friends.

Frank

[Alex F]

"Height when standing on Bell: 34"

For a moment, I cringed when I read that (a PAINFUL image for any tubist) . . . but I know what you meant to say.

It's a beautiful horn. I only wish I could play something that big. You will make someone very happy. Are you really sure you want to sell this?

[Frank Byrne]

OK- In the interest of accuracy, I corrected the eBay listing to say "resting on the bell" instead of "standing on the bell."

Frank

[Frank Byrne]

Someone asked about the weight of the instrument. Best I can tell (via the high-tech home scale method!) is 27-28 pounds.

Thanks!

Frank

[Cameron Gates]

I was very impressed with this instrument after playing it for about 4 days a few years back. Yes, it is a large instrument but it is very managable. The sound is to die for. They don't make them like this anymore.

The seller is a very straight forward and honest person (as all retired Marine bandsmen are). Bid with confidence.

Someone is going to be very happy with this gem. I wish it was me.

Cameron Gates

[Frank Byrne]

Three days to go, ladies and gentlemen.

Martin needs a good home....who will feed him lots of long tones and low-fat etudes.

(cue trio of "National Emblem")
Bump, bump, bump, bump....

Frank "whose oldest daughter went on her first date last night and who wants 'just the right person' for my precious tuba (if you know what I mean)..." Byrne

[gregsundt]

If only there were another valve...Oh, well, maybe next project. A beautiful specimin, though!

[Frank Byrne]

Greg is right that this is a three-valve instrument.

But that is also the reason that the starting price is $2,000 rather than something with a "3"

Let the games begin!

Frank
"Preventing pinky strain one horn at a time"

[gregsundt]

I'm all ears. How do we crank the low D# in Jupiter?

[Donn]

I'm all ears. How do we crank the low D# in Jupiter?

In the doubly unlikely event I were in that position, I believe I would leave all the pistons up, and blow with confidence.

I just picked up a new tuba myself, an old Eb giant bass with three valves. "How are the false tones?" you might ask, since for darn sure a fourth valve would be a nice touch on an Eb of this size (it really is big, as I knew but was unprepared for the reality.) Well, there's a reason they call them false tones, they're bound to be a little unfocused. That note (Ab for me, Eb for a Bb tuba) is the worst, if only because by comparison it should come out relatively well on a 4V. But I think most people who play a 3V tuba will tell you, if pressed, that the false tones are OK, or pretty good, or thereabouts, because in practice they work fairly well for a range of notes that aren't really used all that much. It's very hard for the seller to make representations about the quality of false tones, without risk of being misunderstood.

From what I've read from people who have or had big Martins like this, it's rare chance at a really sweet big tuba. 20 years ago when I bought my 40K, obviously I thought that a serious tuba ought to have a fourth valve, but since then I've come to feel that on a Bb it's more like extra weight. I'm sorry for someone who would, for example, be reduced to playing a tuba with a less glorious sound for the sake of an affordable fourth valve - if that's based on as foolish a notion about it as mine was. Now, if you lose out on that symphony audition with your 3V Martin, don't say it's my fault - as you can see immediately to the left of this article, I am not a professional, and furthermore have no wish to play tuba in "legit" music. I guess such persons might better ask their teacher whether this tuba on EBay might be the one for them.