HOW MUCH DOES YOUR TUBA WEIGH?
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- bugler
- Posts: 40
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Re: HOW MUCH DOES YOUR TUBA WEIGH?
Nirschl Kaiser Bb 5valve+trigger (B&F copy) 26.4lbs
B&S F 5valve 15.4lbs
B&S F 5valve 15.4lbs
- T. J. Ricer
- pro musician
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Re: HOW MUCH DOES YOUR TUBA WEIGH?
By the bathroom scale method, my Nirschl York weighs 24.6 pounds. No idea how accurate that is...
-T. J.
-T. J.
Thomas J. Ricer, DMA
Royal Hawaiian Band - University of Hawaii at Manoa - Yamaha Performing Artist
http://www.TJRicer.com
"Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans." -John Lennon
Royal Hawaiian Band - University of Hawaii at Manoa - Yamaha Performing Artist
http://www.TJRicer.com
"Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans." -John Lennon
- Art Hovey
- pro musician
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- Location: Connecticut
Re: HOW MUCH DOES YOUR TUBA WEIGH?
I have a clone of a Miraphone 191 BBb, 4 rotary valves. I think it could be called a "5/4" size tuba.
It weighs about 15 pounds and sounds great when I play it. (It's a plastic Tiger.)
It weighs about 15 pounds and sounds great when I play it. (It's a plastic Tiger.)
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- 5 valves
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Re: HOW MUCH DOES YOUR TUBA WEIGH?
Hey, Art. My sousaphone only weighs around 17 lbs. (unless I want to use the whole thing.)
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- 5 valves
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Re: HOW MUCH DOES YOUR TUBA WEIGH?
So I just weighed several of my tubas (not all), plus a friend's tuba I keep here 'in storage' for him.
FrankenHolton 4pv Eb --> 17 lbs
'Dillon' Holton 5v Eb --> 18.5 lbs
[Friend's tuba] Mirafone (circa 1960) 186 BBb --> 18.5 lbs
Altered/customized M-W 2155R CC --> 23 lbs
![music :tuba:](./images/smilies/tuba.gif)
FrankenHolton 4pv Eb --> 17 lbs
'Dillon' Holton 5v Eb --> 18.5 lbs
[Friend's tuba] Mirafone (circa 1960) 186 BBb --> 18.5 lbs
Altered/customized M-W 2155R CC --> 23 lbs
![music :tuba:](./images/smilies/tuba.gif)
- Aaron Tindall
- 3 valves
- Posts: 292
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- Location: FL
Re: HOW MUCH DOES YOUR TUBA WEIGH?
Yamayork - 20.7 pounds
Aaron Tindall
Principal Tuba - Naples Philharmonic
Frost School of Music - University of Miami
Tuba Professor- The Colburn School
Principal Tuba & Faculty - Eastern Music Festival
Principal Tuba - Naples Philharmonic
Frost School of Music - University of Miami
Tuba Professor- The Colburn School
Principal Tuba & Faculty - Eastern Music Festival
- MaryAnn
- Occasionally Visiting Pipsqueak
- Posts: 3217
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Re: HOW MUCH DOES YOUR TUBA WEIGH?
I don't own a scale, but right now, too much.
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- Superfine Cases
- Posts: 315
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- Location: San Francisco
Re: HOW MUCH DOES YOUR TUBA WEIGH?
B&S 3301 4/4 BBb (4v): 19 lb
B&S Musica tall BBb (4v): 20 lb
B&S Musica tall BBb (4v): 20 lb
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Tom Rice
http://www.superfinecases.com
Mirafone 184 BBb
B&M Marzan BBb
1974 Besson Eb
Tom Rice
http://www.superfinecases.com
Mirafone 184 BBb
B&M Marzan BBb
1974 Besson Eb
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- lurker
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Re: HOW MUCH DOES YOUR TUBA WEIGH?
I used to march a King 2350 in high school a few years ago. I did weigh it while I had it. With everything such as mouthpiece/bits/neck/bell, the weight came out to ~55lbs. I think my tuba (forget brand, I think king too) for concert band, which looked similar to a 186, weighed around 25-30lbs. I never really had back trouble after the first few weeks, shoulder stopped hurting after a month or so during 2.5hr practices and competition days. Still 19 though, and I would love to get my hands on a Wessex BAT or a 7/4, but alas, I haven't the funds with college and all. Plus, not all that practical for my use case, but I still want it! ![Very Happy :D](./images/smilies/icon_biggrin.gif)
![Very Happy :D](./images/smilies/icon_biggrin.gif)
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- Superfine Cases
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Re: HOW MUCH DOES YOUR TUBA WEIGH?
Am I right in thinking these are ballpark estimates? And that you never actually used a scale?...IceePirate wrote:I used to march a King 2350 in high school a few years ago. I did weigh it while I had it. With everything such as mouthpiece/bits/neck/bell, the weight came out to ~55lbs. I think my tuba (forget brand, I think king too) for concert band, which looked similar to a 186, weighed around 25-30lbs. I never really had back trouble after the first few weeks, shoulder stopped hurting after a month or so during 2.5hr practices and competition days. Still 19 though, and I would love to get my hands on a Wessex BAT or a 7/4, but alas, I haven't the funds with college and all. Plus, not all that practical for my use case, but I still want it!
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Tom Rice
http://www.superfinecases.com
Mirafone 184 BBb
B&M Marzan BBb
1974 Besson Eb
Tom Rice
http://www.superfinecases.com
Mirafone 184 BBb
B&M Marzan BBb
1974 Besson Eb
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- 4 valves
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Re: HOW MUCH DOES YOUR TUBA WEIGH?
I guess it would be interesting to put the horn´s weight in relation to the weight of its user.
My big one (Willson BBb with a 5th valve) weighs about 15 kg, which will be roughly 12% of my body mass.
Not THAT much, really.
My big one (Willson BBb with a 5th valve) weighs about 15 kg, which will be roughly 12% of my body mass.
Not THAT much, really.
Hans
Melton 46 S
1903 or earlier GLIER Helicon, customized Hermuth MP
2009 WILLSON 6400 RZ5, customized GEWA 52 + Wessex "Chief"
MW HoJo 2011 FA, Wessex "Chief"
Melton 46 S
1903 or earlier GLIER Helicon, customized Hermuth MP
2009 WILLSON 6400 RZ5, customized GEWA 52 + Wessex "Chief"
MW HoJo 2011 FA, Wessex "Chief"
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- 4 valves
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Re: HOW MUCH DOES YOUR TUBA WEIGH?
GB-50/G-50 5-valve CC/Stofer 5-valve CC...........23 lbs. The instrument is short and compact, but a full 4/4 size tuba.
Having weighed and shipped so many tubas over the past 20 years, I'd guess that greenbean's weight for the King 2350 sousaphone would be accurate, only if the case was included.
Valves are the single heaviest component in a tuba. I was impressed several years ago when I worked on an older Mirafone 185 4-rotor CC tuba. It tipped the scales at 13 lbs. If you want a lighter-weight tuba and do not want to downsize to a smaller tuba, find a comparable size with less valves. Playing a fine instrument with less valves is OK, really.
Having weighed and shipped so many tubas over the past 20 years, I'd guess that greenbean's weight for the King 2350 sousaphone would be accurate, only if the case was included.
Valves are the single heaviest component in a tuba. I was impressed several years ago when I worked on an older Mirafone 185 4-rotor CC tuba. It tipped the scales at 13 lbs. If you want a lighter-weight tuba and do not want to downsize to a smaller tuba, find a comparable size with less valves. Playing a fine instrument with less valves is OK, really.
Lee A. Stofer, Jr.
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- 5 valves
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Re: HOW MUCH DOES YOUR TUBA WEIGH?
I played King sousas back in the day, including the 2350, and the only way one would weigh over 50 lbs is if it was complete in it's hard wood case ![Exclamation :!:](./images/smilies/icon_exclaim.gif)
![Exclamation :!:](./images/smilies/icon_exclaim.gif)
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- Superfine Cases
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Re: HOW MUCH DOES YOUR TUBA WEIGH?
Just to be clear... the 55 lb sousaphone was not mine. I was questioning the plausibility of a 55 lb souza!
I do own one sousaphone...
A fiberglass Olds: 15 lb
I do own one sousaphone...
A fiberglass Olds: 15 lb
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Tom Rice
http://www.superfinecases.com
Mirafone 184 BBb
B&M Marzan BBb
1974 Besson Eb
Tom Rice
http://www.superfinecases.com
Mirafone 184 BBb
B&M Marzan BBb
1974 Besson Eb
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- 5 valves
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Re: HOW MUCH DOES YOUR TUBA WEIGH?
@ greenbean, I know you were responding to iceepirate. I agree with you. I think Mr. Stofer got your post confused with his.
I also have a fiberglass sousaphone -- a Selmer Signet. It plays very well, I need to weigh it sometime.![Razz :P](./images/smilies/icon_razz.gif)
I also have a fiberglass sousaphone -- a Selmer Signet. It plays very well, I need to weigh it sometime.
![Razz :P](./images/smilies/icon_razz.gif)
- Donn
- 6 valves
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Re: HOW MUCH DOES YOUR TUBA WEIGH?
I think I've seen people claim weights in the vicinity of 50lbs for the Conn 40K. Mine's 31lbs.
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- lurker
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Re: HOW MUCH DOES YOUR TUBA WEIGH?
Maybe I was getting the model wrong then, it was a king sousa though. And I did weigh it, it came to around 55lbs.
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- 5 valves
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Re: HOW MUCH DOES YOUR TUBA WEIGH?
I asked Sam Gnagey to make me one of his CC tubas, but with only 4 valves. I received it via UPS yesterday. It plays great. I'm thinking of using it as a jazz tuba when I don't want to lug my sousaphone around. It has a 19.5 in York bell and bottom bow with the King 2341 valve set. I also asked Sam to install 2 strap hooks, as I plan to stand with it a lot.
Anyway it weighs 20.6 lbs.
Anyway it weighs 20.6 lbs.
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- bugler
- Posts: 100
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Re: HOW MUCH DOES YOUR TUBA WEIGH?
Circumstances can distort perception. If you had asked me right after the one time ...thankfully... I had the "opportunity" to march in the Rose Parade, I would have told you my Conn sousaphone came in at, oh, 600, maybe 700 pounds.greenbean wrote:... Am I right in thinking these are ballpark estimates? And that you never actually used a scale?...
![Razz :P](./images/smilies/icon_razz.gif)
Miraphone 191 4-valve
1925 Conn 28J
Cerveny CEP 531-4M
Fox 880 "Sayen" (oops... that's an oboe)![Wink ;)](./images/smilies/icon_wink.gif)
1925 Conn 28J
Cerveny CEP 531-4M
Fox 880 "Sayen" (oops... that's an oboe)
![Wink ;)](./images/smilies/icon_wink.gif)
- bort
- 6 valves
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Re: HOW MUCH DOES YOUR TUBA WEIGH?
C'mon Bill, we need a picture!Bill Troiano wrote:I asked Sam Gnagey to make me one of his CC tubas, but with only 4 valves. I received it via UPS yesterday. It plays great. I'm thinking of using it as a jazz tuba when I don't want to lug my sousaphone around. It has a 19.5 in York bell and bottom bow with the King 2341 valve set. I also asked Sam to install 2 strap hooks, as I plan to stand with it a lot.
Anyway it weighs 20.6 lbs.