TubeNet

Look at this on eBay http://www.ebay.de/itm/201919119356" target="_blank

WOW. Enough said.

What in the world is that? Never seen anything like that.

Played it. Not good. Don't bother with this.

What a nightmare! Looks like they didn't give much thought to layout. The 'bottom bow' seems to be the bottom crook from a bass clarinet. Also, although this one says it's in Bb (BBb?) the same instrument appears here and is listed as being in F. Buyer beware.

I see where the corn goes in, but where do the cobs come out?

Well, my guess to the thought behind the layout is, if you crank the bottom bow tight like that, the bell comes through in the center and the whole package is a bit smaller that way. Anyway ... supposedly made by "zo industries", which seems to be Chinese made instruments sold on ebay from Germany.

Sliver with gold plated slides sure looks like a Chinese tuba as well.

I think I'll stick with the Mighty Midget thank you.

I looked up the company's website and they seem to have quite a bizarre array of horns, including:
The aforementioned travel tuba
A CC tuba with 4 rotary valves and a fifth piston.
A strange helicon that appears that must be worn on the right shoulder (though I'm not sure by looking at it)
A Euphonium version of the strange helicon.
Some rotary tubas with some bizarre looking bell flares.
Has anyone played any of these?

SousaWarrior9 wrote:I looked up the company's website and they seem to have quite a bizarre array of horns, including:
The aforementioned travel tuba
A CC tuba with 4 rotary valves and a fifth piston.
A strange helicon that appears that must be worn on the right shoulder (though I'm not sure by looking at it)
A Euphonium version of the strange helicon.
Some rotary tubas with some bizarre looking bell flares.
Has anyone played any of these?

Sounds weird -- can you share a link?

bort wrote: Sounds weird -- can you share a link?

http://www.zoindustrial.com/wap/wapprod ... dex_2.html" target="_blank" target="_blank

Eew... some things can't be un-seen.

So are we to see more of these weird instruments now? Maybe they will be a new Jinbao and in 10 years people will swear how good they are.

bort wrote:Eew... some things can't be un-seen.

That helicon is still baffling me. How does one hold it? Is it based off of some obscure existing design or is it some new creation?
Either these folks have come up with some really innovative designs, or these horns are cobbled together without much idea of what they're doing. Either way, I'll remain cautious until I get more information.

sugawi wrote:Maybe they will be a new Jinbao and in 10 years people will swear how good they are?

How do you know these aren't Jinbao? That's one difference - this seems to be a marque, not just a make. And a weird one for sure, but they seem to be putting out their own designs under their own name. Maybe some winners in there, who knows.

SousaWarrior9 wrote: Either these folks have come up with some really innovative designs, or these horns are cobbled together without much idea of what they're doing. Either way, I'll remain cautious until I get more information.

Always a good idea, particularly with helicons. Until you've played it, you don't have much to go on.

I am surprised these have not come up on TubeNet before because they exhibited at NAMM. This is a new Chinese company only established in the last year.

That weird 'travel tuba' is not really a travel tuba in that it is far too big to take on flight as cabin luggage. Must be double the size of Mighty Midget tornister. It, in fact does not play too bad despite its unconventional looks. It is pitched in F.

Of the other tubas, some played reasonably well, while others were awful - while that kind of helicon does not balance. Is a real strain to hold.

But well done on them in trying to innovate and not just clone - even if their success rate is mixed.

Donn wrote: How do you know these aren't Jinbao? That's one difference - this seems to be a marque, not just a make. And a weird one for sure, but they seem to be putting out their own designs under their own name. Maybe some winners in there, who knows.

I emailed the company and that was their response:
"...We produce the products by ourselves.We don't have any relationship with Jinbao..."

They sell a C-flat trombone. I want one.

What, no two shoulder ergonomic sousaphone?

First, I'm wondering if the helicon picture is reversed.

But...Every other new tuba looks like a York/King/Miraphone/Alexander/Besson clone or adaptation. Every new euphonium, with rare exception, looks like a Besson clone. Why? These designs work. But they are not the only designs that work. For example, the Besson pre-merger "Enharmonic" tuba as a competition to the Boosey/Blaikley compensation worked fairly well with good intonation; too bad it was too heavy and a little stuffy. Remember that every instrument we play was a "new" design at some point.

So whether they work or not, or become economically viable or not, it is good to see some variation and experimentation on brass instrument design.