Best or Favorite RECITAL Horn?

[bobn]

I play a YEB321 Eb with a fifth valve added many years ago by Ron Partch in Toronto.

It is a great quintet horn and for solos, but I wish that the ergonomics were better. I often wish the valves were on the front.

Cutting a 621 down might be the answer!

Bob

[k001k47]

[


Also, I never pull against the thumb ring. I use it as a balance point only and really do not use it save for when I turn pages, again, as a balance point so that I do not drop the horn. I do not even have a thumb ring on my Big *** Holton! My thumb just sits on the valve platen like on the other four.

Wade

Wade,
I like your 621...




trade for the Harmonia?

[Alex C]

I'm sure I'm touching on another (older) topic...but what is the main difference between an older 186 and a newer 186?

Main physical difference is the bell flare.

According to the Miraphone Guru the older 186's also had a very different leadpipe. I don't remember that he said the mouthpiece receiver was any different but the leadpipe is.

[bisontuba]

HI-
Also on the very early Mirafones, the valve cluster is set 'higher' than later ones, and of course, the old ones have 'better metal/brass'--and 'the sound'...the pre 1965 horns are like a smaller version in sound characteristics of an old 163 Alex...among some of the differences...
Regards-
mark
jonestuba@juno.com" target="_blank

[MartyNeilan]

One of of my instruments (a 5V rotary), I devised a bar (approx. 3/8" diameter) on which I rest the palm of my hand. This proved to be far superior to a thumb ring.

The Bloke Brace!
Probably only takes a couple of minutes to machine.
You should make a splashy website and sell them for a few hundred! (installation extra)

[Wyvern]

For me it has got to be a tuba that is agile, has a good high register, a nice tone colour to its sound and some guts down low. A small CC might do the job, but would make harder work than necessary, while an F would not have the low register guts - so would have to be an Eb.

Without hesitation I would use my Melton 2040/5 Eb as a dedicated recital tuba.

[MartyNeilan]

One of of my instruments (a 5V rotary), I devised a bar (approx. 3/8" diameter) on which I rest the palm of my hand. This proved to be far superior to a thumb ring.

The Bloke Brace!
Probably only takes a couple of minutes to machine.
You should make a splashy website and sell them for a few hundred! (installation extra)

I have made a very annoying animated Gif to get you started on this new business venture:

[tubashaman2]

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[tubashaman2]

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[bububassboner]

Best or Favorite RECITAL Horn? Hmm...

If I need to use a CC tuba I would go with either a Getzen G50 or my Nirschl CC. Both horns are very agile. Both have great intonation. And both are fun to play.

For an F either the firebird or this...
viewtopic.php?f=4&t=31380" target="_blank

I don't think I will ever find a better solo horn than this. Ease of playing like the little Yamaha F yet a very brilliant sound. I know down the road if I want a horn like this I'll be kicking myself in the butt for selling it.

[k001k47]

And as mentioned earlier, it is a YFB-621-U, with the U being the alphanumeric designator for "ugly" (as your Harmonia is a CFB-654-6-U…

I love Ferree's Cold Strip Lacquer Remover! No more brothel brass! heh, heh, heh…

If I could order any horn straight from the factory in the (blahblahblah)-U finish, I would.
I like ugly horns???

Anywho... If you're serious about that, I'll get back to you when I get the money for my future CC (or MAYBE BBb)

[UTSAtuba]

I'm sure I'm touching on another (older) topic...but what is the main difference between an older 186 and a newer 186?

Main physical difference is the bell flare.

According to the Miraphone Guru the older 186's also had a very different leadpipe. I don't remember that he said the mouthpiece receiver was any different but the leadpipe is.

I went back to read the Mirafone Catalog that I posted (viewtopic.php?f=2&t=31628&start=0&hilit ... ne+catalog" target="_blank), and found that the more "technical" differences are that the bore was .778" compared to .772" , the bell was 16 1/2 in. compared to 17 1/2 in (Matthew mentioned that), and what is also mentioned later about metal quality. The leadpipe also does not come down at much of an angle when the horn is placed bell down as compared to newer horns (I think).

Joseph

[eupher61]

page 2 of this thread...

Piggy. A good one. A Helleberg style thing should work well, but I went to a PT something. Never should have sold that horn. Change bigger to smaller mouthpiece for color differences.

[jimgray]

Allow me to get in line behind JonH (Neptune) and STRONGLY second his vote:
"Without hesitation I would use my Melton 2040/5 Eb as a dedicated recital tuba"

I am the proud owner of a MW 2040/5, which is a marvelous 5 rotary valve Eb.
I remain surprised that these horns haven't caught on like wildfire yet.
Of course, I feel the same way about my rotary Neptune...

Think of it as falling right between the two Yamaha Fs in size.
Beautiful German sound, rotary valves, and a GREAT low end.
Flawless, IMO - and cheaper than the Mirafones, to boot!

My buddy Tim just bought a used Starlight, and I am looking forward to the shoot-off!

Jim Gray

[tjs]

My buddy Tim just bought a used Starlight, and I am looking forward to the shoot-off!

Jim Gray

Well, Jim, I'm fairly confident yours will be bigger than mine, so you'll win the contest on that end! Aside from that, I'm curious how much more compact the sound of the Starlight will be vs the 2040. Hopefully I won't be longing for a 2040 after my horn comes in!

Tim

[Nick Pierce]

My buddy Tim just bought a used Starlight, and I am looking forward to the shoot-off!

Jim Gray

Well, Jim, I'm fairly confident yours will be bigger than mine, so you'll win the contest on that end! Aside from that, I'm curious how much more compact the sound of the Starlight will be vs the 2040. Hopefully I won't be longing for a 2040 after my horn comes in!

Tim

This sounds like an interesting match. Don't leave us in the dark about the results.

[Lew]

… the 983 is the closest thing to an all around horn that I have…

NOT an all around horn. An instrument only for RECITALS. Not a do it all, but a highly specialized horn. What would you use for such an application.

I seem to be striking out here…

I think my "all-around" comment was incidental to the thought of this as a good recital horn, but using the parameter that you are asking for; what horn would I use only for recitals I would say that I can't think of one. I think of a recital horn as one that has a sweet sound that can be played with facility across the entire range of any works that I might encounter. I guess a recital horn may not have to have the projection of other horns, assuming it was to be miked, and might not have to blend as well with an ensemble, but for me the characteristics that I would want in a horn that would make it work for recitals would make it the kind of horn I would use all the time, or if not all the time would make it a great quintet horn. I can't think of characteristics that would make a horn work only for recitals, so don't think I could answer your question as posed.

[Rick Denney]

I had forgotten to mention the new piston Miraphone F - the Petrouschka, is it? That is a horn that promises to be what I want on many levels if it has the typical Miraphone sound, which has so much resonance to it, whereas many of the tubas I mentioned above do not have this quality in abundance.

The Petrouschka is a great F tuba. I spent a very little time with one on Friday and again on Saturday. I would want to try it out in a hall with just one elephant to see how well it really gets out, and I would want to park a tuner in front of it, but the sample I got made me want one. It has the nimbleness and focus of a 621, but it's bigger and yes it did seem to me to have a classic Miraphone sound. I introduced my wife to Richard Murrow, who was helping show the Miraphones, and told her to contact him immediately so that he could put her in touch with Steve Dillon if any of her lottery tickets hit.

I also played the Norwegian Star and the Star Light. The former is also the real deal, and if I played Eb it would be serious lust material. And Baadsvik's sound on it is classic Miraphone, and Boboesque in his commanding sound and dynamic color--more 188 than 186, but in a bass tuba. The Star Light seemed to me a Euphonium in Eb.

The current B&S models ranged from hollow in the low register to hollow throughout, in my humble but apparently minority opinion. What do I know? I do know this: The old Symphonies (and the new ones) have focus and clarity, and the word "hollow" never comes to mind with them. Probably someone with the necessary chops and efficiency wouldn't have the same impression I did. I don't hear that hollowness from those who play them at the highest level, but they don't seem to naturally want to put that core in the sound for me.

The Willson doesn't have the hollowness, and it might suit the purpose, especially the rotary version, which to me has a more interesting sound. But I think the tone is too beautiful, as is a Besson (though a different kind of beauty). They are both smooth, or maybe I've just heard them played by smooth players. Baadsvik is not smooth, though at times he sings softly. But he can produce opera in the fat-lady-with-Viking-horns sense on that Norwegian Star. It's the sort of sound that makes you want to jump to your feet and salute.

But what am I even doing writing this down? Buying a tuba just for recitals is so far outside my potential and experience that I don't even know how to think about it.

Rick "who played a LOT of F tubas this week" Denney

[tubashaman2]

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[tubashaman2]

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