I'd like to try those B&S GR 51 and GR 55 BBb tubas The bells on those have a more Meinl-Weston look to them (small fast flare at end of bell; fatter throat). Maybe it's just me, but those tubas look similar except for the bell size & flare, yet the GR 55 is listed as 5/4 and the GR 51 is listed as 4/4
tooba wrote:Maybe it's just me, but those tubas look similar except for the bell size & flare, yet the GR 55 is listed as 5/4 and the GR 51 is listed as 4/4
Not you. Not an illusion. Just marketing. Good eye...
The problem is no agreed definition of what makes a 4/4, 5/4, etc.
B&S seem to be going by bell diameter at least in that case, but my experience is bell throat size is more relevant to the breath of tone than either bell diameter, or valve bore - yet bell throat is a measurement which is never stated.
FWIW My observations are that an average 4/4 has bell throat about 15" circumference, 5/4 17" and 6/4 19-20"
Just got back from hearing Mr. Yasuhito Sugiyama perform with Cleveland. Bruckner 8 was fantastic. I wish I had been able to attend Thursday's performance of #7. The orchestra was very tight. I was suprised that the wagner tuben did not have the most glaring of intonation errors (fl & clar). All in all great live performance. I am more familiar with the Hass version, so the ending of mvt 1 was a slight surprise for me. Kudos to Mr. Sugiyama for beautiful playing in mvt. 3 - great stuff with the tuben. Mvt rocked...
'Nuf said. I don't care what Mr. Sugiyama was playing, if it was his Fafner (sure looked like it), he played the part to a T.
Ben Vokits
NYC/Philly area Freelancer
Nautilus Brass Quintet
Alex 164C, 163C, 155F; HB1P
The bells on those have a more Meinl-Weston look to them (small fast flare at end of bell; fatter throat). Maybe it's just me, but those tubas look similar except for the bell size & flare, yet the GR 55 is listed as 5/4 and the GR 51 is listed as 4/4 
