MW Bill Bell FS - SOLD

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cbettler
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MW Bill Bell FS - SOLD

Post by cbettler »

Hello everyone!

FS is my MW Bill Bell CC tuba. I have owned this tuba for five years. In that time it has been used fairly infrequently, mostly for the occasional church gig. However I have kept it in solid playing condition. Horn comes with an MTS hard case. Reason for selling: having recently moved back to the CONUS from Hawaii, I have taken possession of a new CC tuba for which I saved during the past few years, and I have no need for both CCs.

Pros: VERY nice sound; blows easily; valves are smooth; classic beautiful German construction

Cons: Low register below low F is a little stuffy; intonation is typical of older vintage tuba, but very manageable

Other: I have found this horn to be particularly mouthpiece sensitive. For the first three years of ownership I was a little disappointed in the horn overall. Then I attended a mouthpiece showcase with Ivan Giddings. After trying several mouthpieces, I plugged in the Diablo and WOW what a difference. The intonation quirks started to disappear, the brilliance in the sound intensified, and best of all the low range opened up like crazy! Had I intended to keep this tuba, I would have bought a Diablo on the spot. From what I recall , the Diablo is a helleberg style mouthpiece, so this seems like the way to go.
Last edited by cbettler on Sun Jun 13, 2021 9:14 am, edited 2 times in total.
Chris Bettler
Tuba Instrumentalist, US Navy Music Program
cbettler
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Re: MW Bill Bell FS $2500

Post by cbettler »

Bump
Chris Bettler
Tuba Instrumentalist, US Navy Music Program
cbettler
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Re: MW Bill Bell FS $2500

Post by cbettler »

Bump, still for sale.
Chris Bettler
Tuba Instrumentalist, US Navy Music Program
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WakinAZ
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Re: MW Bill Bell FS $2500

Post by WakinAZ »

Seems like a good deal for a German-made five-valve CC tuba, even with the noted pros/cons.

I recently acquired a Getzen era M-W 25, which also has a wonderful overall sound with beautiful quality construction.

Bump.
cbettler
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Re: MW Bill Bell FS $2500

Post by cbettler »

Bump
Chris Bettler
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Matthew Gaunt
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Re: MW Bill Bell FS $2500

Post by Matthew Gaunt »

Bump for Chris!

I played his horn a bit. Someone is going to get a great horn for very little money. Fantastic sound and response. Very manageable pitch. Great valves and slides. Solid horn. Don't let the bore size fool you - can really put out some sound.

If you are thinking of trying this horn please do!
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cbettler
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Re: MW Bill Bell FS $2500

Post by cbettler »

Bump. I have had several requests for videos demonstrating his tuba. I have added a few videos to the Google Drive folder shared in the original ad. These are just demos, not polished performances. Please let me know if you have trouble accessing the Google Drive link. Thank you for all the interest!

Chris Bettler
Chris Bettler
Tuba Instrumentalist, US Navy Music Program
cbettler
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Re: MW Bill Bell FS $2500

Post by cbettler »

Bump.
Chris Bettler
Tuba Instrumentalist, US Navy Music Program
cbettler
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Re: MW Bill Bell FS $2500

Post by cbettler »

This tuba has been sold. Thank you for all inquiries!
Chris Bettler
Tuba Instrumentalist, US Navy Music Program
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