I've had the Neptune for about 24 hours now -- and to steal bloke's word from when he got his Besson Eb, I am giddy.The Neptune has a GREAT sound and it is extremely easy to play. It can sound HUGE sound, but it doesn't always have to -- it's very flexible. For such a large tuba, it's easy to hold, easy to play, and all around just a complete pleasure to play. Mechanically, it is great -- awesome valve action, top-notch construction, and ergonomically very friendly. The engraved paddles really feel nice.
The response is outstanding -- it speaks clearly and cleanly in every register. The high range is easy, and the low range just absolutely roars out of this horn -- low F, E, and Eb are point and shoot and automatic.
Intonation is good -- that is, no major red flags, and after a few hours of playing, I certainly haven't found all of the quirks and adjustments I'll have to make. But, I know there's nothing severe, and nothing that can't be worked around. The only thing I'm still figuring out is 4th valve D -- it centers less well than the surrounding notes, and while it sounds fine, it doesn't "feel" quite the same as other notes. Minor issue, and just part of getting to know the horn. Reminds me of low C on an F tuba in the sense of being "different," but without being funky or squirrelly. Again, I've got about 2 hours on this horn, I have no expectations of mastering it that quickly.
I'm sure there will be downsides and some negative aspects to it. It's big, a little hard to get in the car, impractical for small groups (which I rarely, if ever play in), etc. But for now, I think this is really what I want and is VERY much what I've been looking for. I'm extremely excited.
Yes, I will miss the Rudy, and that Rudy sound! But my motivation here was to get something that 1) sounded larger and 2) was easier to play. The Rudy was (and is) an outstanding tuba, but in the end, it and I just didn't quite "click" as we needed to, especially for the amount of practice time and upkeep I could give it. Trading a bit of sound and character for something more point and shoot seems like it will serve me well.
And yes, I know... I've been through a lot of tubas the past few years. But I'm a believer that when you buy a tuba, you need a little time to decide if you're going to keep it long-term. And I also think that even fantastic tubas can turn out to not be keepers for various reasons. And worst case, none of the tubas I've owned are unique -- they made more, and I can always go back! You only go around once, so take the opportunities when they come up.
Here's the obligatory photo:
