Photos from the TubaWorld Missouri gathering...

[TUbajohn20J]

way cool. I would love to try out that PT 7!

[tbn.al]

I thought Prather was still in Chicago. Springfield is still a long way from Smackover though. Does he post here? If so what's his handle? Too many years.

[bort]

Looks like it was a LOT of fun!

...so...what are the price tags like on these? (Anything under $10k? The old HB?...)

[sungfw]

Great pics! Being a eupher (and the proud owner of a Sterling Virtuoso), I love the pic of the euph lineup. Front to back, it looks like Sterling Virtuoso (310mm red or yellow brass bell), Sterling Excalibur (rimless bell), HB Exclusive, Sterling Virtuoso (300mm red brass bell), PT-37, Sterling Virtuoso (310mm bell, whichever color brass the other one isn't).

Just a note: unless it's a trick of lighting or the HB is a Stealth rather than an Exclusive, it looks to me like GirlMeetsBrass is playing the PT-37. (The PT-37 has gold trimmed valve caps and finger buttons; the HB Exclusive is caps and finger buttons are silver; the HB Stealth has gold trimmed caps, finger buttons, and slides and is black nickel plate rather than silver.)

[Gorilla Tuba]

Thanks for posting pics! BTW Gorilla Tuba = Doug! I feel a little sleazy being referred to by a screen name. It must be an "old guy" thing. Somebody referred to me me as Professor Whitten the other day.... I laughed my patooty off. I am just plain old Doug. I guess my shirt did say Gorillas on it. Nevermind.

[sungfw]

And I really dug playing the PT-37.

The PT-37 is a GREAT horn: extremely open and free blowing across all registers; very precise slotting; outstanding responsiveness at all volume levels! I play-tested every single comp euph on display at TUSABTEC earlier this year (not every model, every single horn: 37 different horns in all) at least twice, and preferred the PT-37 to everything but the Sterling Virtuoso. I came THIS CLOSE to buying the PT-37, but went with the Virtuoso because it was a little easier in the upper register and has the classic "British" sound I'm after. Still, would have been quite happy if I'd have gone with the PT-37, though.

[iiipopes]

AHHHHH! I've been found out -- no "hiding" anymore for me.

Since the 186 is such a known quantity, even with my shorter than stock retrofit bell, I wanted everyone to see and know the proportional comparison to a 605, being a lesser known BBb tuba. (but once the secret is out as to how well it plays -- hopefully not lesser known for very much longer) Thanks, Ch M!

[Tubaguyry]

Yeah, that 186-enstein plays VERY nice. It's sound is more round and less edgy than the regular 186 of ESU's that I currently play. The 605 has a bigger sound for sure, but I'm not sure I would say it sounded any better. That Curry MP you have is very comfortable, too.

[iiipopes]

Hey Tubaguyry: thanks! The rim on my Curry 128D has been turned down from the really wide stock rim, which is more like a 24AW rim, to a Mt Vernon Bach 18 rim, all done by Vladimir and Matt @ Dillon Music.

[iiipopes]

...and, most importantly:

2. Danzfat does not work for an ice cream store, nor does he want to be the next sailor in the Village People... he had a outdoor gig immediately after our shin dig, and part of the "uniform" he had to wear was white pants/white shirt. At least he left the nifty red, white, and blue patriotic vest in his car....

If Danzfat doesn't mind my saying, his gig was as part of a "strolling band" at the regional Ozarks Empire Fair, where they played a variety of fun, crowd-pleasing tunes, complete with the Edwardian-inspired striped vests, straw hats, and some choreography integrated into the act. I had just gotten done earlier in the week with the Shrine band on the flatbed trailer for the daily early evening parade, and I got to see and hear them. They sounded great, they looked great, and a fun time was had by all.

Souzy comment: Danzfat played one of the university Jupiter souzys with his Schilke H-II for the gig. If your school/college/university/institution has to play a Jupiter, get a funnel or otherwise Helleberg-inspired mouthpiece for it. I've heard them both with their stock 24AW copies and with funnel mouthpieces, and those horns absolutely need a funnel to be able to stay in the same arena to listen to them. Danzfat is the first guy I know who has been able to get anything musicality-wise out of a Jupiter souzy.