What is your instrument history?

[tubacdk]

high school:
school horns:
Conn mid-sized sousaphone (sorry, I don't know the models)
humongous Conn bell-front BBb with 4 short-stroke valves (again, dunno models)
Yamaha 321 BBb
personal horn, bought 1995:
Mirafone 188 prototype (half Rudolf Meinl parts), sold to Jon Piper ~1999?


College:
kept using 188
school-owned Alex F
bought Yamaha 822 F in 1998
bought HB-6, sold 188


after graduating:
maybe 2002?
sold 822
bought Cerveny Piggy CC
bought B&S Symphonie F

2003:
sold HB-6
traded Piggy+cash to Ike Harris for RM-43 CC
bought rotary 5/4 MW CC (2155R)
kept using B&S

2006:
sold RM, MW, B&S
bought Nirschl 4/4 CC from Eric Messerschmidt
bought Gronitz F from Winton White

2007:
resolution: I'm not going anywhere new horns or mouthpieces for another four years. My horns are fantastic and don't need to create a false sense of their being inadequate.

[fpoon]

Middle School-

Started out on some Amati BBb three valved number in 7th grade. School upgraded to Jupiter 382's. Also bought my first bass, a CC Clark. Pretty much an Ibanez clone. Decent first bass, but the action was always way too high.

High School-
We marched on Silver Jupiter Sousaphones. Had the oppurtunity to play a Miraphone 186 the whole way through. The school added a Jupiter 582 later. I bought a Conn 20J (pre-war, freaking HUGE, short action valves) off of ebay for sub $500 (BAD SHAPE) had some work done and did a lot myself. Intonation was always weird so I ended up "trading" it for a semester of tuition. I bought my Carvin LB75 freshman year, and haven't looked back. Also owned a Guild acoustic bass which I traded eventually for a Martin BM model.

College- I'm really lucky my school has tons of different horns to play. Yamaha 621 (CC) and 641. Miraphone 186 and a MW something. Maybe their 186? We played on the big new Yamaha sousaphones for gamedays, and used an assortment of old Kings for practice. I was also able to buy two horns, a smaller bell front three valved BBb York-Master that I've used in several jazz groups and last Spring had the money to splurge and grab a silver Miraphone 1261.

And since I graduate in May, that's where I'm at.

[tubatom91]

middle-school:Yamaha 3/4 front actions,Conn front actions,and 8th grade we got new yamaha 3 valvers

now(high school):Yamaha YBB-321 4-valve and a mirafone 1270 3-valve

[Scott Sutherland]

High School:
6/4 BBb Conn 4 valve w/recording bell, really ugly (school owned)
Bought VMI 132 4/4 CC

Undergrad College:
Sold VMI, Bought Rudi 4/4 CC
Bought B&S F
Bought Yamaha 822 F

Grad School:
Sold Rudi 4/4, Bought HB-6
Sold B&S, Bought Miraphone 181

Post Grad School:
Sold 181
Sold HB-6, Bought 6/4 York CC (Rusk-cut)

Current:
6/4 York CC
Yamaha 822 F
B&S Symphonie F
VMI 130 CC (like the 132, but with 4 valves)

[chhite]

...From the 2155, I went to a 2145 that became my main horn for a number of years. While I used it, I also had a Rudy 4/4 that ended up going to Chris Hite (is that the same one you mentioned in this thread? I never felt great on that horn). MG

That's the one! Couldn't get that horn back from me unless you pried it from my cold, dead hands. It's the voice I'd been searching for and I'm so glad I found it. Rudi Jr. offered to retrofit a new main tuning slide that was supposed to improve intonation. I declined because that horn splits the uprights every time. I don't want to change something that works perfectly for me.

[ger]

1982 Amati Craslice Bb trumpet

1989 Schenkelaars Concorde Bb trumpet

1994 cheap valve trombone with no name on it (sold)

1996 tenor tuba, very old, no name either (not mine)

2002 Van der Glas Eb tuba

2003 Ansingh Bbb tuba (sold)

2004 Connstellation 85b Bb trumpet

2005 Olds Ambassador frontbell bariton

2005 King 2340 Bbb frontbell tuba

[sinfonian]

Junior High - 1st year High School

Bundy Trombone

High School

Reynolds Contempora 4 valve BBb

College

Meinel Wesson BBb
Miraphone 186 CC
King Sousaphone
Conn Sousaphone

After college

24J BBb
Musica CC
Amati Eb
Miraphone 188

[Carroll]

Middle School
Olds student line trombone
High School
King 4B-F tenor trombone
College (until I became a Music Major)
Conn 110H bass trombone
College (after I became a Music Major)
Mirafone 56-5-O oval euphonium (Tuba Ensemble Horn)
Miraphone M5000 upright euphonium (Test Drive from Miraphone)
After B.S.
Besson Imperial euphonium
Graduate School
King 5B tenor/bass trombone
Olds - George Roberts Model bass trombone
After Graduation
Sterling euphonium
King 3B straight tenor trombone

King pocket trumpet (for something to grab and demonstrate in beginning band)

I still have the 4B and use it regularly in band/pit/orchestra work. I use the 3B weekly for jazz big band/combo work. I loaned the Besson to the third guy in my gigging quartet. I use my Sterling for quartet work and a pro wind ensemble I play in. I hardly ever get to play the George Roberts (occasional touring big band pick-up call) and the 5B was stolen. My mom still keeps the Olds student horn in her attic.

[Drbuzzz]

Elementary and Jr. High
White Fiberglass Conn Sousaphone
Cuenon (sp??) 3 valve BBb bought from some circus musician for $300
borrowed my Jr. High director's Mirafone BBb a lot (loved the fancy rotary valves!)

High School
some BAT Yamaha 4-valve BBb

College
some MW 4-valve BBb (school owned)
Rudy 5/4 CC (school owned)
HB-2P CC
PT-10 F
sold HB, bought PT-6

Last May
sold PT-6, bought PT-6P

sorry...it's kind of boring

[Tom]

All school owned until college:

6th grade (semester 1)
-King Cornet with Parduba double cup mouthpiece
6th grade (semester 2) through 8th grade
-Yamaha YEP-321 euphonium
-Yamaha YBB-103 tuba
-Conn front action 4 piston BBb (maybe a 5J)
High School
-Miraphone 186 BBb (beat 1960s vintage sample)
-Yamaha YBB-641
-Cerveny 681 BBb (new)
-Miraphone 186 (different one; newer & with "Presto linkage")
College
-Canadian Brass CB-50
-B&S "Perantucci Model" 5 rotor F tuba (identical to the one james has f.s.)
-Traded B&S F after a couple years for large Rudy Meinl 5/4 CC (4 rotors). The Rudy was a great tuba that I should have kept.
-Sold Rudy Meinl 5/4 CC (should have sold CB-50) after less than a year to finance the purchase of a very good, very special Meinl Weston 45-SLP F tuba (no, not the $10k one that went through Dillon Music a couple of times)
-Sold Canadian Brass CB-50 to purchase Meinl Weston 2000 CC
After College
-Sold Meinl Weston 2000 CC. I didn't feel like I could justify owning such a valuable/expensive instrument anymore and the big valve set caused all kinds of problems for me ergonomically (interestingly enough, the setup on my 45-SLP -which also has big valves- has never been a problem).

-Went shopping for a 4/4 or 5/4 rotary CC available at a significantly lower price point than the MW 2000 was. I considered everything and was leaning towards a Miraphone 188 when I had the opportunity to try (and subsequently buy) an amazing late 1960s-early 1970s Alexander 163 4 rotor CC. Works great for me.

So, today I have a old Alexander 163 CC and a Meinl Weston 45-SLP F. I'm very pleased with both.

[jtuba]

Still no Scott Mendoker

[arul]

Junior High:

Yamaha YEP 201 Euphonium (3 valve)
Old's Ambassador Euphonium (3 valve)

High School:

Old's Studio Model Euphonium (3 valve)

Yamaha YEP-321S Euphonium (purchased new in 1984)
Bach 36B Trombone

College:

Yamaha YEP-321S Euphonium
Besson Imperial Euphonium


As an adult amateur:

Yamaha YEP-321S (still have it!)

Yamaha YEP-641S

Bach 42BO Trombone (gift from my wife on our 10th wedding anniversary)

[MichaelDenney]

Middle School:
-Conn trumpet (hand me down from an uncle who switched to tuba and was All-State in Texas. This horn started at least 5 other kids in band, two of whom went on to make All-State.)
-Brand new 3/4 King Bb upright tuba

High School:
-King sousaphone, good intonation, must have been a fairly small bore because the 20K in college felt and sounded lots bigger.
-Brand new King 2341 in senior year, big sound, excellent intonation, these Kings early in my playing mislead me into thinking that good scales are normal.

College:
-Conn 20K sousaphone, weight about 100 lbs I think, good exercise when we had to do the long compulsory ROTC parade once or twice a semester for a visiting general, especially the time the Dekes or Tekes followed the cadet corps past the reviewing stand with their cannon and Confederate uniforms and we had to do the whole parade over again.
-Conn 25J, huge ugly sound (at least with my 24AW) that drove me finally to switch to string bass my last concert season.

Sixteen years, two degrees, four kids later:
-like new King 2280 4v euph, honky sound, it was stolen in a break-in and I used the insurance money to buy a...
-Boosey & Hawkes Sovereign comper euph, which I am called upon to play much more often than one would think in UNT-town.

Yet later:
-Sear de Prins 4-valve front-action BBb tuba, really good little 7/8 horn that came from a New Orleans jazz bassist and tubist, sold it to buy a...
-BBb Holton 345 which I hope to keep for a very long time.

Michael "unprofessional" Denney

[MileMarkerZero]

Grade school/Jr. High: Olds student t-bone

Switched to tuba...

Jr. High: Conn 21j recorder bell

High School: Yamaha 641, Mir 186

College: Mir 186 BBb

Post-college: Cerveny Piggy CC, Conn 56j

[Highams]

First ever euphonium in secondary school aged 11, Hawkes Excelsior Sonorous 3v;

http://s91.photobucket.com/albums/k309/ ... t=LSB2.jpg

then various 4v compensators the school band provided, Besson, Boosey Solbron, Imperial etc; This one is a 1968 model;

http://s91.photobucket.com/albums/k309/ ... ackjkt.jpg

Whilst working at Bill Lewington (first importers of Yamaha) in Shaftesbury Avenue, London I got a new YEP 321;

http://s91.photobucket.com/albums/k309/ ... =chas3.jpg

Then a few years later, my first Sovereign (1979);

http://s91.photobucket.com/albums/k309/ ... luejkt.jpg

Then onto various other Sovereigns as I played with various bands;

http://s91.photobucket.com/albums/k309/ ... ction1.jpg

http://s91.photobucket.com/albums/k309/ ... nt=raf.jpg

http://s91.photobucket.com/albums/k309/ ... =sun1b.jpg

Tubas come next (for 4 years), Sovereign E flat & B flat (dreadful) instruments;

http://s91.photobucket.com/albums/k309/ ... endon1.jpg

A few more Sovs once back on euph, then I discovered Willson.

Started vintage collection about 6 years ago;

http://s91.photobucket.com/albums/k309/ ... ?start=all

Just about to obtain 3 more oldies, Solbron euph, Imperial baritone and Hawkes 4v Cavalry tuba.

CB

[kingrob76]

Interesting thread.

After a dubious few years playing (cough) Alto Sax, I tried trombone one summer between 8th and 9th grade and found out that brass instruments didn't suck. Midway through 9th grade, switched to Tuba.

High School
-----------
Olds 4-valve front-piston BBb
Meinl Weston 4-valve rotary BBb

College Part 1
-------------
Cerveny Piggy

Intermission
-----------
Miraphone 188 (replaced the Cerveny)
Yamaha YEB-321 Eb tuba

College Part 2
-------------
Miraphone 188
Kalison Pro 2000 CC (replaced the 188)

Post-college
------------
Kalison Pro 2000 CC
Yamaha 621 F Tuba
Getzen CB-50 (replaced the Kalison)

At the moment
--------------
Getzen CB-50


Of all those horns (not that many, really) I would like to play the 188 against the CB-50 side-by-side and see which ones fits me best right now.

[Mojo workin']

high school- most dented Olds BB flat in the world, Yamaha YBBsomething something something(large top action piston valve)

Undergrad- Cerveny Piggy CC then Miraphone S186 CC

Master's-Miraphone S186 CC, Northwestern's B&S FF

Since-Hirsbrunner HB2,
then-Canadian Brass CB50 and Graslitz 3/4 FF(Yuck!),
then-Holton 345 Rusk cut CC and B&S pre-Perantucci FF(Great ____ing horn!),
sold B&S, traded Holton for York FF and $3200.00(got ripped off),
Now Miraphone 181 FF. Soon-Willson piston FF or Miraphone Firebird, then Miraphone 191 BB flat (rotors).

[KenS]

OK, my turn...

4th grade - Holton collegiate cornet (still have it)

7th grade - started on tuba, brand new Conn, also brought some sort of sousa home to practice

10th grade - band director's son (Whiz Potter) had a Miraphone, school had a King

11th Grade - Karl Zeiss BBb (I liked this horn, except the clock spring valves)

Many years later (1976) sold the Zeiss and purchased a new HB-2 ($3,300 for the horn and case)

Sold that in 1986 to a student of Chester Schmitz's

1999 - HB-21, Really never got comfortable with that horn, found it too much work to blow and some strange intonation (particularly 1st ledger Eb)

2001 - sold HB-21 and replaced that with a nice older configuration HB-2P

2006 added a 5 Valve Weltklang F Tuba. The 5th valve appears to have been added later... low register is stuffy, nice sound middle and above but intonation takes some work. First time on an F so I'm not sure how much is me or how much of this is the horn.

Ken S.

[Tuba-G Bass]

School Horns
6th grade [Florida] Conn 10J and parents bought me a old Conn 20K in silver with a damaged neck,
could not fit it on the moving truck, sigh.

8th grade [N. Carolina] Conn 15J
9th+10th grade Conn 15J, Conn 38K Glass Sousa

11th grade [Pennsylvania] old King bell front, Olds Glass Sousa
12th grade New King 1140 Convertable both Marching and Concert band

Adult [currently owned horns]
Keefer Silver/Brass FrankenSousa
M&M 4RV BBb Tuba
Conn Satin Silver 24J BAT Tuba

Bass Trombones
Boosey & Hawkes G Bass Trombone
Jupiter 740 RL Bass Trombone Bb/F/Gb/D Tbone now sold and replaced with . . .
Miraphone Contrabass Trombone in BBb/FF

Future Tuba
Miraphone 1291/5v in BBb [saving up!]

[Wilco]

I started playing tuba about 4 years ago (I play trombone for about 15 years) on a Mahillion 3 valve 3/4 BBb.

About a year later I got an old Miraphone 186 4U BBb which was unfortunately leaky (but liked the sound).

I got a very good deal on 'New York Symphonic' aka an economy MW25 4U BBb last year. Good horn, but the sound was not very rich.

Very briefly had a Yamaha YCB621. Great horn but not for band.

Sold the Yamaha and the NY Symphonic (and made a little profit ) and bought a Miraphone 1291 Bbb (4 pistons) 2 weeks ago. Great horn!