Most in tune tubas

[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.

[bisontuba]

Hi-
The new Eastman EBC-632 CC tuba is absolutely right on the money for intonation--and it plays incredible too. Very neat!
Mark

[Tubaguyry]

The best horn I've ever played was Jeff Hodapp's Rusk-cut York CC. Nothing else even comes close. Man....

My 188 was pretty easy to keep in tune, too.

[windshieldbug]

The formula is

- an expanding bugle which defies physics and plays close-to "in tune" for western mostly-equal temperament tuning, and
- enough valves to fix the math problems.

+10

and an ear good enough to use whatever the ensemble is using (just, equal-temperament, stretch... )

[Dylan King]

I'm shocked at how well in tune the PT-10 clone plays. Amazing.

My Miraphone Bruckner CC also plays very well in tune.

[J.c. Sherman]

Big Plug for my BMB 3/4 CC (4-valve). It's exceptional.

[barry grrr-ero]

Of the few tubas I've owned, hands down: Besson 983 Eb. Pretty much played itself.

[toobagrowl]

When I hear less-experienced tuba players play tuba solos with pianos, the solo tubas (typically) sound "sharp". Besides the classic amateur tendency to "play sharp", I suspect that tendency is amplified by the unawareness of less experienced tuba players that the "tuba range" of the piano is tuned BELOW ref: A=440.

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That goes for playing flat also. I've heard some tuba players play up to 20c flat to the ensemble, which is just as bad as someone playing that amount sharp. Best to get it close to "in-tune" as possible


As to most in-tune tubas, most any King BBb tuba or sousa.

[tbn.al]

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

Mine too. Couldn't say that before bloke worked on my slides but afterwards it is amazingly in tune

[jamsav]

My King 2341 when someone else is playing it!

[toobagrowl]

If playing a tuba solo with a piano (assuming anyone is listening...????),

It's probably best to follow the piano's stretch tuning.

Ref. A=440...

I see you are talking about tuba + piano. I probably agree with you on that. But I was talking more about ensemble playing......like quintet, brass ensemble, wind ensemble, etc. It is just best to play as close to A=440 (or whatever the group uses), and match pitch with the trombone(s), low woodwinds, etc.

[tbn.al]

What is it about Strauss that amplifies this effect? Just finished Death and Transfiguration with tuben right beside me. And yes it is much easier to tune when you have that spot on pitch beside you to grab on to. However I noticed time and time again that my positions changed noticeably during the piece, me thinking it was more my position in the harmonic structure than trying to match an errant pitch from somewhere. Remember, I said I had Mr. Rock Solid on my left. It does happen sometimes that I notice position changes but not so much as when playing Strauss or Wagner. Maybe it's just those end of Romantic Period harmonic changes. I really don't know. I do know that it is a workout for my ears.