Tuba Manufacturers

[Todd S. Malicoate]

This whole thread is getting ridiculous. Player, not brand of horn. Ability, not logo. Practice, not purchase.

Especially if you're too young and too inexperienced to have played very many tubas and have a limited sense of the history of above-mentioned manufacturers.

'nuff said.

[Kayla]

This whole thread is getting ridiculous. Player, not brand of horn. Ability, not logo. Practice, not purchase.

Especially is you're too young and too inexperienced to have played very many tubas and have a limited sense of the history of above-mentioned manufacturers.

'nuff said.

Word.

[basstbone64]

This whole thread is getting ridiculous. Player, not brand of horn. Ability, not logo. Practice, not purchase.

Hear hear!

[sloan]

John, i would like you to play on a Yahama F and tell me Yahama is low quality.

True their BBbs suck.....

I would like you to play on a Yamaha YBB-621 and tell me their BBbs suck.

[The Jackson]

The YBB-641's are not the greatest there ever was, but I would not say that they suck, really.

I have no tuba right now, and a 641 in my house would sure make me smile...

[TubaCoopa]

I have no tuba right now, and a 641 in my house would sure make me smile...

Unless you want to pop out a nice clear C above the staff. Then, you will weep.

[The Big Ben]

I have no tuba right now, and a 641 in my house would sure make me smile...

Unless you want to pop out a nice clear C above the staff. Then, you will weep.

No horn = bad

A horn = better

Good horn = best

[andrew the tuba player]

I'd agree the that a 621 isn't a terribly bad horn. I mean, it's not the best. But, it's far from the worst. And if your looking for a good durible horn I'd say look at the YBB321. I dunno how well it plays in good condition because the twi that i have played have been school beaters. The one i have at my house has the side caved in from falling over many years ago and many other dents. But, you can still pulll out some pretty good pedals and highs.
that being said, what about the older Conns? they seem to be good and solid and usualy fairly cheap. I love my old 25j. And, if your looking for a good CC tuba don't over look the Kalison DS. Its a 4+1 configuration and the low range beats my old 186 CC by a long shot. just make sure to use a good deeper mouthpiece. a 24aw won't pull anything but fundamentals out. I used an LM7.

[Rick Denney]

I'd agree the that a 621 isn't a terribly bad horn. I mean, it's not the best.

Ah, grasshopper. Size matters. Sometimes, smaller is better.

I cannot think of a better Bb tuba that has the same portability as a YBB-621. There may be a couple that are nearly as good (and a log cheaper), but in the category of 14-pound, 14" bell, 3/4-size, playable-without-a-big-freakin'-harness Bb tubas, the YBB-621 is one of the superior choices.

No, it does not replace a BAT. But it was never intended to, and in places where it works well, a BAT is often completely unusable.

The 621 series, whether F, Bb, or C, has a ceiling beyond which you cannot go. If you need a bigger sound than that, use a bigger instrument, or go with a shallow mouthpiece and become a member of the trombone section. But if you can stay under that ceiling, there are few better.

Ask Chuck Daellenbach.

Rick "whose YFB-621 has been by far the most money-making tuba in the collection" Denney

[Nick Pierce]

Let me correct what I said earlier. I used a Yamaha 321 for two years, did pretty well with it, but it always felt stuffy, although I tried one out again later and it felt much better, and I know a guy likes them better than the Cerveny BBbs that I preferred simply because he was taller, the 321 was taller and it was easier for him to find a comfortable playing position. I have also toyed with 641's, which I found, again, to be less to my liking than those Cerveny's, although the 641 was slightly more comfortable, probably more durable and probably more in tune. I liked the Cerveny's tone better though. Other horns I've tried out, including Meinl Westons, Miraphones, a small silver Conn CC, a Besson 983, and my B&S, were all better than the Cerveny, and the Jupiter CC was at least equal if not also superior. Again in my humble opinion.

That being said, I have also tried a friends Yamaha YCB 621, the CC version, and I really liked it, to to the point where I would be tempted to buy one in lieu of a bass tuba, but I have little experience with bass tuba sound vs. small CC tuba sound, so perhaps my opinion should be disregarded there. All I know is that the Hungarian sounded sweet on that horn.

My $.02, sorry I'm a hypocrite for bashing Yamaha. Lesson learned, think before you speak.

[TubaCoopa]

I cannot think of a better Bb tuba that has the same portability as a YBB-621. There may be a couple that are nearly as good (and a log cheaper)

Yeah, what are the 621s going for now? About 8000 logs?

[Rick Denney]

I cannot think of a better Bb tuba that has the same portability as a YBB-621. There may be a couple that are nearly as good (and a log cheaper)

Yeah, what are the 621s going for now? About 8000 logs?

You can get used ones for mere boughs, branches, and sticks.

Rick "who types with his fists" Denney

[iiipopes]

Over the years, whether school horns, borrowed horns, or tryout in store demos, I've played several Yammys of all different configurations. OK, I will say it: for me, they suck to a complete vacuum.

[Rick Denney]

Over the years, whether school horns, borrowed horns, or tryout in store demos, I've played several Yammys of all different configurations. OK, I will say it: for me, they suck to a complete vacuum.

Over the years, whether school horns, borrowed horns, horns I've OWNED, or tryout in-store demos, I've played several Besson tubas of all different configurations. Okay, I'll say it: for me, they suck to a complete vacuum.

There. But have I illuminated the world with that comment at all?

Rick "making a point" Denney

[The Big Ben]

Over the years, whether school horns, borrowed horns, or tryout in store demos, I've played several Yammys of all different configurations. OK, I will say it: for me, they suck to a complete vacuum.

OK. Can I have your Yamayork?

There. But have I illuminated the world with that comment at all?

You always do, Rick. You always do...

[Todd S. Malicoate]

But have I illuminated the world with that comment at all?

Sure...you have offended Besson owners as much as the other guy offended Yamaha players (like I used to be). Oh, wait...illuminated...I suppose not.

I wonder why I would even care what other people think of a particular model in general, especially when I find a horn I like. But then, I think the same thing every time this subject comes up on TubeNet.

Todd S. "who thinks the above sentence was Rick's point" Malicoate

[sloan]

Over the years, whether school horns, borrowed horns, or tryout in store demos, I've played several Yammys of all different configurations. OK, I will say it: for me, they suck to a complete vacuum.

Over the years, whether school horns, borrowed horns, horns I've OWNED, or tryout in-store demos, I've played several Besson tubas of all different configurations. Okay, I'll say it: for me, they suck to a complete vacuum.

There. But have I illuminated the world with that comment at all?

Rick "making a point" Denney

Right now, I own a Yamaha *and* a Besson (in addition to my workhorse - the King).

I suck (to about 0.1 atmospheres) on all of them. None of them hold me back in any significant way...but, on the other hand, it's hard to think of a situation where it would be difficult to choose among them - for *that* particular situation. By the same token, it's hard to think of a situation where one of them would be *completely* out of the question. It's just a case of "which one makes the job *easier*".

The YBB-621S and the King 2341 are in bloke's capable hands.

The Besson EEb is my latest self-improvement project (I'm halfway through Rubank I on it, which is not bad considering that all of its valves are original equipment and one of mine is not - and that my fingers have 45 years of BBb experience and 2 weeks of Eb fumbling - damn that F at the bottom of the staff!).

[sitting at the Logan Airport Terminal A au bon pain - waiting for my wife so we can go to Rowley for the weekend - then it's Dallas (for me) for the next week. Back to page 1 when I finally get home...sigh]

[Kayla]

Even this one?

[Rick Denney]

Todd S. "who thinks the above sentence was Rick's point" Malicoate

No, my point was that some tubas are respected by their owners as much as they are hated by some others. If a tuba really is bad, it's hard to find anyone prepared to defend it (except maybe Wade--he likes them all, plus he's mean). If a tuba has a narrow application, it may be hated by someone evaluating it for a different application, but that says more about them than about the tuba. That's why I don't like sweeping statements like "this rocks" or "that sucks". I want to hear what expectations were violated--that way I can evaluate the judgment on the basis of whether my expectations might be different.

I have not played many premium Besson tubas, and the good ones I've played were evaluated in a different context than their intended use. I don't hold that against Besson (unless I'm making a point).

Rick "who has heard wonderful performers make wonderful music on both Bessons and Yamahas" Denney

[Todd S. Malicoate]

No, my point was that some tubas are respected by their owners as much as they are hated by some others. If a tuba really is bad, it's hard to find anyone prepared to defend it (except maybe Wade--he likes them all, plus he's mean). If a tuba has a narrow application, it may be hated by someone evaluating it for a different application, but that says more about them than about the tuba. That's why I don't like sweeping statements like "this rocks" or "that sucks". I want to hear what expectations were violated--that way I can evaluate the judgment on the basis of whether my expectations might be different.

I just evaluate tubas on my own, according to my personal taste and agenda. I would seriously hesitate to take someone else's advice about why a particular model is good or bad, even if they give a valid reason, because how do I really know until I put the horn to my chops and play it? Besides, lots of the opinions expressed about brands on here come from people who haven't sampled nearly enough of them to have an informed opinion.

The same thing happens with people's opinions of cars...have a bad experience with one Honda Accord, and all Hondas suck. Say it out loud to everyone, and you run the risk of pissing off everyone who drives a Honda they like...plus, it makes you look arrogant to make such a sweeping statement based on only anecdotal experience.

Frankly, if you have a horn you like, why would you care if one guy out in tuba world doesn't like that one...for whatever reason?

Todd S. "who thinks Rick and I are actually quite close in opinion on this one" Malicoate