Two weeks or so ago I created a topic asking you all what you knew about the MW37 since I had been looking into buying one, and as of today I am the happy owner of such a tuba!
Before I start talking about the horn itself, I want to commend Matt and Dillon Music for the fabulous job they did in helping me out. Matt was an absolute pleasure to work with. Since this is my first CC tuba as well as my first rotor valve tuba, he gave me very thorough explanations and answered all of my questions regarding transitioning into CC tubas as well as rotor maintenance. He made the entire process very comfortable and easy and I was very satisfied with the whole experience. There was another customer in the tuba area that was waiting around for a repair and it was very cool to hear that he himself had primarily used an MW37 for 35 years.
The MW37 itself looked even more beautiful in person than it did in the picture. Despite the measurements being on the smaller side it was still bigger than I'd anticipated. Up close, it looks far from new but still looks lovely. Based on how the "Meinl Weston" stencil just goes across the bell in a slight slant, Matt says it seems to be an older horn that got a really nice overhaul job at some point. He didn't give me an age estimate but maybe some of you will have an idea.
In terms of sound and functionality, it is very comfortable and easy playing with a with a warm tone. It's a good size for me (I'm 5'4" and 130lbs, so I do get overwhelmed by some larger horns) and the valves are in an extremely comfortable place for me. If anything I wish there were a thumb ring somewhere near the fifth valve just so my grip on the MW37 is a little more secure. The tuning slides are a bit of a reach for me but nothing dramatic. Matt said that if it ended up being a big problem in the long run he'd happily put some rings on them so I wouldn't have to reach over quite as much to move them. The intonation is generally pretty good with the exception of a few problem notes, notably the E just below the staff. The E is extremely sharp and sounds almost like an F, while the F itself runs sharp as well. When playing around with it I found that it's nothing that some quick but significant slide maneuvering can't fix.
I'll also note that I got a new mouthpiece. Before, I'd been using a G&W Diablo that my instructor was letting me borrow (he had it in his case but had never used it), and before that a school mouthpiece in poor condition. I really liked the Diablo and wanted to stay on the G&W path because I love the feel of the stainless steel. After trying a handful I found that I sounded significantly better on the Williwaw than any of the others. I'm very excited about this too.
On one final note, I got a free Altieri gig bag with it. It's the standard Altieri bag with the top-entry, bell cover, large pocket and shoulder strap/back pack straps. I find the top entry a little bit awkward but it's something I'll get used to. I also thought it was very cool that I got such a quality gig bag for free. Definitely an exciting bonus.
I've attached some pictures of the horn itself, the Meinl-Weston stenciling on the bell, and a family picture of it next to my Getzen Eterna 1036F trombone. Will post a few more later.
