TubeNet

Hi folks on the East of the pond.
We have an event in conjunction with Trinity Laban College of Music in London this Coming Thursday and Friday. Come along from 12pm to 8pm. We'll be glad to see you!
https://www.facebook.com/events/1913784805499557/
We'll have 11 different Cerveny Tubas to try including the BBb Contrabass Cimbasso!

Maybe they are looking for a centrally located North American distributor and representative...

58mark wrote:it's pretty sad when they won't show up or educator conventions or ITEA gatherings.

They need to rebrand themselves here in the US. They were often the one budget option for tubas, and that has changed (both with the flood of cheap Chinese tubas, and the increasing quality--and cost--of Cerveny tubas).

What would be great is for Cerveny to have an event like this in the US, or at least to show up to one of the big conferences. Unfortunately, that sounds expensive, and if they are content with their position in the European market, then that's that -- I'm sure there are plenty of companies who make plenty of things that are available only within Europe (and not in the US). Otherwise, there are just too many options out there for Cerveny tubas to sell quickly enough for dealers to keep them in stock. Just the reality of how the market has changed...

Back on topic...

I'd love a chance to try out 11 different NEW Cerveny tubas. Would be awesome to see what their new stuff is like!

58mark wrote:that's why as a company they need to start hitting the convention circuit here in the United States

Unless of course, they just don't care about expanding their reach right now. My impression has always been that they are pretty popular in Europe. Total guess -- perhaps they don't have the staff or facilities to both maintain both high production and high quality. Raising quality -- and prices to match -- would allow them to have a smaller footprint and not need to bother with the US market.

Pssh, Americans use piston tubas any Mark. :roll: :)

There is a Cerveny 651 E flat. MUCH better than the 641... I looked into buying one about ten years ago, and they quoted me a very high number. I was told that was their way of saying, out of stock, not interested in making 1.....

Wow I hadn't seen all these!
The whole Amati group has now been taken over by a British Company.
Communication, as yet, is improving, but not there yet. They have so much to sort out.
As for the Cerveny Eb. Keep an eye out in the nearish future!
The current instruments I have are far better built and have been modernised.
There are a few old faithfuls that need resurrecting. Such as the 601 BBb and CC. The Current 696, 693, and 691 BBb tubas are as good as anything on the market.

cktuba wrote:A few years ago someone posted a pretty positive review of the 696 BBb. Has anyone tried the CC version? I remember really liking the sound of the 601 (especially the version with the 18in bell), but intonation was a bit wonky. Have they improved that in the 696?

I have CCB696 here!
I think the 696 numbering is a bit optimistic! The body is basically the same as the CBB691. Both are very similar in size to the Rudi 5/4 CC.
I have a 5 valve 696 CC with 2nd valve trigger in Lacquer. And 2 496 4 valve in Silver plate.
The sound is what you expect from Cerveny colourful with plenty of fundamental. These days the build quality seems to be really good. They've updated the way the instruments look. The response is really quick with a Nickel Silver leadpipe. The intonation is 'different' I've been using the CBB693 for best part of a year now and it gets easier all the time. Like the Rudi 5/4 CC the open octave is wide. but after so many Tubas where the open notes are a narrow octave, finally I have low Bb that sits in tune and not sharp! The CBB 691 Bb has a really stable scale and doesn't even need 1st valve pulling.

Mark Finley wrote:I've always wanted to play one of the F tubas

I've got CFB 651 5 valves and 2nd valve trigger and a CFB 653 here. Both models are well made and VERY responsive.
The 753 in Gold brass is particularly nice. George Wall, former Tuba player of the Royal Opera House tried it earlier in the year and thought it one of the best Fs he's played.

bloke wrote:Didn't they introduce hollow (rotary) valves decades ago?

I recall those valves as being crazy light-touch.

I think they were hollow in the very early days. (Don't quote me on that)
I recently worked on an 1915 Alex with really large Diameter hollow rotors. Seriously great Tuba!