B&S 4097 (PT-20) questions

[bort]

Until recently, I kind of forgot about the B&S 4097 (PT-20) as an option for a mid-size rotary CC tuba. I know I've tried them before -- and liked them -- but it's been a few years.

Could anyone share any recent opinions of the PT-20? Perhaps a comparison to the Miraphone Bruckner, or any other similar size rotary CC tuba? Not being a "stovepipe" tuba, I think I recall it being a slightly more broad sound than something like a Miraphone 188, but still distinctly different than a York-like piston CC sound.

I've had a fair amount of experience with B&S tubas over the years: I used a B&S PT-3 in college, I had a B&S manufactured MW-30, and also briefly owned a B&S Neptune. The PT-3 was smaller than I am looking for right now, and the Neptune is far larger than I want (same with the PT-6, it's just too large).

I'm wondering if the PT-20 might be a good option for me after all. Any thoughts about this?

Thanks for the help. I'm always in debt to the amount of help I receive here!

[Robert Tucci]

Bort,

The PT-20 and PT-20P are both instruments developed while I was the main consultant at "B & S". I did not have as much influence over these models as was the case with fine instruments such as the PT-10 and realted F-tubas or the PT-6 and PT-6P CC-Tubas but I had a hand in this and inspected dozens of them prior to shipment. The PT-3 was an early project, using the F-tuba valve section and bell. Later we had the PT-4 (4096) which is an excellent 3/4-size CC-tuba and the PT-4P. There were some problems with the 4P because it was not easy to assemble. At that and in the right hands this was a rather nice tuba on which I did brass ensemble work. After 1990 and Gerhard Meinl's fantastic reorganization of the company things moved ahead much faster. One result was the PT-20 and PT-20P. I would put these in the "small 4/4" category. From time to time I used both, still use the PT-20P along with my PT-6P. You would find that the PT-20 (rotary valves) sounds quite good with the PT-50 / now RT-50 for the States) mouthpiece, ditto on the PT-20P (piston valves) with the latter instrument being a bit more open. Due to the large valve bore, the low register of the PT-20P is exceptionally good.
Bottom line remains the same: an instrument is only as good as the player. An important factor: all "B & S" tubas are "Made in Germany", of very high manufactured quality and finish. Best bet as always: borrow one or the other and give them a good blow in your ensembles, in acoustical surroundings with which you are familiar.
Bob Tucci-Munich

[swillafew]

I tried one at Custom Music the day I bought my PT-605. The PT20p was really nice, it responded exceptionally easy and fast. The only reason I didn't get it, I was shopping for the deepest and darkest sound, and it was rather the brighter of the two. I am surprised they are not more common.

[arpthark]

Sending you a PM.

[bort]

Thank you all for the replies, I really appreciate the help.

If there are any other PT-20 owners out there, I'd like to hear your experiences.

[spirtuba]

I played the pt-20 for a few years as my main tuba for everything. I never played in really big ensembles, so I can't say whether they will work, but played it in quite a few small wind orchestra gigs and it worked very well there (as only contrabass tuba). For me it was a real do-it-all tuba. I use it with a pt50 mouthpiece and that seems a perfect match for me.

I just went away from it because I realized I sound better and feel more at home with eb tubas. But that might change again in the future.

[ArnoldGottlieb]

I played a PT20P for about 10 years. I got mine in 99 in Germany at Mr. Tucci's shop. I think the rotary valve one came out later as I remember wanting one of those also. I sold my PT 20 because I was doing more and more work with Bb bell front horns and my Yonkers apartment couldn't hold them all. For me the horn worked very well as a 'do it all' horn. I took that horn on tour around the USA and Canada on the tours of the Broadway shows 'Chicago', and 'Chitty Chitty Bang Bang', and played both of those shows in NYC as a sub with that horn many times. As a freelancer I thought it was the perfect horn, as a person who plays Dixieland in bars now, I'm using an old bell front king.