tuba defenestration

[Sally Larsen]

But - when I go back to my normal horn (new King 2341 BBb), it's like "going home". Suddenly everything is easy - like playing in a rocking chair.

Interestingly, I also have a King 2341, though an older one. I agree with the ease of intonation, but for me it is ergonomically a nightmare. Moving the lead pipe helped, but it is definitely a compromise.
My son just reminded me of a 3-valve Reynolds horn that was a top-notch candidate for defenestration. Beat-to-tinfoil, and nothing much to begin with, it was a middle-school loaner. As he was learning to play, I let him use my horn, and I struggled with the at-best- marginal beater. It evened the playing field a bit, kept the duets interesting, and made me grateful for the public schools that even own tubas.

[sloan]

But - when I go back to my normal horn (new King 2341 BBb), it's like "going home". Suddenly everything is easy - like playing in a rocking chair.

Interestingly, I also have a King 2341, though an older one.

Try a new one. Very different. Just be sure to "try before you buy".

[Steve Marcus]

Discuss the worst tuba you ever played or owned.

Approximately 12 years ago at a NAMM Show, I wandered downstairs (was that Hall E or Hall C in Anaheim?) where the small, less "glamorous" booths are located. There was a booth staffed by a Chinese man and woman with all sorts of merchandise on display; some of it may not have even been music-related. In the booth was one lone tuba with no brand name nor model etched in it.

I approached the booth, and the couple nodded and smiled faintly. But when I stared at the tuba, they grinned from ear to ear. "You try, you try," they invited me in their terribly limited English. I sat down, picked up the 4-valve front-action 4/4 horn, and confirmed my guess that it was a BBb tuba. But that was the last predictable sound that came out of the poor thing. It was impossible to even play a simple diatonic scale! The pitches were all over the map.

When I put the instrument down after a couple of minutes, the couple walked up to me and asked, "You like?" I had to think of a way to offer a polite answer. "It has a good B-flat," I said without knowing whether they understood me or not. I couldn't leave the booth fast enough as they repeated over and over, "Thank you, thank you..."

[taipeituba]

The Kurath F 4p/1r always seemed to have a reputation for being a good tuba, so back in the mid 90s when there was a second hand one for sale at a shop nearby I jumped at the chance to give it a go.

Well the good reputation didn't last long.......holy cow it was terrible to play. Stuffy, terrible intonation, split notes etc definitely the worse tuba I've ever played. I was embarrassed trying to play it in the shop. Clearly it had been around for a while so someone must have mastered it. How? I don't know.

About 5 years later I first tried a YFB-822.....talk about a totally different experience.

[ztuba]

I learned how to play f tuba on an old 4 valve German horn by some random manufacturer and it was very bad. No notes had any center you could sit on. The open bugle of the horn was severely out of tune. But hey... I can play RVW on it right?