FS - "Big Brunner!"

[j1007hc]

All right, this one is quite unique!

I'm putting up my Big Mouth Brass J-865SP (6/4 CC w/ 5 valves) with a Hirsbrunner bell! Dubbed the "Big Brunner" by the good folks over at Tim's Music (Northern CA) who did the work, this is a Big Mouth Brass 6/4 with the original bell swapped for a Hirsbrunner bell. Here's the story: the horn sustained some bell damage (thanks airlines...) during an overseas tour. The folks at Tim's Music were contacted for repair... they happened to have a Hirsbrunner 6/4 bell laying around, and the rest is history! (I still have the original BMB bell, repaired, which can be negotiated in or sold separately.) Horn was also ultrasonically cleaned when the bell was attached, which was in September 2022. The original J-865SP was picked out of a batch of 2 when Big Mouth Brass was one of the first starters in the 6/4’s from Asia. Also important to note, the J-865SP has the dependent 5th valve, which was the preference of Richard Barth. I had a reinforcement brace attached a few years ago, making it quite sturdy.

Pricing it for $8975. I have the original mouthpiece as well as the original gig bag, as well as the hard case that came with the horn (not recommended to use that for travel, also not the one that the horn got damaged in, if you were wondering!)

Comparing the original BMB and comparing with how the horn is now with the "new bell" - sound is significantly richer, and clarity of articulations improved (this was a weak point in the original instrument.) Intonation is about the same, which means manageable. (Most folks know that this model plays like a cut down 6/4 BBb instrument.) 6/4 intonation does require the player to have a good ear... I did have the 4th valve slide cut down a bit as D below the staff was much too flat previously; I also had about an inch of tubing added to the 5th valve slide so that the pedal F would be less sharp. Very BIG sound, now even "richer" with the Hirsbrunner bell.

Slides have all been previously lapped by the Horn Shop (Fresno). Tim's also added the leather straps to prevent the slides from falling out. As mentioned previously, the horn was ultrasonically cleaned in September 2022, and lightly used throughout the last year.

Previous to the bell swap, this horn was my main contrabass for my undergraduate studies as well as freelancing around. It's toured Europe three times, played in the Amsterdam Concertgebouw TWICE (yes, I know I'm very fortunate), the Berlin Philharmonie, etc. I used it in the SFSYO for two years, and it's seen some work in some of the Bay Area regional orchestras recently. If storage space were unlimited, I'd love to keep it, however, with a 1-year-old running around now, this horn is better off going to be played (and funds freed up for baby expenses!)

Horn is located in the SF Bay Area (Northern CA). I work in San Bruno (VERY close to SFO) and live in Los Altos, CA. Happy to meet anywhere on the Peninsula if you'd like to give it a try, I have a nice large rehearsal hall in San Bruno if you'd like a place with some nicer acoustics to try it in.


Please email me at jchtuba [at] gmail [dot] com. Happy shopping!

Links to photos:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1X_SQih ... sp=sharing
https://drive.google.com/file/d/12Kos9Q ... share_link

[barry grrr-ero]

I'm in Santa Cruz. I've heard about your tuba from Rod Mathews (I think). If my personal health and financial health were better, I would probably try to pursue your BMB-runner. I would need to sell off my Neptune first.

Barry Guerrero

[j1007hc]

Updated links to photos; BUMP!