Investing in a Larger horn

[Roger Lewis]

I would look at things a little differently, mainly because I've never been accused of being encumbered by the thought process. This is how I would rank the horns by size:

6/4: 2165/2265, Yorkbrunner, Nirschl York, Holton 345, PT7P, Willson 3050, VMI Neptune, Rudy 5/4, Baer (even though it is a <19" bell) - common item, except in the Baer, is a 20" bell

5/4: PT6/PT6P, Gronitz PCK, HB6, 1291 Miraphone, Thor, Rudy 4/4, HB2/HB2P etc.

4/4: PT20, 2145/2155/2000, PT4, 186/188 (though the 188 has a bigger sound)

well, that's all I can think of at this hour.

If you look at the audition history, many players win the job on one horn and then find they need something bigger or a bit heavier to actually DO the job. In the audition, the hardest playing you're going to do is against the trombone section - so - you want a horn with quick response, enough sound to balance well both soft and loud, clean attack potential with a clear sound, better than good pitch tendencies and an easy low register.

When you win the job, except, it appears, in cases involving the PT6's, many players move up as now you have to balance the ENTIRE brass section as well as strings, winds and percussion, on a daily basis. You are also playing in the concert hall, which may or may not favor low frequency instruments.

If you are going to be on the audition circuit, then you need to have the gear that stays out of your way and allows you to show the "music" that you have inside you, can match the dynamic levels you are faced with in each different playing situation without coming apart, is nimble enough to work in all registers in all dynamics with excellent pitch properties.

In the right hands, many horns have these attributes - for example, Chris Blaha won Charleston on a lacquer 1291 (his is VERY good). The finals in that audition were between a PT7P and the 1291.

My best advice is: Find YOUR voice. Get out and play a butt-load of different horns from different manufacturers and find the one that makes you relax when you play it. Make sure the horn comes to YOU, that you are not going to the horn (PM me for detailed explanation). I've been accused of making the stupidest statement ever on TubeNet but here it goes again - "The Horn Has To Like What You Do To It".

Okay, I'm gonna' go get some coffee now.
Roger

[Rick Denney]

...I know Don Little's CC tuba he does for solos is a Miraphone 186, and that is what he could have possibly used in the Ft Worth Symphony....ANY UNTers care to ask him?...

In the Fort Worth Symphony, at least the times I was in the audience, Don Little played a Holton CC-345--definitely a 6/4. He is pictured with that instrument in his method book.

I don't know if that's the tuba he used to get the gig, or if that gig required that sort of competition in the days when he first got it.

Rick "who still remember Don's performance (on the Holton) of Alexander Nevsky--played along with a showing of the movie" Denney

[MartyNeilan]

(I would sell my car to buy that particular tuba. I am not kidding about that, either, folks.)

That's saying a lot, isn't it...