BEST TUBA YOU HAVE PLAYED?

[Euphtub]

Mark's (Grooving for Heaven) Piggy.

Free and easy throughout the entire range. It is literally effortless to play. Nice singing quality in the upper register, and a dark, round low register.

[Toobist]

I love my CC (Nirschl 4/4) but I gotta say...a YCB826. I played one about 5 years back and it was incredible. I approached the thing totally sceptical and expected to not believe the thing would be worth the price tag. The thing was effortless and surprisingly light and nimble. After a couple lips slurs I, without hesitation, whipped off Monti's Czardas (I'd been preparing it at the time - I'm not one of those dudes who can just whip out a tune like that!). It was more efficient than even my Nirschl, whose like I've never seen when it comes to that facet of a horn.

C'mon lottery tickets!

[iiipopes]

If I were thirty years younger, had the cash, and was starting tuba all over again, the GR51/PT605 BBb tuba lives up to its description, especially with the PT82 mouthpiece. But I'm not, I don't and I won't, so my 186 it is.

[dsfinley]

Probably the horn I've had the most fun playing on was a Getzen CB-50 CC or maybe a Miraphone 191 BBb

[eupher61]

2 different 60s era 186s. Both 4v. played like dreams. wish I had known when one of them was sold...the other may be available in a few years.

[jrobba]

A government-owned Rudolf Meinl 4345p. Everything I played on that horn felt effortless and I was able to produce a sound that I was very happy with.

[Dan Schultz]

They're all sitting right here.

+1. It's going to be hard to beat my Miraphone 1291 and the Marzans. But.... I'm thinking the King 'orchestral grand' rotary 1291 that I just lugged home will give 'em all a run for their money!

[Tubaguyry]

All-around horn: Rusk-cut York CC owned by Jeff Hodapp
Big horn: PT-6P from Custom Music
F: YFB-822 from a guy at TubaChristmas years ago (I can't remember his name)

[tofu]

*

[Ken Herrick]

Not CERTAIN it was THE best but, the 4/4 CC York Jake thought of usng for RVW with Gould conducting is THE one I've always wished I had owned.

Another in that category was a King 4RV CC which Harvey had ne deilver to a buyer in NYC. It had just been overhauled but, with a not good valve refit job. With the valves done up right and a couple tweeks I think it would have been a very good axe which would have made a fine pairing witj my BBb monstrr 4RV.

MAYBE - the 186 will be IT when I put it together.

DAN - let's see some pics of your new beast!

[windshieldbug]

I'm partial to my slant-rotor Marzan.

It's the only horn that I've had conductors stop a rehearsal for and remark that they like the tuba sound.
(which IS, as we know, the only reason you ever want to be singled out in a rehearsal for... )

[EdFirth]

My Conn 36J.Ed

[J.c. Sherman]

Howard Johnson's pre-hawkes Boosey 3+1 F... Ho------ Ly------ $#|+!!!

[bort]

I'm not sure I really trust my memory for tubas that I've played more than a few months ago. After that, I have probably changed enough as a player (good or bad) that I should probably try it again and see what I think. That said, first impressions are a good starting point.

Based on my memory though, here are my top three:
1) A Miraphone 188 that I borrowed on a band tour in Austria. Wow!
2) My Mirafone 188, which is excellent, but couple schnitzels short of the one in Austria.
3) A handmade Nirschl 4/4 that Dillon's had at the army band conference around 2006(?). It took such a small amount of effort to make that thing "go."

[pwhitaker]

This one: http://mainetoday.mycapture.com/mycaptu ... ryID=52602" target="_blank" target="_blank" target="_blank

I sold a wonderful old Rudy Meinl 5/4 "KleineKaiser" BBb after getting this 6/4 1941 Holton BAT with short stroke valves. The intonation is nearly perfect, the high register sings and the low register is
massive. The privilege tones and pedals are very solid and have a nice timbre. The throat on this horn dwarfs both that of the Conn 22J and Martin Mammoth that used to be its stablemates.

[Antontuba]

My Besson 981 after Matt Walters tweeted it when I had it in for servicing last month!

Adam

[jamesmanganaro]

I've got to say, right now I'm loving my two Adams Tubas. The CC is everything I love about my old Hirsbrunner, but with a lightness that gives me a lot more control over the color of my tone. The F is the really special horn for me though, it's the best dang F tuba I've come across yet. It's everything I ever wanted in an F, all the sweetness of an Alex, but with the evenness and stability of a Yamaha. The angle of the leadpipe is a bit odd, but once you get used to it, it's ok, and I worry that changing it could mess with the perfection. If a horn has the sound you want, the response you want and it's in tune, unless there's something about the design that makes it harder for you to play, you should leave it alone imo. I am admittedly still in the honeymoon period, but I've got to say I was impressed by what Adams has been able to do with their Tubas since taking on the stuff from Hirsbrunner.

-James

[Dan Schultz]

Cool horn. "Up periscope!" Now that's a bell front.

Double that!

[tubajon]

Rudy 5/4 CC 4 rotors.

[Jay Bertolet]

I guess you could say I'm blessed (or cursed!) that the best horn I ever played is one I own. It very well could be the latter, at least a couple very respected players advised me not to buy the horn. I still feel like my Nirschl York plays like a dream. After 13 years, still the best horn I've ever found.