Making the tough call...

[bort]

I'm finding myself in the position of making a very tough call about what to do with my Marzan CC. It's a great tuba, it plays VERY well, and it's got that big round room-filling sound we tuba players tend to love (laying down some good pedal Eb's tonight was fun).

But, it's not the sound that's in my head. I really love the sound of a good Miraphone 188 (or similar rotary CC), and I'm interested in getting one in the near future.

I'm a little afraid to sell the Marzan, since it is not easily replaced if I regret it later on. But the reality is that I cannot afford to "house and feed" 2 CC tubas AND an F tuba. I'll give the Marzan through this concert cycle, but by mid-May, I really want to have a decision made.

Keep, because I like it though it's not what I really want?
Or switch and go after what I really want and let go of a great tuba?

I feel like there's always a lot of switching that goes on as we get older, more (or less...) mature, and develop "our" sound. But I'm still apprehensive about making the wrong choice.

Any thoughts? After thinking on it a while (like writing this post), I always feel that it's a win-win situation either way, and I'm lucky to have a good tuba to begin with. But still, what to do, what to do...

[TubaNerd88]

I think you will find that sometimes we have to let go of something that means a lot to us even when we don't want to. It all comes down to what you think is best for YOU.

[Wyvern]

I think playing a tuba which produces "your sound" is ultimately more important than sentimental attachment. I thought long and hard about selling my M-W 2040/5 because it was a lovely tuba and unique in gold brass, but in the end let it go because the PT-15 produces the bass tuba sound in my head. I have not regretted letting go. The selling one later regrets are those made simply for financial reasons, rather than musical reasons (although of course finance is usually a consideration, or we would all acquire a house full of tubas).

If you can afford then I would suggest you buy the 188 first and just put the Marzan in its case to one side. If you can live without pulling out to play for 3 months, then sell and move on without looking back.

[bort]

Thanks guys...

And Neptune, that isn't a bad idea, just have to make sure it's a good financial idea for me to wait that out. Actually, it sounds similar to what I did when switching from my MW-30 to Miraphone 1291 a number of years ago. Haha, after getting the 1291, I pulled out the MW-30 so infrequently that I didn't even snap a picture of the two tubas side by side.

[bort]

Thanks Wade... I remember reading posts about it, but briefly, why did you decide to change to the Holton? I know you had other BAT's, but what made you decide to let go of the Alex for good?

I guess this is why trumpet players end up with 20 horns...cheap and small enough to not have to get rid of one to get another.

[bort]

Thanks Ben... if you don't mind me asking, did you find the Alex first, then decide to sell the Gnagey? Or did you decide you wanted to sell the Gnagey, then go about tracking down the Alex?

[MartyNeilan]

I love the sound of a good Marzan. If your CC plays in tune, it is a keeper.

[bort]

Yeah, it's a tough call. Maybe I'll try the mouthpiece game before making any final decisions. Blokepiece...?

[iiipopes]

Have you considered contacting Matt @ Dillon Music and making a tuba safari road trip with your Marzan to try out and A/B compare various instruments? This way you can get a direct feel for things. Also, since as players we are under the bell, we don't always get a good idea of what comes out front. Your "sound" may be there out front, and as a player just can't hear it until you get in a reflective room or get someone with a proper ear out front to tell you what's happening.

Because you already have such a fine instrument, before selling, I would recommend a safari and some A/B comparisons. When Jeff Rideout came through town a couple of years ago on the way back to Michigan from San Antonio, I got to do just that. I got to play some very fine tubas for at least a couple of hours, including several that had piqued my curiosity for a couple of years, with friends to help with the "far field" sound input. Final verdict: I decided to dance with the girl I brought to the ball. But the experience was invaluable to get rid of the "what ifs" and "how abouts."

[bort]

Yes, I should probably head on down to Dillon's and do some testing. There are two 188's there now, more than I can afford, but will at least get some thoughts in my head.

Bloke, if you could work that with the B&M owner, that would really be great. I'd like to give a new mouthpiece a shot, and maybe meet up with Ben to try his. But I'd appreciate your thoughts on it if it's not a hassle for the guy to bring his tuba. Something that might add some clarity in the low register would be helpful.

And I'm really kicking myself now that I didn't buy Matt's old 188. He and I emailed about it for months about trading horns (my 1291 for his 188). Well, he ended up buying my 1291, and I ended up determined to make the Marzan work. Selling the 1291 was still the right move for me, and I think he's pretty happy with the 1291. But I'm still squarely on the fence about the Marzan.

Thanks for all the advice!

[Steve Marcus]

There was a gentleman who had just completed his Masters in Tuba Performance who advertised on TubeNet last summer that he wanted to sell his 6/4 York CC because "he had the sound of a smaller tuba in his head." It was listed for months with no action, just a lot of his "bumps" to keep his listing near the top of the forum.

I contacted him and suggested that we trade CC horns for a week. If we both fell in love with each other's tubas, we could then finalize an exchange in ownership. If, however, either one of us preferred our original horn, the tubas would go back to their original owners.

I love my 4/4 Nirschl CC (Meister Walter Nirschl, to differentiate my German-built horn from the new inexpensive tubas from Brazil). Many who have played it and/or listened to it have commented that it is nimble like a 4/4 but has the sound of a much larger tuba. But I had a great experience and a lot of fun playing that 6/4 York for a few days. I played it for an orchestral rehearsal and performance of Rachmaninoff's Symphonic Dances, and it really provided a great foundation. It felt so good to hold--ergonomically, it was surprisingly comfortable. It was also quite beautiful to look at in its rose brass--surprising for a rebuilt horn.

I contacted the gentleman with whom I've studied tuba (a well-recognized university professor and player) after the concert that I played with the York and asked him what he thought, knowing that he had praised my Nirschl when I first brought it to him in the summer of 1999 to test-play. He minced no words. "You're thinking about acquiring a tuba which may have some intonation and/or tonal inconsistencies, while your Nirschl suffers none of these problems. It would be folly for you to ever get rid of that Nirschl."

Having heard such firm words from him, I didn't wait until the week was over to return the tubas--even though I was having a great time playing a 6/4 concert tuba every day. After all, I wanted to be fair to the guy who was still trying to sell the York by getting it back in his possession so that he could find a buyer as quickly as possible. He admitted that he liked my Nirschl very much; so we came very close to making the exchange. Ultimately, he sold the York to a college student in California. But what did he end up with himself? You guessed it--another 6/4 horn--a Nirschl.

I would still very much like to have a 6/4 tuba along with my 4/4 Nirschl CC. Perhaps buying the 6/4 in BBb will help justify owning two contrabass tubas; as an example, the 6/4 BBb would really work nicely on some Russian repertoire. But I am now certain that I will never let go of my Nirschl. If you love characteristics of that Marzan and you're not significantly improving your versatility by replacing it with another horn, keep it.

[bort]

Just realized that I didn't reply to some of these posts. I appreciate all of the help and input so far!

Current plan is to spend more time with the tuba, and test out a few more mouthpieces. I have a concert coming up end of May, so I'll have the tuba through then. Following that concert, I should know by then what I want to do. And yes, a trip down to Dillon's is in order, and some side-by-side testing (if Matt obliges) is the best way to know for sure.

Again, there is nothing *wrong* with this tuba, which is why it's so tricky. I just think it's bigger than I need and not really what I'm "hearing." Which is a shame, because it's a really nice tuba.