What's your favorite tuba?

[arpthark]

This question seems to lurk in the background of a lot of "What horn should I buy?" topics but it hasn't been actually addressed in a while. Here's your chance to share what tuba you actually like the most.

Here's the catch: only name ONE. Previous topics like this turned into "tuba wish-lists" or "a list of every instrument I have ever owned."

I'll start:

Alex 163 CC

[weops]

York model 33

[vespa50sp]

Besson 983

[Three Valves]

The YBB-621 has all the features I am looking for.

I'm not sure if I want it (or a real nice clone) yet.

[bort]

Miraphone 188

Which is weird, because I owned one, sold it, and haven't bought another one yet since then.

[arpthark]

Miraphone 188

Which is weird, because I owned one, sold it, and haven't bought another one yet since then.

Before my 5-year break on TubeNet I remember you really wanting a 188 - I think you had a Marzan at the time? Why did you sell the 188? I feel the same about my PT-6. It was awesome, and then I decided I didn't need it, and regretted it ever since.

[iiipopes]

My "Bessophone."

[bort]

Miraphone 188

Which is weird, because I owned one, sold it, and haven't bought another one yet since then.

Before my 5-year break on TubeNet I remember you really wanting a 188 - I think you had a Marzan at the time? Why did you sell the 188? I feel the same about my PT-6. It was awesome, and then I decided I didn't need it, and regretted it ever since.

I'll send you a PM, so as to not derail your thread.

[ken k]

My fave that i own is a Boosey & Hawkes Imperial Eb.

Would also love to get a Miraphone 187 BBb (but I am financially challenged at this time)

P.S. I also own an old Pan American Helicon, which quite honestly, is one of the best BBb tubas I have ever played. I wish I could find a BBb concert tuba that played as well.

kk

[bort]

Can't name just one...
Kalison Pro 2000
Kalison DS
MW Thor (original bell)
Rudy Meinl 5/4
Rudy Meinl 4/4
Craig Fuller's 186
The Besson 995 I played at SERTEC in 2011

Oh, you're just the "I love all my kids equally" type of person aren't you? (So says the guy with one kid )

[arpthark]

Hey, you gotta pick ONE! Surely every parent has a favorite kid, right?

[Dan Tuba]

Conn 25J

[windshieldbug]

Marzan slant-rotor CC

[edsel585960]

Conn 25J

Ditto on this one from another Dan

[southtubist]

My MW 45k. It's a good horn, but I've played it for longer than any other tuba. I've put more hours on it than all of the other horns I've owned combined. It's been used in every kind of playing situation. It's just "comfortable" to me, and it's easy to get a pretty sound on it. I haven't practiced seriously in over two years but I can pick up Penderecki's Capriccio and hack through it 90% as well as I did two years ago.

[DouglasJB]

4/4 handmade Nirschl CC

[Mark E. Chachich]

Alexander 163

It is an excellent general purpose tuba and I made more money with my Alex 163 CC than any other tuba. I used to look at music as a business as much as an art. In the arts you need the instrument that can free you and in business money talks.

I now play my Alex in the Bel Air Community Band (the first three tubas are Alexanders, what a sound!). For me music is no longer a business but the Alexander still does what I need it to do.

best,
Mark

[arpthark]

I'm an Alex convert, as I detailed in another thread. I'm crazy about them now. Would love to find an Alex F.

[arpthark]

That's what I've heard as well. With just a few alternate fingerings and NO slide pulling, my Alex actually plays more "in tune" (read: needle pointing straight-up on the tuner) than any other tuba I've ever owned. Of course, without those alternate fingerings, it's horrendously out of tune, but they aren't hard to get used to.

Anyway, didn't mean to derail my own thread. Continue with extolling your favorite hunks of brass.

[Michael Bush]

Handmade Hirsbrunner HB2P.

(But I'm pretty happy with what I've got between now and when the right one comes on the market.)