Rumors re. W. Nirschl /Gemstone CC tuba

[bisontuba]

HI-
I keep hearing many rumors re. W. Nirschl tubas and Gemstone--any sightings of them at the Chicago MidWest Show?
mark

[Mojo workin']

Will there be sightings at USABTEC in another month and a half?

[Mitch]

Yes, they are at MidWest.

I played the CC. Good horn for the money. I never played the early version with the leadpipe angle issues and found the position just fine for me.

Mr. Barth shared his disappointment that it's taking as much as effort as it is to get the horns here. I guess more are on their way and due in soon. Apparently, issues with Brazilian currency fluctuations are making for quite a bureaucratic snafu when it comes to get things exported. "Your export tax will be X." >ring ring< (What? It's what?) >click< "Nevermind what I just said...it's now 1.5X."

From what he described, the issues aren't production as much as getting things out.

I would've liked more time on the horns. Exhibits closed at 5 and I finally got to the booth about 4:52.

I've been amazed, really, at the horns that are available now. When I was a kid, it was pretty much Hirsbrunner, then a big gap, then everyone else. Now, there are so many choices of quality horns. To be sure, there's definitely an upper echalon, but there are a lot more horns of better quality for the entry- to mid-level players.

Pretty cool.

[bisontuba]

Hi-
Good to hear they are at MidWest and have horns!
If you see or talk to Dick again, ask him which W. Nirschl CC's (19" or 18" bell, angled leadpipes, etc.) they have finally decided to go with, who will be selling them (dealers), and ball park price for the five valve in silver---and as asked above-- will he/they be at the Army Tuba Conference next month?
Many thanks!
mark

[tubaguy9]

I HAVE NOT PLAYED ONE OF THEIR TUBAS, HOWEVER,
I hope they don't have the tuning issues that the euphoniums have. Where I work, we got a batch of ca. 20, and 12 of them play uncomfortably flat...sent them back to the factory to have it fixed and they came back the same...It was VERY disappointing.

[tubaguy9]

some of these horns were flat to the point, that with slides pushed all the way in, the F partial came out as a sharp E...