Which bass tuba do you play?

[ThomasDodd]

Could someone explain to me why the E and F tubas are considered the "bass tubas" when the C and B tubas have longer tubing and hence can produce a lower sound than the E and F.

Bb and C tubas are contra bass instruments.
Also the source of the term "contra" used in Drum & Bugle Corps.

Look here or here.

More confusing are terms like contralto (like the clarinet), baritone (like the saxophone). Generally contra* means an octave lower that the "normal". So contrabass is 8vb the bass, and contralto is 8vb the alto.

[KarlMarx]

I didn't vote for the same reason. I sometimes use an F with Rotors, sometimes an Eb with 4 pistons & 1 Rotor.

Please enter the poll with a vote for the one you would keep, if you were forced to sell off one of your bass tubas.

A poll like this one cannot be totally accurate and comprehensive. However the most faithful result will be the one, which reflects the truest biases of the players, who already have bought and who are actually playing bass tubas.

As a bass tuba player I have my own quite specific biases, but as a pollster I have no other wishes than reflecting the realities of the bass tuba universe as well as possible.

Every single honest vote isn't just welcomed. It is badly needed for a faithful result of this poll!

We may come back to the subtleties at a later point of time.

Carolus Marximus Pollinius

[Hank74]

I appreciate the clarification about the bass and contrabass tubas. That means I'm the proud owner of two contrabass tubas! Yippie! But hats off to the regular bass tuba owners.

Hank74

[tubatooter1940]

I would like to thank KarlMarx for his favorable comments on my C.D. samples at http://www.johnreno.com/CDs.htm
Dennis Gray

[KarlMarx]

I would like to thank KarlMarx for his favorable comments on my C.D. samples at http://www.johnreno.com/CDs.htm
Dennis Gray

You are the one to be thanked!

I love, when the inherent human laziness is put aside and a tuba player, in a pretty ripe age to the boot, plays 4-beat patterns instead of trying to get away with 2 beat honking.

I never have been confronted with a singer/guitar, harmonica, and tuba set-up before. But this one works very much to my liking.

Carolus Marximus Gratificantus