Aluminum Tuba

[pjv]

Not to put a dent on this entry, but

The aluminum contra-bass I heard (Conn??) sounded terrible and was quite inaudible.

-Pat

[tbn.al]

I think this is even funnier when you know that the guy on the right plays for the Philadelphia Orchestra and the guy on the left is the trumpet professor at Penn.

The Chase lick at the end really brings back memories. There used to be a guy in Alabama that had the rights to all the recordings plus some rehearsal tapes that were amazing. Heard 'em live once. That was one I'll never forget.

[Rick Denney]

The aluminum contra-bass I heard (Conn??) sounded terrible and was quite inaudible.

The reasons for that can be many, and most of those might be unrelated to the material used. I've certainly played brass tubas that I thought sounded terrible and were inaudible. Some of those situations might have even been the tuba's fault.

Rick "correlation does not prove causation" Denney

[sloan]

Rick "correlation does not prove causation" Denney

N of 1 doesn't even establish correlation.

[pjv]

I live in Holland and theres a music shop in Amsterdam called Palm Guitars and they rent it out (or at least they used to).

And yes Rick, just because I thought it sounded lousy and feeble doesn't mean that all metal basses were useless.

On the other hand, it didn't catch on for a reason did it? Its possible that it was a great idea that never caught on, but not probable.

-Cheers, Pat

[pjv]

ps I'm talking double bass, not CC or BBb tuba

[David Richoux]

I live in Holland and theres a music shop in Amsterdam called Palm Guitars and they rent it out (or at least they used to).

And yes Rick, just because I thought it sounded lousy and feeble doesn't mean that all metal basses were useless.

On the other hand, it didn't catch on for a reason did it? Its possible that it was a great idea that never caught on, but not probable.

-Cheers, Pat

I happened to find that place when I was on vacation about 15 years ago - a really interesting shop. That is where I first saw a copy of "Fast vergessene Blasinstrumente aus zwei Jahrhunderten" by Gunter Dullat (not for sale!)

Dullat, Gunter. Fast vergessene Blasinstrumente aus zwei Jahrhunderten: vom Albisiphon zur Zugtrompete [Almost forgotten wind instruments of two centuries: from the albisiphon to the slide trumpet]. Nauheim, Germany: Author, 1992. OCLC 32028736.

(I just have a photocopy version

[toobagrowl]

ps I'm talking double bass, not CC or BBb tuba

Well that changes things a bit

I think an aluminum tuba could be successful if done right. Aluminum is lighter and stronger than brass and would be a great idea for a tuba. I am GUESSING, sound-wise, that it would be somewhere between brass and fiberglass; probably a little closer to brass.