Birth of a goldbrass Neptune

[Wyvern]

Since I ordered my new handmade goldbrass Neptune earlier in the year, I have been a little apprehensive if it would come up to my high expectations? (a bit like a father expecting a baby!) The standard Neptune I have is such a wonderful tuba - could it possibly be bettered?

Well after a 6 months wait for it to be built (or should that be born?), I have at last been over to Markneukirchen to play test and approve. On arrival at the B&S factory there was the beauty on a shelf waiting, at present in raw brass and unfinished. When I at last tried, I need not have had any fears, I immediately exclaimed WOW!!! – its response was so good and immediate! It has the same wonderful tone I so love about the Neptune, but a touch more mellow. Maybe because of the gold brass, or possibly because it is still unlacquered? The lower register was really incredibly open – reminded me of a Baer I play tested for a friend only a couple weeks ago. I tried it with tuner and adjusted all slides to optimal position and its intonation is within 10% across the range - excellent on a BAT!

I got out my old Neptune (which I had brought by car from England) and tried them both side by side playing the same excerpts and studies one after the other. That confirmed my original perception. Both are excellent, but the handmade Neptune is just undefinably smoother like a special vintage year of wine! I noticed that difference before comparing my previous handmade Melton Eb with the standard production model.

So after my long nervous wait, I now feel very happy indeed and can’t wait to receive this wonderful tuba of my dreams finished and lacquered – if all goes well a couple days before Christmas!

My only regret is having to part with my existing faithful old Neptune, but with wedding now planned for 2010 (which was not anticipated when the handmade horn was ordered), finances just do not allow me to keep both Neptune's. I hope it goes to a good home where it will be fully used, appreciated and loved!

[oedipoes]

If I dream about tubas tonight, that'll be all your fault Jonathan !!!


Wim

[TubaTodd]

Absolutely beautiful! I am extremely jealous.

[Wyvern]

Another picture, this one showing the back side of both. I have actually had the handmade one slightly simplified as it has no water keys on 3rd and 4th valve slides, or trigger on 2nd valve - as I just never use those.

I have retained the detachable leadpipe with both medium and large bore versions and had a Bb slide made to maintain the useful facility for the Neptune to be played as a BBb tuba (a very good one too!). I understand it was designed with the latter capability to enable Neptune players to audition in Germany where BBb is usually a stipulated requirement. While the larger bore leadpipe makes it even sound like a German Kaiser tuba.

Notice the 4th valve loop braces are positioned slightly differently - an unintentional change?

[roughrider]

What a beautiful horn! You'll have a wonderful Christmas!

[bigbob]

WOW!!! Horn dorn at it's best Jonathan!!..bigbob

[bort]

Still plan to have it lacquered?

[Wyvern]

Still plan to have it lacquered?

Yes, but more for tactile reasons than anything. However, I am starting to believe that raw brass tubas are mellower.

Once I receive the finished lacquered Neptune I will report if I can detect any difference.

[Pozzie]

Hi Jonathan!
Congratulations for your new baby! Looks beautiful!
I'm a Neptune's owner (do you remember?) and I hope your new horn will better still.
Do you know the differences between 4098 GI, 4098 GL and 4098 II? Maybe GL stand for Gold Laquer, but 'GI' and 'II'? My Neptune has trigger on 2nd valve, but has only a water key on the tuning slide, but the engraving on the bell don't specify the number of model...

[Wyvern]

Pozzie, Thanks - yes I do remember you as a member of the Neptune club! Hope you are still enjoying yours?

GL certainly stands for gold lacquer as an 4098 S means silver plated (although I have never seen such a Neptune). I guess that GI is just a typing error with the L as a small letter. For II I don't know, but maybe there is some modification made to later models???

Using the B&S numbering my new Neptune must be a 4098 G-L, as G-L is the designation they use for gold brass - lacquered.

[imperialbari]

Jonathan, now that you have retrained yourself to read F rather than Eb as your bass tuba, the BBb slide of the Neptune may become superfluous.

This reading trick is not one f my own, but has been pilfered from a Danish pro tubist, who was still at the conservatory, when he told be about it.

He and I were both ringers in an augmented brass band. I on bassbone, he playing a CC tuba off the treble clef BBb part. I asked him whether he used his piano treble clef reading skills and transposed down the part a whole step. No, he read the part like he read bass clef, when playing on his F (plus/minus flats/sharps.

Klaus

[Wyvern]

Thanks Klaus! I have heard of that F reading trick before (I think PM from helpful TubeNeter?) and it does sound neat - but decided I wanted to retain the Neptune Bb capability all the same.

Could sometime come in useful for playing a piece with difficult fingering patterns in C with the tuba converted to Bb.

[Wyvern]

Just in time for Christmas I have got my finished one-off goldbrass handmade Neptune.

Wow it looks beautiful! And having spent over an hour playing it this evening, it responds even better than I remembered at the factory. Neptune's usually feel easier to play than one would expect from their size, but my handmade goldbrass one seems to take that playability to another level. Its high register sings to rival my PT-15, while it had fittings in the room vibrating down low.

It also feels physically lighter than my previous standard Neptune and my rough weigh using the bathroom scales indicated it only 24lb against 28lb of the standard version - in fact only 2 lb heaver than the 4/4 PT-20!

Joining my PT-15 F and PT-20 4/4 CC, I now feel I have exactly the line-up of tubas I want to cover my playing needs for the years to come! The Neptune will be my main orchestral tuba and for larger band concerts, the PT-15 makes a great basstuba to compliment for the lighter/higher stuff, while the PT-20 is a very useful all-purpose tuba for band, small ensemble, etc making a good substitute for the British EEb I no longer own.

Here is some horn-dorn for your pleasure. A Happy and musical Christmas everyone!

[Ken Herrick]

VERY NICE!!! Now I know why Santa didn't bring me anything - the sleigh was full with your new axe. Or was it that the 6 White Boomers he uses down here were afraid of all the dogs that live with the 800+ goats on the surrounding property?

Reckon if I had that arsenal I'd go for Melbourne myself

We are with envy.

Get a sound clip up when you can.

[Ken]

Great news. Have a very merry Christmas.

Ken
(member of The Neptune Club USA chapter)

[imperialbari]

Congratulations, Jonathan!

Isn’t part of the lighter weight a matter of you asking B&S to not mount the triggers you never used anyway on your first (more standard) Neptune sample?

And then I wonder whether gold brass comes in thinner gauges. I have a couple of smaller instruments made in Saxony, which appear to be made out of very thin gold brass.

Klaus

[Wyvern]

I think the metal is thinner. I can lightly push with my finger on the outside of the bell and see movement inside - not the case on my old standard Neptune. That could well explain the quicker response I perceive?

Yes, I did have a trigger and couple water keys omitted, but I wouldn't think that would make much difference to weight, as they were only light components.

[Dan Schultz]

Jonathan.... and other Neptune owners out there in TubaLand...

I have a 5V CC Mel Culberson Neptune in the shop at the moment for rotor venting. Of course.... the real fun of working on tubas is that I get to 'toot' each and every one of them before they leave the shop.

One thing I find 'interesting' on these horns is the difficult access to the 1st tuning slide. Who do you guys deal with that? Do you reach over the 5th circuit?... or is there an easy way to reach through or around? I've got large hands!

[roughrider]

What a formidable arsenal you now have! Best wishes for very happy playing on your new Neptune!

[Wyvern]

One thing I find 'interesting' on these horns is the difficult access to the 1st tuning slide. Who do you guys deal with that? Do you reach over the 5th circuit?... or is there an easy way to reach through or around? I've got large hands!

Have never needed to reach the 1st slide while playing. The intonation of the Neptune is excellent!

PS Alternative fingerings, or use of the 5th valve have got me around any occasional tuning problems. For example when using mute I hold down the 5th valve and use Bb fingerings to pull back into tune.