Tubas that belong together :-)(-:

[pwhitaker]

After I sold my Yamaha 381S Eb I replaced it with a old (Serial 66xx) Miraphone 186 4U BBb with a recording bell. I use this for street and other gigs where projection is critical. My "Sunday got to meeting" horn is an older 5/4 Rudy BBb. For my situation - Trad Jazz and the occasional "serious" gig - this works just fine. The upper register on either horn is very accessible as is the bottom end.

[Wyvern]

Having used my old Neptune and the unfinished Holton '345' Bb, your back would thank you for choosing the Neptune if it knew. The Holton is bloody heavy...

And I think the Neptune heavy enough. My main reservation at times in using. I don't think my old back would like any more weight

Peach, Good luck with completing your Holton !

[iiipopes]

Standing? Playing? At the same time? That's what souzys are for, even if it is the 38K and all 35 pounds (weighed and measured) of it, necessitating a shoulder flange so the bugle doesn't dig into your shoulder.

Souzys that belong together: any and all. Always have a mixed set with the same bell rim diameters so you get a good blend of tone and projection. My favourite? 1/3 King 1250, 1/3 Conn 14K, & 1/3 Conn 20K or larger; with the Kings pre-cyborg if not older, and the Conns pre-Macmillian.

[J.c. Sherman]

I have a pretty good "set" from low to high now, horns that complement each other very well for me:

Kalison DS-CC
Boosey & Hawkes Eb
Yamaha YFB-621
Yamaha YEP-321 custom

It's a nice matched set - I wish I could have a slightly more vibrant bell on the Euph, but there you go...

I've had an Alex 164 CC for forever now - in college it paired VERY well with an Alex F Miss that, but the Eb is a pretty good complement to it...

J.c.S.

[Wyvern]

I have a pretty good "set" from low to high now, horns that complement each other very well for me

I feel the same about my tubas:

B&S Neptune 6/4 CC - My favorite tuba - really provides the rich tone I usually want in the orchestra and lovely solid bottom end to the band!
Melton 2040/5 Eb - Makes a great orchestral bass tuba with nice German tone where that is appropriate - also ideal for quintet and Eb part in brass bands.
Cerveny 701 Kaiser BBb - Provides an incomparable wall shaking foundation to the band. Use for BBb part in brass bands.
B&S PT-20 4/4 CC - Good general purpose tuba and for playing with small band or orchestra
Meinl-Weston 182 F - Makes good substitute for French small C tuba. Use in the orchestra for higher stuff where it has a singing almost euphonium like tone!
Haag 3 valve Eb - Nice and light and handy for marching and standing gigs, but still has a good full tone.

So you see, what may appear an excessive collection is all used and each has a purpose.

[Gorilla Tuba]

I struggled with finding the right combination of horns for a while.

I am very happy with arriving at a PT 6 and a Meinl Weston 45S F tuba. I am seriously looking for a small CC to add to the corral.

For a while I had a Mirafone 186 paired with a Meinl Weston 182. This worked great. However, at the urging of my teacher, I "upsized" my CC to the PT 6. To me, the contrast of this bigger tuba and my little 182 was too much. So I upsized my F tuba, too.

I think I have the perfect set up for me. However, I often miss just playing 1 mid sized tuba for everything. That "boring" old 186 may have been perfect for everything I actually do.

[J.c. Sherman]

I am seriously looking for a small CC to add to the corral.

I'm with you there - I've had my eye on a Miraphone 185-4U CC in a local school that is heavenly. And knee-deep in dust; it's never used. I could live with that instead of an Alex F, believe it or not...

J.c.S.

[Rommel72]

I have a Miraphone 1291 CC tuba and a Miraphone 181 F tuba. This combo seems to work pretty well for me. Just thought I would throw that in there.

Rommel

[imperialbari]

1927 Conn 40K
1927 Conn 26K
1946 Conn 28K

1870 Besson Eb tuba 3+1P non-comp
1923 Boosey F tuba 3+1P comp (original, not a cut Eb)
1999 Besson 981 Eb tuba 3+1P comp
1970 Besson New Standard BBb tuba 3+1comp

& a permutation including two of the above into a trio of supplementary solo instruments:
1996 Yamaha YEP-641 euphonium 3+1comp
1923 Boosey F tuba 3+1P comp (original, not a cut Eb)
1999 Besson 981 Eb tuba 3+1P comp

Klaus

[Wyvern]

I am seriously looking for a small CC to add to the corral.

Seems like I know someone selling a great MW Bell model......

I have never seen a MW Bell model, but thought it was a larger 4/4 ???

[imperialbari]

I have never seen a MW Bell model, but thought it was a larger 4/4 ???

1967 Meinl-Weston Bell model CC tuba 5RV.jpg

[iiipopes]

Indeed. I've played one. It is as 4/4 as it gets, having only a .687 or .689 bore (depending if it is a King original or a M-W 37) and a 16 1/2 inch bell. But even though it's the same bore, because of the longer leadpipe and different bell, it does, of course, sound completely different from a King 2341, old or new, with its short leadpipe to the piston block, and the wide flared American bell.

For me, the Bell model got really grainy on me in the lower register. It's just not the horn for this mere mortal. But in the hands of Bill Bell and others, it does great things. It doesn't need a second or third tuba to go along with it.

[eupher61]

For me, and the playing I do, the B&S F and Weril 680 BBb work just fine. F for legit and German, BBb for everything else. Add in an F helicon and all's perfect with the world. Unless I could find a Weril CC to swap even...

[Todd S. Malicoate]

Hi, James...good to see you back! How's that 5 octave range treating you?

Hey, everybody...James is back!

Psst, James...you might want to change your signature, being as you're posting again and all...

Back on topic...two tubas that belong together...hmmm...Miraphone 1291 C and 180 F...gig winners!

[bort]

1291 and 181......i believe thats what the NY man won his audition on....

Neither are bad horns....

Give Baer a trashcan and a whistle and he'll sound better than most tubists!

I imagine that the 1291 and the upcoming Miraphone F should pair up pretty well...

[Todd S. Malicoate]

I heard a rumor that Miraphone was going to make a 6/4 CC, does anyone know anything about that.

No, but I did notice you've been buying lots of women's clothing on eBay lately...what's up with that?

[Nick Pierce]

Didn't "NY man" win that audition on a Gronitz PCK? That's what I heard at least - for what little it is worth. Don't recall what F tuba "NY man" allegedly used, though.

I used to take lessons from a guy who was a former student of Baer. What he told me was that it was some "off-brand" horn, definitely not Miraphone. Does Gronitz fit that appellation?

[J.c. Sherman]

A 1291 and a Yamaha F tuba.

Cheap version - a used 191 and a used 653 (they even look alike! ).

Okay, I'm stumped - what's a 653?

J.c.S.

[Wyvern]

Okay, I'm stumped - what's a 653?

A Cerveny F

[Casey Tucker]

i would have to say:

B&S PT20-PS
Gronitz PF125

a VERY large sounding 4/4 CC with a 4/4 F that comes with a good low range and a singing high range but with a sound that makes it sound a little like a medium sized CC.

-CT