Big Mouth Brass J-764LQ 1 YEAR REVIEW

[LCTuba89]

Well it has been about a year since I purchased my tuba and I believe a review is on order. I'll keep it simple with the pros and cons of the instrument.

PROS

- Intonation is surprisingly great for a horn of this size.
- The tonal presence of this horn allows me to play with less overall effort, so it saves my lungs and chops.
- The upper and lower register speak very easily and the lower register resonates with subwoofer-like presence.
- Horn sounds and responds best with the included mouthpiece IMO, although other MPs offer different response and feel.
- The price of this horn is reasonable considering the next BBb 6/4 offering in new condition is double in price. Price to quality ratio is unbeatable on this horn.

CONS

- Obvious weight and size makes this horn ergonomically unfriendly at first, but it becomes easier over time.
- Lead pipe and valve section could be lower, but using a Sousaphone bit makes it easier to play in a comfortable position.
- On this horn in particular, the 3rd valve top cap was somewhat stripped coming to me new. It does screw on albeit with a bit more effort than the others.
- Although the intonation is overall great there are a few quirks. Much like on many tubas, the 5th partial is a bit flat. The 3rd partial D rides a bit sharp and needs to be played with the 3rd valve alone. The 3rd partial C tends to be sharp and pulling for it will make the low 2nd partial F ride flat, although lipping it up is possible.

CONCLUSION

I love this horn and I wouldn't trade it for anything else save a Miraphone 98. I feel like I haven't missed the 5th valve at all honestly. I even tried playing the old Melton 2155R again recently, but it just doesn't have the oomph that the BMB seems to have. Would I recommend this horn to a pro or amatuer player? Yes and yes again. However I'd be iffy about recommending it for school use because of its size, weight, and lack of quick access to replacement parts. If you do want one or multiple of these for your school, make sure you order them on the condition that each horn comes with an extra set of valves.
Lighter valve oil works extremely well on this horn, I'm guessing because of tighter tolerances. I changed out the stock valve springs for Yamaha Euphonium valve springs for lighter action and they work really well. I personally think this horn is perfect for wind ensemble work and even large orchestral work, but if you plan on playing it in a smaller group I'd recommend an F tuba mouthpiece. If you have a chance to try one, I'd highly recommend that you do.

[Ken Crawford]

Why would you only order one of these if it came with an extra set of valves?

[LCTuba89]

Why would you only order one of these if it came with an extra set of valves?

For school use, it's safer to have an extra set of valves because you never know when a kid will knock over or damage the horn. We also don't know how long BMB will be around and hearing it from Alex C himself, he said that ordering new valves takes quite a bit of time for delivery.

[Ken Crawford]

As an owner of a BMB J-764LQ I can easily say that it would be beyond ridiculous for a school to order these instruments. Stick with a 3-4/4 BMB.

[LCTuba89]

As an owner of a BMB J-764LQ I can easily say that it would be beyond ridiculous for a school to order these instruments. Stick with a 3-4/4 BMB.

It's funny because my Alma Mater HS at one point had a fleet of Holton 345s (and Conn 20Ks). There were only two left before I graduated and their valves were screwed beyond repair. It's too bad I didn't grab one before I left, because they're gone now. My fellow tuba player in the community band went to same school 20 years earlier and said he played one of those 345s and said it was the biggest instrument he ever played and he didn't like it either haha. I think Ed Schutz had ordered those while he was band director at LaGrange High School in Lake Charles, LA. Alex C may know more about this subject as he's the one who mentioned that a band director from Lake Charles, LA had ordered them and was convinced that any student could play them.

I agree about using the 3-4/4 size variants for school use. The 6/4s are just too darn big for most high schoolers and most of them don't know a thing about pushing/pulling slides on the fly. The 4/4 horns they make are suppose to be very resonant for their size from what I hear about them. One day I'll try out the J-744 for myself.

[LCTuba89]

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B2pBL9 ... sp=sharing

Here is a picture featuring the last operational Holton 345 at my high school. This photo is circa 1986-1987. From left to right is a King 1240, a Boosey and Hawkes Imperial, another King 1240, and the Holton 345. The B&H and one of the Kings are still playable. One of the Kings are still there but unplayable and the now unplayable Holton 345 has been gone from the school since I left in 2007. I played the B&H Imperial for 2 years at my school, which coincidentally is the same horn my fellow tubist in the community band played (he's the fellow second from the left).

[Three Valves]

The smallest kid got the biggest tuba, AGAIN!!

[LCTuba89]

The smallest kid got the biggest tuba, AGAIN!!

Haha! Funny how that's usually the case!

[Alex C]

A good repair tech should have a thread follower that he can use on your first valve cap, if it is balky. That'll fix you right up.

[Alex C]

Why would you only order one of these if it came with an extra set of valves?

For school use, it's safer to have an extra set of valves because you never know when a kid will knock over or damage the horn. We also don't know how long BMB will be around and hearing it from Alex C himself, he said that ordering new valves takes quite a bit of time for delivery.

Just want to be clear, nothing I've ever said was meant to infer that BMB won't be around for many years. I personally won't be around for many years (give me a couple of decades) and I may not be a rep for all of that time but the company is too successful to simply go away.

[LCTuba89]

Why would you only order one of these if it came with an extra set of valves?

For school use, it's safer to have an extra set of valves because you never know when a kid will knock over or damage the horn. We also don't know how long BMB will be around and hearing it from Alex C himself, he said that ordering new valves takes quite a bit of time for delivery.

Just want to be clear, nothing I've ever said was meant to infer that BMB won't be around for many years. I personally won't be around for many years (give me a couple of decades) and I may not be a rep for all of that time but the company is too successful to simply go away.

Oh I was simply saying you told me that receiving valves takes quite some time. I do hope BMB stays around for the long haul, Dick Barth's work is one of the greatest contributions to the tuba market in years. Him making affordable 6/4 tubas has already sparked a competitive market which will inspire further inovation. In 10 years time, we may even see Chinese 6/4 tubas that are as point and shoot as a King 2341, even though BMB BATs already have amazing intonation considering the infamy of their predecessors.

[Lectron]

Nice tuba
If I outlive mine, it will be replaced by a Sigfried.

[LCTuba89]

Nice tuba
If I outlive mine, it will be replaced by a Sigfried.

Is that a J-764 or J-765? Either way very nice horn you got there. Anything to say about your experience with it?

[Lectron]

It is a 5V

First impression wasn't all that good. Not very parallel tuning slides.
Didn't really respond very "secure"
Plating was obviously VERY thin
Valves GOOD! thou.

I worked with different leadpipes. Threshold for doing so was very low
as there were a damage on the original one.

A small radius bend just before the valve cluster has for me proven to be a rather poor idea.
I also experienced with different taper.
Now it actually preform pretty much just what I'd ask for but despite it having
a very accessible low register compared to other similar 345 type horns,
the wanting for easier play down there and an independent 5th has made me
move toward a different tuba.

Doesn't make this one bad at all. In fact. If it doesn't sell, I do not mind keeping it for it's qualities.