Most in tune tubas

[J.c. Sherman]

My own experience with the YBB 321 is that the upper G is ridiculously sharp. YMMV.

[bort]

sound well in-tune to me

Some tubas *sound* well in-tune because of the effort/skill of the player. However, you may be right about *those* tubas... if you have a large number of tubas in challenging (marching) conditions and they still sound okay, they are probably pretty decent to begin with.

[oedipoes]

My own experience with the YBB 321 is that the upper G is ridiculously sharp. YMMV.

True, played one for several years... (but didn't like the ergonomics)

[oedipoes]

My Willson 3100 RZ4 BBb.

[EdFirth]

The old 2 and 3(C), and 4 and 5(Bb) Conns were very well in tune. Ed

[ArnoldGottlieb]

I'm really happy with the intonation of the newer King 2341 I've recently acquired, it makes me, my colleagues, and my bosses happy every night. I certainly love the same intonation qualitys in my old bell front King.
The GR51 that Matt Walters mentioned is amazing, both to my ears and on a tuner. If my current gig were to end, and it will, I will own one of those, I really found it to be plug n' play, and a really great size for an all around horn.
As an aside, for me, when I went to study in Europe, I was taught that the 'proper' fingering for 'd' in the staff (or 'e' if you're playing a C tuba), is 1 and 2, so since then that's how I (almost) always finger it and I use 2 and 3 for the note a half step lower.
And I played both of Matt's CC's also, the Asian prototype was great, everyone knows about his York.
Peace
ASG

[DavidK]

Another vote for the modern King 2341 BBb. Mine is a 2004 vintage.
My 1932 King 1241 custom compact BBb has great intonation.
H.N White and Company had something figured out !

[pjv]

Well if the "proper" fingering for the "D in the staff" on a German instrument is 1&2 then I will assume that it's lower partner's (Db) proper fingering will be 2&3. Bingo!
This means I can (almost) add my old BBb Alexander to the list (30's???? Sports a 16" bell for whatever thats worth).

The horn plays real steady in all registers so playing it in tune was just a question of finding the quirks. And indeed I have to play the above mentioned Db's 2&3 and the D's, well OK, 3. Still, not bad.


And I do have to pull about an inch for my 2&4 combi's.



And everything bellow the low E is push or pull on the 4th slide.




And the 2nd partial C & B are actually faked. (ah, what a wonder a 5th valve could do).
Ah, who writes below low E anyway.

[J.c. Sherman]

My own experience with the YBB 321 is that the upper G is ridiculously sharp. YMMV.

Doesn't the 641 kinda do the same thing?

Kinda, but to a lesser extent... And I can pull 1 with ease

[toobagrowl]

My own experience with the YBB 321 is that the upper G is ridiculously sharp. YMMV.

Doesn't the 641 kinda do the same thing?

Yep, and that is a commonly sharp note on most BBb tubas. No tuba is perfect, but, then, no player is perfect, either. The 6th partial open F right below that top-space G is also a bit sharp on the YBB 201/321, but everything else is pretty darn close. It is the easy/lippable response that puts the 201/321 up their with the King BBb's for me. I do not find the YBB 641 to have an easy/lippable/even response, even though I like it's low register. And even the King BBb's aren't perfect - that same note - 6th partial open F - is sharp on King BBb sousaphones and tubas. I remember the old King 1241 I played at my first college had a sharp 6th partial open F as well as the first valve Eb right below the staff being flat. But everything else seemed to be very close, and the easy/lippable response made the few 'problem notes' not so problematic. The later model King BBb's seem to be even better.

All the tubas/sousaphones I listed have at least one or two 'problem notes', but there are fewer problems than most tubas/sousaphones, and usually those few 'problem notes' are somewhat easily 'fixed'. The easy/lippable response has a lot to do with that.

[iiipopes]

If the top space G and Gb are sharp with conventional 1+2 and 2+3 fingerings, then the seventh partial fingerings of 2 alone and 1 alone, respectively, might be just right.

Kings have a reputation of 6th partial F fourth line to be sharp.

[ParLawGod]

My Olds O-99-4. I had the first and third tuning slides shortened, and I've never played a more in-tune tuba.

[dave_matheson]

my BBb Besson 3 valve compensating tuba ... with a Wick 1 mouthpiece .... beautiful intonation and sound, every note.

[jeopardymaster]

I haven't sampled that many, but in my estimation Sam Gnagey's creations are wonderfully in tune.

[pjv]

Hmm, maybe we're getting back to the point.
If I understand correctly; Gnagey has taken King tubas (big thumbs-up on intonation from TubeNetters) and fitted them with the bell & bows of nice sounding classic horns (generally speaking). One might expect these horns to be somewhere between "worked out OK" to "completely whack". Hear-say is that many of his tubas retain the King intonation plus the donor bells beautiful sound.

Brains and good looks, uh, in tuba terms.

I know there is a lot more involved; mpc, leadpipe, mouthpipe, materials craftsmanship etc etc. Still, is there any reason to assume that a majority of the factors that determine intonation are created by the internal plumbing? Is the bell the major determining factor for a nice sound?

[pjv]

By "internal" I meant the complete valve section area.

[WC8KCY]

Most in-tune tuba I've ever played? A massive "The Buescher" BB-flat sousaphone that I played in the Escanaba City Band in the mid-90s. I hope they still have it...and a player big enough to handle that beastie.

A beautifully-appointed sousaphone it was, too. A Naked Lady 20K would look cheap parked next to it.

[bort]

Escanaba City Band in the mid-90s

Fun fact -- my wife's grandfather was mayor of Escanaba in the 1960s.

Do you still live there?

[WC8KCY]

Fun fact -- my wife's grandfather was mayor of Escanaba in the 1960s.

Do you still live there?

Nope. Living in Manistee now...and playing in the world famous Scottville Clown Band!

[TheGoyWonder]

I'd have to agree about the Besson 3 valve comp being very in tune. Such a cool system, it looks like a 3 valve but its really a 5 valve and helps you on 3 and 2-3 unlike anything else. However it's such a small sound for such a big horn, and so difficult to play low C and B. Not a keeper for me. I used Wick 2 which is already larger than a Helleberg, don't think the Wick 1 would have helped. Switching to a modern clone's leadpipe might be a last resort.

What is it about a tuba that determines how sharp the 3rd/F partial is? Going along with that, what is it about a tuba that determines the propensity for the 2nd/Bb partial to blow flat with volume? I'm playing a 191 with the fat sound I've been wanting but suffering with this.