Holton BAT's out of fashion again???

[MartyNeilan]

Joe's fashion post last week got me thinking. Holton BATs were "the thing" in the 50's and again in the 90's, but have they fallen out of fashion again? It seems like many Holton players have switched to the newer Euro-BATs or something else.

STILL waiting for recording bells to come back, then I will be da man.

[Alex C]

Saying the Holton is out of fashion is like saying the York is out of fashion. It's been out of production, since the mid-70's I think.

The Euro copies are good and easily available if you have the money. Why search around, hoping to find a Holton that you like when you can shell out the $8-19 thousand and get a tuba right away?

I played a Holton for many years, and the Euro copies are not a lot better, just different. I did fantisize about my old Holton with a new valveset though.

[Rick Denney]

I did fantisize about my old Holton with a new valveset though.

The valves on the Holton are indeed a little clunky. They certainly don't have the silky solidity of the valves on the York Master (B&M--essentially the same as modern Nirschl valves).

Of course, there are Holtons and Holtons, as I've said before. The good ones are among the great tubas ever made, and the bad ones are, well, bad.

Holton designed the instrument for Jacobs to use in the CSO Brass Quintet which they sponsored. And word comes to me that he was interested in finding a source for Yorkish instruments to recommend to his students. You would, of course, know much more about that than me.

But following their introduction, the Holtons were the only available instrument of the Yorkish design (excepting older instruments such as the Conn Orchestra Grand Bass, etc., which had already had a chance at becoming legendary). This was the time when Roger Bobo had made everyone want a Miraphone, and the alternative for those who didn't like Miraphones was an Alexander. Yorkish instruments were much more of a niche thing than they are now.

When Hirsbrunner copied the York in the late 70's and introduced them in the early 80's, the Holtons (which were out of production by that time in any case) had some competition. Considering the variability of the Holtons and their shaky construction quality (and clunky valves), it's not to be wondered that the Yorkbrunner, which did not suffer from these defects, was a success.

When the price of the Yorkbrunner traveled steadily upward out of reach, and with the increasing trend away from rotary tubas to the Yorkish concept, I suspect Holtons regained some popularity just because they were more affordable. Now, with the Nirschl, 2165, Neptune, and Gronitz PCK on the market, the latter three of which are priced competitively with good overhauled Holtons, people again seem to be opting for better construction quality and consistency.

But a great Holton is still a great tuba. The people who have them seem to hang on to them.

And for BBb players, there is no alternative currently available for instruments of that type.

Rick "saving up not for a replacement but for the high-quality overhaul" Denney

[MartyNeilan]

Its Tuesday. The new Dean is convinced I have to play with the biggest sound possible on the biggest tuba possible at all times, in order to ever play in an orkestraah hence my wonderings about the Holton legacy. If I could swing it, I would grab one just to humour the guy. He must know, he conducted an amateur orchestra once!

Funny, he went on and on one day about how the tubas at Lee U never play loud enough. I passed it on to my section mates. Later, our esteemed conductor, Dr. David Holsinger (who has written and conducted far more than amateurs for the last few decades) chided us all for overpowering the ensemble, called us a group of great white sharks, and told us to play softer. I wonder who's right

[JayW]

Good luck on the recital Marty...... and please don't pay any heed to what your "new dean" says. I am thinking he may need a hearing aide. Or maybe he is from WWII and used to hearing B-17's flying overhead.