Looking for 4/4 BBb 4valve/rotary - med bore

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tizzdizz
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Looking for 4/4 BBb 4valve/rotary - med bore

Post by tizzdizz »

Hello, I have been reading a lot about chinese horns (i.e. Luzern from Wessex or the Mack 200/210 tubas), and am tempted to go that direction given my budget of ~3k. Older posts around here have said that Miraphones might be had for somewhere near there with some patience, but it seems like prices for those have gone way up lately. Or is that just me??

Anyway, I already have a 1928 Buescher recording bell-front tuba that I love the sound of. It's just too tall and unweildy for me, and has no case. The community band (60 players) I recently joined is quite a bit more active than my old band, and I'm nervous transporting this old horn, as it is very straight and in good condition.

I was wondering about more recognized alternatives (like Cerveny?) to the Chinese horns. If you know of any used examples that have a nice full sound and aren't a bear to play, I'm all ears. I am in Northern California if that makes any difference, and am not a professional player. Sorry this is not a very specific post! I am afraid of buying online without trying it out first.
Heavy_Metal
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Re: Looking for 4/4 BBb 4valve/rotary - med bore

Post by Heavy_Metal »

Cerveny is a good choice, also the B&S 101 which might appear under a bunch of different stencil names (Gerhard Schneider, Sonora, Weltklang etc).
Principal tuba, Bel Air Community Band
Old (early 1900s?) Alexander BBb proto-163
1976 Sonora (B&S 101) 4-rotor BBb
1964 Conn 20J/21J BBb (one body, both bells)
1970s Marzan Slant-rotor BBb
~1904 York 3P BBb Helicon
Old Alex Comp.F, in shop
KL1997
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Re: Looking for 4/4 BBb 4valve/rotary - med bore

Post by KL1997 »

I played on a St. Petersburg 202N all through High School and in some College ensembles. It's a great horn for the price point.
Ken

BBb - St. Petersburg 202N
CC - B&S 3198
F - B&S 3100
SeanTuba321
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Re: Looking for 4/4 BBb 4valve/rotary - med bore

Post by SeanTuba321 »

My schools band has 4 Cerveny tubas. I have to say, even though they only have a 15.75 inch bell (the ones at my school) they produce good, big, and rich sound. Far better than the Yamaha YBB-201’s at the middle school.
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groth
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Re: Looking for 4/4 BBb 4valve/rotary - med bore

Post by groth »

KL1997 wrote:I played on a St. Petersburg 202N all through High School and in some College ensembles. It's a great horn for the price point.
I Agree, this is top of my list as well. King 2341 would also be second pick.
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Sousaswag
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Re: Looking for 4/4 BBb 4valve/rotary - med bore

Post by Sousaswag »

If you're willing to go a bit higher with your budget, PM me I'm willing to work a bit on price. I have a VMI 3302 5 valve BBb.. it's not rotary but is a great horn.
Meinl Weston 5450RA Tuono
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tizzdizz
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Re: Looking for 4/4 BBb 4valve/rotary - med bore

Post by tizzdizz »

Sousaswag - thanks for mentioning that. It does look like a great horn.

Thanks guys for the tips - very helpful. The King 2341 and St Pete seem to come up quite a bit as recommended horns in my search. I hope to be able to try them out sometime. I have a couple options locally at the moment that I'm looking into. If those don't pan out I'll continue the hunt.
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iiipopes
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Re: Looking for 4/4 BBb 4valve/rotary - med bore

Post by iiipopes »

Why has nobody mentioned the workhorse?
186.
Jupiter JTU1110, RT-82.
"Real" Conn 36K.
tizzdizz
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Re: Looking for 4/4 BBb 4valve/rotary - med bore

Post by tizzdizz »

Would love a 186, but they are not really affordable for me at the moment.

Today I was able to pick up a Cerveny-made Musica from one of the members here, who lives not too far from here. I am really excited to bring it home and toot. It really fits the bill in terms of size, playability, condition and price. It has a .787" bore, and is like new. I understand that it's the same as an x83 model horn. Thanks all!

I've taken a couple demo videos of the horns I've tried, and may post them up for future info-seekers.
Musica Tuba (Small).jpg
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Dan Schultz
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Re: Looking for 4/4 BBb 4valve/rotary - med bore

Post by Dan Schultz »

I have a very nice B & S model 101 in raw brass complete with a new gig bag for $2,500.
Dan Schultz
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http://www.thevillagetinker.com" target="_blank
Current 'stable'... Rudolf Meinl 5/4, Marzan (by Willson) euph, King 2341, Alphorn, and other strange stuff.
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iiipopes
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Re: Looking for 4/4 BBb 4valve/rotary - med bore

Post by iiipopes »

tizzdizz wrote:Would love a 186, but they are not really affordable for me at the moment.[/attachment]
Yeah, I forget I got mine for "nothing" two decades ago, but when I factor in what I have done to it over the years, including a new bell....
Congrats on your new tuba.
Jupiter JTU1110, RT-82.
"Real" Conn 36K.
Maasterkrafk88
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Re: Looking for 4/4 BBb 4valve/rotary - med bore

Post by Maasterkrafk88 »

Take a look at my RUDY, may interest you. Pictures below in link.
BEST,
Mike
If link is missing I can email them to you.
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Kpen
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Re: Looking for 4/4 BBb 4valve/rotary - med bore

Post by Kpen »

Hey I would personally suggest looking at Eastman Tubas. I have played on an Eastman EBB431 for about 5 years now and it can hold up with college level bands. I guess one of the only problems I've had with my horn is that playing at the top or above the staff can lead to a few tuning issues if you don't like to use alternate fingerings. It sounds great in the low register and is very fun to play. Eastman has top and front action BBb tubas so I suggest you check with them. Not too expensive either!
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edsel585960
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Re: Looking for 4/4 BBb 4valve/rotary - med bore

Post by edsel585960 »

Dan Schultz wrote:I have a very nice B & S model 101 in raw brass complete with a new gig bag for $2,500.
Can't go wrong with a reconditioned Dan Schultz horn. The St. Pete 201/202n are really good horns as well for the price. Cerveny's are very good horns as well. I've had several over the years and offer good intonation as well as being fairly light. The light metal is the main drawback. They get beat to $#!& as school horns but are very good for responsible adult players. Good luck with the horn search but definitely consider on from Schultz. They're usually bulletproof. :tuba:
Conn 20-21 J
Conn 10J, Conn 26 K, Martin Mammoth, Mirafone 186, Soviet Helicon, Holton Raincatcher Sousaphone, Yamaha 103, King 1240.
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Dan Schultz
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Re: Looking for 4/4 BBb 4valve/rotary - med bore

Post by Dan Schultz »

Look no further. I have a 80-ish Karl Zeiss made by Cerveny. Descent horn for the price. BBb with four rotors. $1,600. Raw brass. No case. Email for images.
Dan Schultz
"The Village Tinker"
http://www.thevillagetinker.com" target="_blank
Current 'stable'... Rudolf Meinl 5/4, Marzan (by Willson) euph, King 2341, Alphorn, and other strange stuff.
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