Ya, my friend used to own one and it had such a tight sound. BIG with center.
definitely not something to use for quintet like it says on the ad.
Rotary Meinl-Weston 2155
-
cjk
- 5 valves
- Posts: 1915
- Joined: Fri Mar 19, 2004 12:16 pm
Ads for used rotory 2155s I've seen refered to them as "prototypes" but I don't think any of them were. I think that's mumbo jumbo spewed by folks trying to make a sale.
They were advertised in the Meinl-Weston ad in the TUBA Journal for quite some time (around 10? years ago).
I've played three, two of which were brand spanking new.
The scale on all of them was OK except for a monstrously flat bottom line 'g' (3rd partial). fifth, sixth, and eighth partials were AOK. IMHO, that's a little (a lot?) better than the average Alexander. The bore was very big, over .800 iirc.
They were ergonomic nightmares. If I put the tuba on the chair, the mouthpipe was square in my forehead. I'm five feet nine inches tall. I needed to sit on two thick phone books to get the mouthpipe to the right height.
IMHO, there are very few of them around because very few of them were ordered and sold because of those two issues.
I do like them a lot and think they're cool, but I don't think I need one. I would definitely rather have one of these than the piston 2155s.
They were advertised in the Meinl-Weston ad in the TUBA Journal for quite some time (around 10? years ago).
I've played three, two of which were brand spanking new.
The scale on all of them was OK except for a monstrously flat bottom line 'g' (3rd partial). fifth, sixth, and eighth partials were AOK. IMHO, that's a little (a lot?) better than the average Alexander. The bore was very big, over .800 iirc.
They were ergonomic nightmares. If I put the tuba on the chair, the mouthpipe was square in my forehead. I'm five feet nine inches tall. I needed to sit on two thick phone books to get the mouthpipe to the right height.
IMHO, there are very few of them around because very few of them were ordered and sold because of those two issues.
I do like them a lot and think they're cool, but I don't think I need one. I would definitely rather have one of these than the piston 2155s.
-
MartyNeilan
- 6 valves
- Posts: 4876
- Joined: Fri Mar 19, 2004 3:06 am
- Location: Practicing counting rests.
Yeah, I'm jumpin in...finally.
Not to debate with you, cjk, but many of them actually were prototypes sans model number or serial number; and they were all a little different. Mine has a removeable leadpipe and a factory 1st and 2nd valve trigger - it may be the only one with this combination. There is one out on the left coast that has a noticeably different 3rd valve wrap.
This is not for your average quintet - it is most definitely a full 5/4 horn with a huge sound. I found it to play bigger than the slightly physically larger 5/4 (almost 6/4) Cerveny I tried next to it - and that was a good one.
Joe S had one for a while but it was different from mine. He called it the "loudest tuba in the world" but sold it because of the intonation.
According to those in the know, I think less than a dozen were made and only a handful found there way over to the US.
Pros - huge clear sound; not a foghorn but not a 186 on steroids either.
Excellent low register, but also good in-tune high register for a horn this size. Very resonant despite its heavy weight unlike many "dead feeling" MW's. Decent 5th partial - open E is useable. Large, almost kaiser bore rotors with 4th valve even larger - I will have to get the mic out. The bottom bow on these horns is huge, and the top bow is very high up on the horn, almost like an old Besson. Very reasonably priced when you find one. If the third partial had been good these horns would probably be worth 7-9 thousand. Large bell throat only has a modest flair at the end - so doesn't scare conductors suffering from "big silver tuba" syndrome.
Cons - third partial G is absolutely unuseable. makes sightreading "interesting." but can be easily worked around otherwise - 13 for G, 123 trigger 12 for Gb (or 24 push), 51 trigger 1 (or 23 trigger 2) for Eb. Massive rotors not as fast as on some horns. Not the easiest horn to play pppp on (Joe attributes this to the large leadpipe).
Since my leadpipe was already removeable, I fabricated a bracket to lower it somewhat. I have since removed the screws and soldered the bracket on. I still often sit on a cushion.
P.S. I would ABSOLUTELY not consider this a "one tuba" kind of instrument unless you never played with small ensembles, heard of Brahms Requiem, or even thought about the VW concerto. But, it really is a killer big ensemble horn and even something like the Gregson is doable on it.
There is a chance I could be talked into selling it, only becase I presently have little large ensemble opportunity.
Here are pics of the bracket and of the horn with people to give perspective - it is a BIG horn.
I wish that girl would learn to keep her finger out of her nose - I had just given her a bath, too!
Not to debate with you, cjk, but many of them actually were prototypes sans model number or serial number; and they were all a little different. Mine has a removeable leadpipe and a factory 1st and 2nd valve trigger - it may be the only one with this combination. There is one out on the left coast that has a noticeably different 3rd valve wrap.
This is not for your average quintet - it is most definitely a full 5/4 horn with a huge sound. I found it to play bigger than the slightly physically larger 5/4 (almost 6/4) Cerveny I tried next to it - and that was a good one.
Joe S had one for a while but it was different from mine. He called it the "loudest tuba in the world" but sold it because of the intonation.
According to those in the know, I think less than a dozen were made and only a handful found there way over to the US.
Pros - huge clear sound; not a foghorn but not a 186 on steroids either.
Excellent low register, but also good in-tune high register for a horn this size. Very resonant despite its heavy weight unlike many "dead feeling" MW's. Decent 5th partial - open E is useable. Large, almost kaiser bore rotors with 4th valve even larger - I will have to get the mic out. The bottom bow on these horns is huge, and the top bow is very high up on the horn, almost like an old Besson. Very reasonably priced when you find one. If the third partial had been good these horns would probably be worth 7-9 thousand. Large bell throat only has a modest flair at the end - so doesn't scare conductors suffering from "big silver tuba" syndrome.
Cons - third partial G is absolutely unuseable. makes sightreading "interesting." but can be easily worked around otherwise - 13 for G, 123 trigger 12 for Gb (or 24 push), 51 trigger 1 (or 23 trigger 2) for Eb. Massive rotors not as fast as on some horns. Not the easiest horn to play pppp on (Joe attributes this to the large leadpipe).
Since my leadpipe was already removeable, I fabricated a bracket to lower it somewhat. I have since removed the screws and soldered the bracket on. I still often sit on a cushion.
P.S. I would ABSOLUTELY not consider this a "one tuba" kind of instrument unless you never played with small ensembles, heard of Brahms Requiem, or even thought about the VW concerto. But, it really is a killer big ensemble horn and even something like the Gregson is doable on it.
There is a chance I could be talked into selling it, only becase I presently have little large ensemble opportunity.
Here are pics of the bracket and of the horn with people to give perspective - it is a BIG horn.
I wish that girl would learn to keep her finger out of her nose - I had just given her a bath, too!
Adjunct Instructor, Trevecca Nazarene University
-
MartyNeilan
- 6 valves
- Posts: 4876
- Joined: Fri Mar 19, 2004 3:06 am
- Location: Practicing counting rests.
I am more seriously considering selling it now - for anyone who wants a "rotary Thor" and doesn't mind a few different fingerings around the 3rd partial. The buyer must be willing to come to central Tennessee to try the horn before I will commit to any kind of sale - I will not send it out 3 or 4 times on approval.
Why? Because I have no health insurance and my wife's "health savings plan" requires a $2400 OUT OF POCKET payment for the C-Section to bring my third into the world early next year, not to mention all the associated costs involving diapers, wipes, formula, , etc, .
Legal Disclaimer: Nose-picking toddler not included.
Why? Because I have no health insurance and my wife's "health savings plan" requires a $2400 OUT OF POCKET payment for the C-Section to bring my third into the world early next year, not to mention all the associated costs involving diapers, wipes, formula, , etc, .
Legal Disclaimer: Nose-picking toddler not included.
-
Chuck(G)
- 6 valves
- Posts: 5679
- Joined: Fri Mar 19, 2004 12:48 am
- Location: Not out of the woods yet.
- Contact:
-
Chuck(G)
- 6 valves
- Posts: 5679
- Joined: Fri Mar 19, 2004 12:48 am
- Location: Not out of the woods yet.
- Contact:
The old CC Alexanders seemed to have more quirks than the BBb models, which, aside from some "Alexander fingerings" were pretty manageable. A new leadpipe on some of these old beasts can also work wonders.cktuba wrote: It was supposed to be modeled to, some extent, after the Alexander tubas, which are famous for intonation quirks. The sound on these horns was great but the intonation was lousy.