Alexander 163 Bb tuba's

[P@rick]

Hi all,
I'm looking for your opinion/knowledge. Both tubas below (one is lacquered and one is nickel plated) are Alexander Bb Tubas. That’s all I know for now. I think both models are the 163. The right one has a long main tuning slide. I have seen that before on Alexander tuba’s. I’m thinking about purchasing one of those. I can test the nickel plated one, but the lacquered one would be a blind buy. What details can you share with me about those Alexanders, just from looking at them and what would be the best purchase according to your opinion and why? Thanks!

[bort]

Depends on price... but the one you can try is usually the best bet. The lacquered Alex looks like it might have been relacquered (old linkages + super shiny finish), but that's just a guess. Refinished tubas aren't necessarily bad... but you never know how much and how thin it was buffed. Nickel finish is not the most fun to deal with (harder to polish), but I think the idea was that in Northern Europe and the Baltics the air is saltier and Nickel is a sturdier finish that lasted and wore better. Not sure about the tuning slide length, but obviously, it's better to be too long than too short.

The Alex BBb 163 is an excellent tuba, and widely regarded as being better in-tune than the old 163 CC's (the CC was cut down from the BBb).

Not sure how much that helps, but it's as much as I know.

[P@rick]

Thanks Bort. I appreciate your help!

P.s. the lacquered Alex is almost twice the price of the nickel plated. The nickel plated needs however some "love" from a repair tech (lots of big dents).

[Mark E. Chachich]

I know that Alexander made tubas out of nickle silver but I never heard of a nickle plated Alexander (it may have happened after it was sold). One of my principal teachers, Connie Weldon, played a nickle silver Alexander 164 BB flat in the Concertgebouw Orchestra as acting principal. It was a great tuba (I was able to try it).

About repairs (my opinion), if you like a tuba, do the repairs that are necessary for playing and the rest can be done at a later date (if you want).

best,
Mark

[P@rick]

I know that Alexander made tubas out of nickle silver but I never heard of a nickle plated Alexander...

Thanks!
In Europe it was quite common to offer Nickel plated instruments back in the days. Nickel plated instruments were very common in the Netherlands and Belgium, years ago. It's not common practice anymore these days. I heard story's that it has to do with preventing corrosion due to "salty sea air".

Nickel silver (or white brass) is normal brass with nickel added to make the color. Therefore the color would be through and trough. This Alex shows some brass spots, especially where you hold the instrument. That indicates it's a nickel plated version.

[P@rick]

Could the long main tuning slide indicate that this was a high pitch instrument from the old days and now has an extended slide to make it modern pitch?
Or was this ever a common model from Alex with the modern pitch?

[Tom]

I would not buy either of them without inspecting them personally and play testing them.

Both of them are older tubas and both appear to have had work done to them over the years.

And...as someone with both a 163 CC and a 163 BBb I feel that I'm fairly qualified to say that just as the 163 CC often is said to have terrible pitch which is not universally true, the 163 BBb does not always have the perfect pitch that always gets mentioned when Alexander tubas get brought up. Some of the 163 BBb tubas are plenty challenging in the pitch department.

I am certainly an Alexander 163 fan and think that they've made some incredible examples of that model, but I also know they've made some terrible examples of that model and encourage you to try before you buy either of them.

A good friend and pro orchestral tuba player once told me "Tom, the best and worst tubas I've ever played have been Alexanders."

[P@rick]

...and I didn't buy any of 'm...the search continues