Single C Tuba?

[Scott]

Anybody know if such a beast is produced? After seeing that pocket tuba by M/W, I would imagine anything's possible...
Why a single C tuba?
Because, at my stage of life, I'm not interested in learning new fingerings for the F tuba, and there are things I want to play that are a tad bit out of my reach, register wise, on my CC horn. And I don't want to just play it on a euphonium.

[tubaguy9]

Would you possibly be speaking of a C tenor tuba?
I think I've read that a such thing exists, I'll let someone who actually knows something say more...

[Bob Kolada]

Cerveny makes rotary C bary-phoniums in oval and upright form-
http://www.cerveny.biz/bariton/

[Scott]

Yes, I would imagine the thing would basically be a euph pitched in C...

[k001k47]

French C

[Scott]

Thanks, Bob for the link.

[Mojo workin']

Amazing. Cerveny has 23 different euphonium models, 3 different helicons, 13 F tubas, 23 BBb tubas, 9 CC tubas and 3 Eb tubas to choose from. One is not wanting for variety of choices as a Cerveny customer.

[averagejoe]

A "single c tuba" will essentially have the same range as a euphonium. I went down this road, looking for a cheap, small tuba for travel. I ended up getting one of these little weirdos. http://whyflugelhorn.info/Berkeley-3-Ro ... 0011313278" target="_blank It was for sale used from Baltimore brass for 250, so I took a gamble. This horn is pitched one octave above a CC tuba, and sounds a bit like a tubby bass trombone. I didn't like the mouthpiece that came with it at all, but I don't have chops for narrow trombone mouthpieces. I was planning to use this as a cheap tenor tuba and practice instrument from the start, so I had already procured a tenor tuba mouthpiece. I enjoy playing the "bass flugelhorn" when using a mouthpiece with a tuba rim, it actually feels fairly natural. This horn has a nice little sound, but has some troublesome intonation things. The open partial g (top space in the staff) is pretty flat, so I end up just fingering it 1-3 and that gets it in the ball park. It seems to me that the first valve tubing is too long, so I may just cut it. The main tuning slide doesn't pull well; it seems that the designers should have added more braces to help the alignment to be true. A second brace connecting the leadpipe to the body would be good too, as the leadpipe seems to wiggle from side to side a bit. The valves work pretty darn well, I have never had one freeze up and the linkage seems to be holding up. While it isn't spectacular, combined with a cheap practice mute it makes for a functional "travel tuba" on the cheap.

[Scott]

Thanks Joe, for the link. Very interesting sound...

I think I'm going the mouthpiece route. I just received my Dave Houser Symphonic mouthpiece with a small Helleberg rim, and it does exactly what I hoped it would do...Give my 3/4 Rudi CC a velvety, more "orchestral" sound, while keeping the flexibility nice and nimble. Plus, some problematic notes are playing better in tune than with my other mouthpieces. Low register (down to the fundamental) technical facility is easier for me, too. Like when I wade through some of those Bach/Bixby/Bobo etudes...

SO, I am now planning to order one of Dave's "Solo" underparts and another rim, and see what that does for my upper register. I'm thinking it'll be what the doctor ordered...

Anyways, after watching some Russian player do the Bydlo on a BBb horn, I feel like a slacker...