Vintage Eb tuba

[Robson]

Hi!

My name is Robson and it's my first post here. I'm a trumpet player and I've been playing for more than 20 years. I've been thinking about doubling on tuba for a long time... I was afraid, but now I few that is the right moment. I just love the sound of the tuba, especially high solos on a bass tuba.

I believe that buying a vintage Eb tuba is the cheapest way to start, right? I would love to buy an F tuba, but from what I know they are more expensive...

I'm looking for:
- Good intonation on the upper register
- Good slotting on the upper register

At this moment I don't worry:
- Big volume of sound (I like fat sound, but it doesn't need to be huge)
- 4th or 5th valve... (like I said at this moment I don't worry about the lower register)

Is it a good idea to buy a vintage tuba?
Monster Eb tuba sound good on the upper register?
What should I look for: York, Martin, King, Holton, Conn, etc?

Thank you very much!
Robson

P.S. Just for curious, I have a J.W. York & Sons cornet from 1906 and it plays like a dream. It's not so powerful like a modern cornet, but it has a beautiful round sound and a nice intonation even without slides...

[Bob Kolada]

Some of them -play- amazing. Most don't play -in tune- that well.

[The Big Ben]

As Bob said, there are a lot of Eb tubas out there. Some good, some not so good. And, because of age, quite a few which have had hard lives and are pretty much dead. An Eb is easy for a trumpet player to learn- read the bass clef as treble and use trumpet fingerings. Add three flats. Kids used to be started on Eb way back when but mostly start on little BBb horns today. They move to bigger BBbs as they become skilled. You might be able to get a decent Eb tuba for cheap but you easily could get a roach. Since you already play, give it a try and see if it sounds in tune and moderately like a tuba. Stuck slides don't mean much except that you should let a professional unstick them. Amateurs generally make stuck slides worse.

Vintage Ebs can look pretty nice with the silver and the engraving many of them have. There are also instruments made by "first line" builders as a student/cheaper line. Conn made Pan-American, York had Grand Rapids Band Instrument Company and a variety of other names plus more.

[Bob Kolada]

The issue isn't really worn out horns- more so unusable octaves.

[ghmerrill]

Be concerned about whether the horn is pitched to A=440. If not, you will need to modify it (reasonable if pitched lower; much more of an issue if pitched higher).

Be concerned about what size the mouthpiece receiver is. If the old "small European" size (as is mine), decide whether you want to stick with this or replace it with a contemporary sized tuba receiver.

Be concerned about intonation and whether you can modify that and/or live with it.

Will the valves need replating/rebuilding? Possible $$$ there.

Do not fear a 3-valve horn. Look for a horn with good false tones.

If you find any reasonable ones you don't want, let me know about them.

After all of that, look at Mack Brass horns and decide what the best price/performance/headache factor is for you -- assuming that you're just looking for a horn to double on and not specifically for an old Eb.

Think about doubling on a compensating euphonium (used in part as a tenor tuba), and look at offerings such as the Mack Brass one. The euph will give you good intonation in the upper register and good slotting in the upper register. It will be easier to play. It will be easier to carry around. It won't require immediate repair or modification. You can play any reasonable tuba part with it (with the right mouthpiece) AND play euphonium and bass trombone parts with it. It won't sound exactly like a tuba, but it may be a good way for you to go -- particularly if (as you seem to indicate) you're really interested in the high range and "high solos". As a comparison, remember that when you push that 4th valve on the comp euph, you're holding a small bore 3-valve F tuba .

[thevillagetuba]

I have my Eb on consignment at Baltimore Brass. It is a Champion from c.1920 with 3 valves. The valves will eventually need some work and their are some leaks, I'm sure, but the horn plays well. I used it as my bass tuba in high school, including a couple concerto competitions. The horn is pretty small and light, but it can produce quite a bit of sound across the registers, and takes a large shank trombone mouthpiece.

I don't have a lot of experience with Eb tubas (only with this horn) but it is listed at $395 and should fit your needs without any money necessarily needed for repairs right away. If you call the shop there and ask them about it, they will give you their hones opinion of the horn. Plus it has some really nice engraving.

[Robson]

Some of them -play- amazing. Most don't play -in tune- that well.

Even on the upper register? I know that vintage tubas usually have just 3 valves, what can be a problem on the lower register, but you mean with "don't play in tune that well"... flat 5th partial and sharp 6th partial?

[Robson]

Vintage Ebs can look pretty nice with the silver and the engraving many of them have. There are also instruments made by "first line" builders as a student/cheaper line. Conn made Pan-American, York had Grand Rapids Band Instrument Company and a variety of other names plus more.

The same happens with trumpets and cornet... My York cornet is a professional model

[Robson]

Think about doubling on a compensating euphonium (used in part as a tenor tuba), and look at offerings such as the Mack Brass one. The euph will give you good intonation in the upper register and good slotting in the upper register. It will be easier to play. It will be easier to carry around. It won't require immediate repair or modification. You can play any reasonable tuba part with it (with the right mouthpiece) AND play euphonium and bass trombone parts with it. It won't sound exactly like a tuba, but it may be a good way for you to go -- particularly if (as you seem to indicate) you're really interested in the high range and "high solos". As a comparison, remember that when you push that 4th valve on the comp euph, you're holding a small bore 3-valve F tuba .

I love euphonium, but usually they sound too narrow on the medium lower register... on the same range bass tuba sound much better...

[Robson]

Buy whatever your gut tells you and ultimately make you happy.

Take advice with a grain of salt and trust that most people's opinions are self-serving.

Don't believe the hype about any particular brand or model.

Except York.

I can see that you have very large vintage contrabass tubas. How's the upper register of your instruments?

[Robson]

Curious if you want to share the recording that has shaped your view of how great tubas sound in the upper range?

Like this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rx6Eo6liyCg" target="_blank

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TXzPsRVF-Ew" target="_blank