First a visit to the Miraphone stand which has small play test rooms to play test. I had to try the Bruckner having heard so much about it and was suitably impressed. A very nice tuba good across all registers. Did not feel too big, but had a full sound. The 1291 played fine, but I did not feel comfortable holding. The 190 Kaiser CC did not really do it for me – not a patch on the Neptune IMHO! The Norwegian Star had the most incredible low register I have ever come across on an Eb – with one of those a 4/4 CC is really not required. The Starlight was nowhere near so open down low, but had a nice singing upper register. However the highlight at Miraphone for me was no doubt the wonderful prototype Siegfried BBb - it would no doubt be the one I would choose if buying a BBb Kaiser tuba.
I looked at JinBao of China and was pleasantly surprised at the quality of their tubas. The Fletcher EEb clone played very much like the Besson original (I used to own a 981) while the 1291 BBb clone made an interesting comparison to the Miraphone original I played. It sounded to me softer spoken and more mellow, but that may have just been the acoustics, me playing the JinBao in large hall, while had tried the original in small test room. There was also a couple of nice playing small rotary BBb, one in gold brass and compensated euphonium which sounded good being play tested by euphonium player who visited stand.
There was an F with rather different knobbly finish on the Brassego stand and at Jestadt I took the opportunity to try their small Tubchen F again. I thought interesting to compare now I am owner of even smaller travel tubas. I found it incredibly stuffy in the low register and could really not get decent sound down low – I would no way play instead of the Melton! I then tried their new small CC tuba and quite enjoyed – worth checking out if you want a super small CC.
At Rudolf Meinl I tried the renowned 6/4 Kaiser BBb and really did not like – I found difficult to pitch down low, I tried all three sizes of CC and by far liked the 4/4 the best – that would be my choice if getting another medium size CC.
Mr.Tuba had an amazing array of varied tubas including the best playing Fafner I have ever tried, a very nice B&S GR-51 and front valve compensated Eb (similar to Besson 983)which he has helped develop for York.
At the Melton/MW/B&S stand I tried the Fasolt and did not like as well as Mark’s Fafner, the JBL F was very nice, but not so much that I would swap my PT-15, while the highlight for me there was the new Tuono 5/4 CC – excellent providing the sort of sound that made even me question the need for a 6/4 – congratulations to Alessandro Fossi on its development!
I liked the Kanstul tubas I tried, the 4/4 CC, front valve Eb and most of all the new F. Definitely one of the best F I have ever played – no trouble with low C there, as easy to produce as on Eb tuba.
Then when I was feeling rather tired near the end of my visit I was delighted to meet Micky Wrobleski of the Beijing Symphony Orchestra on the Wisemann stand. Wisemann are a brass manufacturer in Beijing to which Micky is acting as tuba consultant advising on all their designs. They had a very nice 3/4 size 3+1 non-compensated Eb which would be ideal for marching with British Brass band. It only has 16” bell and was very light, but had good tone. There was also a 4-top valve BBb which had broad full tone – would be ideal for band playing for those that like top valves. They also make euphonium which looked rather like a Besson Prestige and Micky told me he is working on other new models with Wisemann, one of which I think may well fulfil some players dream!
Enjoy the horn dorn below!!!
Miraphone Siegfried prototype
Jinbao EEb
Brassego F
Jestadt Tubchen line up with F on right
Jestadt small CC
Rudolf Meinl
Mr.Tuba/York Eb
With B&S GR51
Melton/Meinl-Weston Tuono 5/4CC
Kanstul line up
Kanstul F
At Wisemann stand with Micky Wrobleski holding non-compensated Eb
Cerveny
