Why did you buy a vintage tuba to perform with? (A poll!)

[opus37]

My nostalgia horn is a 1912 Martin Monster Eb. My wife bought it for me at an auction when she was 9.5 months pregnant with our son almost 40 years ago. She paid $20 for it. The auctioneer wanted to raise the price, but she faked labor pains and he relented quickly. I have since put more money than it's worth into restoring it. I play the horn weekly during the summer with the old city band I have played in since high school. It is perfect for that setting and the old marches that are peppered throughout each concert. I clean and polish it each year before the season of concerts. It still shines like it is new.

[Sam Gnagey]

I bought my vintage Sander CC for a couple reasons:
I had the opportunity to play one about 50 years ago when I was playing in the Greenville (OH) concert band beside Robert Woodbury who was a student of Sammy Greene's. Bob is a great musician who owned a Sander like one of Sammy's. I thought it was a beautifully made and beautiful sounding instrument and intriguing because of the strange 4th valve (2&3) length.
And I've always been interested in what my predecessor tubists had to deal with in their available horns. I bought this Sander and several others (ophicleide, 6 valve Vienesse F and other 19th century) to experience that. This Sander represents to me what monumental tubists like Heleberg and Geib were playing early last century. It's a great and rare insight that I treasure.

[bort]

Sam, that sounds really cool. Could you post a photo?

[TubaSteve]

My Reynolds collection are all vintage horns. My favorite is my oldest, (early 50's Sousaphone.) The other Sousaphone is about 4 years newer, and is also a great playing horn. Fantastic sound, even intonation, blend so well.....so much fun to play. The recording bass horns are next. The oldest is a 64 that was one of the last built in Cleveland before production moved to Abilene Texas. This horn is a real player! This has some slight pipe differences from the Texas built horn, and does play better. It does have a new lead pipe, and truthfully, that may be the difference. My Eb Recording Bass is rarely played. Usually one of the other band members uses it for outside gigs over the 4th etc. My Holton 350 is still at Lee Stofers, so I don't have any experience with it to say how it plays.

Steve

[hbcrandy]

I play a modified 1912, J. W. York Monster Eb tuba as my bass tuba. I play it because of the large, dark York sound. The modifications are the larger .687" valves and valve plumbing. a larger taper in the lead pipe and a Meinl Weston 5th valve. The bell and large plumbing is all York. It has played Symphony Fantastique, Rite of Spring and Symphony in D Minor to name a few.

[tokuno]

Many tubas/cars/golf clubs/houses/hamburgers/push brooms aren't very good...
...Every single one of those things, though, belongs to someone.

Acquaintance of mine once said of his wife, "She's not perfect - no one is - but she's perfect for me."

[humBell]

(Put other, and as was asked to, figure i'd try to clarify)

First, probably is: i don't know any better. Started learning at 35 'cause a group needed a tuba player (previous played double bass in high school) Over 6 years have played with maybe 6 amateur groups (very broadly defined) so they've all been putting up with a learning curve.
If busking counts, perhaps i could be construed as having a solo career. But i know i'm not yet worthy of a high traffic street corner yet...

Started off just with a feeling that i was learning on a borrowed instrument, and felt i should be free of borrowing, but cheaply. So enjoyed looking on craigslist. Happened upon a few gems (in my opinion at least), so now i feel i've got to actually get good at some point to justify them. And as corny as it may sound, novelty is a big thing, but there's also just a wee bit of the thrill of the hunt.

Sufficient answer?

[Heavy_Metal]

(Put other, and as was asked to, figure i'd try to clarify)

First, probably is: i don't know any better. Started learning at 35 'cause a group needed a tuba player (previous played double bass in high school) Over 6 years have played with maybe 6 amateur groups (very broadly defined) so they've all been putting up with a learning curve.
If busking counts, perhaps i could be construed as having a solo career. But i know i'm not yet worthy of a high traffic street corner yet...

Started off just with a feeling that i was learning on a borrowed instrument, and felt i should be free of borrowing, but cheaply. So enjoyed looking on craigslist. Happened upon a few gems (in my opinion at least), so now i feel i've got to actually get good at some point to justify them. And as corny as it may sound, novelty is a big thing, but there's also just a wee bit of the thrill of the hunt.

Sufficient answer?

Almost

What model tuba(s) do you have?

[southtubist]

I play an Alexander 163 simply because it is an amazing tuba. Mine is actually easy to play once you use a few alternate fingerings. I've played louder/bigger than many people who were playing 6/4 CC tubas. It has the easiest low register of any tuba I've played. It weighs almost nothing and is easier to carry around. It's simply the best tuba ever.

My F tuba is vintage-esque, but in very good condition. It plays very easily and has a similar sound to the Alexander. I've used it in 100+ person orchestras on passages that most would play on CC tuba. It still sounds huge. It's also got a great low range and great tuning. The high range is also nothing to complain about.

Real men play Alexanders and German style F tubas!

[Heavy_Metal]

Real men play Alexanders and German style F tubas!

I guess that makes me a "real man"............

[bigtubby]

Generally I like well built old machinery and have found several old tubas that play very well so that all worked out for me. The instruments that I regularly play are all 188? to mid 1920s.

Besides, how does one resist critters like these when they are rolling their big puppy dog eyes?

[humBell]

Almost

What model tuba(s) do you have?

Limiting to vintage, only one i've performed with is a late 19teens Brau Keefer at a Tuba Christmas.

Haven't had a chance to perform in the past 2 years, but now have available to me that Keefer (now fixed up a bit) 2 old Cervany Tubas (well, one is a Helicon) and a Conn Eb needing repair + one on the way (well, technically i get to go there to get it from an old college friend)

Not regularly performing, i guess getting these has been putting the cart before the horse...

[The Big Ben]

I think it would be fun to own a vintage horn. Something that sounds good but somebody might not want or was looking to harvest parts for a project.
Owning a playing a 100+ year old horn is appealing. Something like one of those 3v top loader Yorks would fit the bill. In presentable condition and maybe get the valves done and a new mouth pipe if it is bunged up. Pings and bumps OK but no serious damage. Like the owners tried to take good care of it its whole life.

[EMC]

Because Alexander

[michael_glenn]

Because Alexander

Nah. Because Hirsbrunner.

[Heavy_Metal]

Almost

What model tuba(s) do you have?

Limiting to vintage, only one i've performed with is a late 19teens Brau Keefer at a Tuba Christmas.

Haven't had a chance to perform in the past 2 years, but now have available to me that Keefer (now fixed up a bit) 2 old Cervany Tubas (well, one is a Helicon) and a Conn Eb needing repair + one on the way (well, technically i get to go there to get it from an old college friend)


Not regularly performing, i guess getting these has been putting the cart before the horse...

Might want to take a look at this site, to locate a group in your area. If nothing else it might suggest a place to start playing again:

http://www.community-music.info/" target="_blank

[j1007hc]

I have an old 5v Alexander F. It came on the For Sale section right when I was looking for an F tuba during my undergraduate career. It was in my city, and it was a very affordable price. My teacher, another colleague, and I sat down and tried it out, and both of them said it was awesome (I, admittedly, couldn't really tell at the time).

I love the design, I love the unique tone/sound, and I love the artistry (e.g. the engraving on the valve caps, etc.); but these are points that developed after I bought the horn. The reasons I bought the horn are in the first paragraph.

[humBell]

Might want to take a look at this site, to locate a group in your area. If nothing else it might suggest a place to start playing again:

http://www.community-music.info/" target="_blank" target="_blank

That looks like a fantastic resource.

Thank you kindly!

I'll see what i can do, if/when i feel i can make a usual rehearsal commitment...

[Billy M.]

The reason I bought a vintage tuba is because I needed a bass tuba, had limited funds, and found something with a really special sound. I have to fight with it a little on intonation but when it comes to a classic American sound, it's worth it.