(shiny) old Meinl-Weston C tuba - model #?

[toobagrowl]

Pretty sure it's a M-W 30 The model 32 was the 5-valve version.

[bort]

Hey Joe, pretty sure that's the model number 30. I had one of those with the VMI valve section, and thought that it was a really nice tuba. I had to do more slide pulling on that tuba than any other tuba that I have owned, but it had a really nice sound, and it was pretty easy to play.it waas the first to build that I ever bought.

That said, once I played a couple of miraphone tubas, I sold this one pretty shortly after that. Not that it was bad but I like the miraphone tubas much better.

[GC]

Wasn't the 30 slightly smaller than the 32? I think the difference is more than just the 5th valve.

[bort]

Wasn't the 30 slightly smaller than the 32? I think the difference is more than just the 5th valve.

Nope, just the # of valves

[bort]

I'll have to dig out the old catalog...

I think 34 was 4 valve fixed bell
35 was 4 valve detach bell
36 was 5 valve fixed bell
37 was 5 valve detach bell

Something like that... But at least 35 and 37 were diff model numbers for the number of valves.

[jperry1466]

thnx

I remember when Getzen released a fairly elaborate (Klaus scanned...??) full-color Bill Bell brochure to hype the M-W/B.B. tuba...VERY shortly before his demise, as I recall.

I used to have one of those brochures. Like many of my tuba materials as well as music, it disappeared over the next 45 years. I bought a MW Model 30 CC back then and loved it; still wish I hadn't sold it.

[bort]

The Bell model in my catalog has a detachable bell with the "fancy" MW engraving, and the Neptune style "fancy" valve levers.

One-off showoff!

[bort]

Bloke fixed the size below... Thanks!

[toobagrowl]

^
I played on a late-model fancy M-W 37 "Bell model" CC, just like the one pictured above, at a WW&BW booth many years ago. Thought it was a really nice tuba, just like the M-W 32. That said, I have not tried the other "Bell model" variants. The 32 felt somewhere between the 37 Bell model and the 2145, size-wise, though I believe the 32 has the largest valve bore of the three. The M-W 30/32 is Meinl-Weston's equivalent to the Miraphone 186 CC. The 37 "Bell model" is a loose 'copy' of the old King rotary CC

[Scottuba]

I have one of those old brochures and will share as soon as I find it. The title of it was "A handbook on Intonation" and it did feature a nice pic of William Bell. I remember when I was in high school in 70 or 71 , Mr Bell was visiting Connie Weldon and actually listened to my lesson before we went out to Connie's MG and I took photos of them sitting in her MG. I think he proposed to her after eating her peanut soup and a party with all of her students. That was his last visit and he passed away shortly after. Back to the brochure, it explains how to deal with tendencies by use of the first and third slides primarily. As you will see with any of the older MW horns, both of those slides are available for the left hand, although we all had to have the fifth valve lever moved over to the right thumb to accomplish this. So there are fingering charts for tubas in 4 different keys and for 4 and 5 valve models. The reason MW tubas take more energy, support and air pressure and imho produce a superior tone quality to that of a Miraphone (which I also played professionally for 7-8years), is due to the thickness of the brass throughout the instrument. This is also the reason that for the most part that they hold up better over time and take more muscle to remove dents. A miraphone is certainly easier to learn many technical aspects like slurring and just getting around the horn generally, and doesn't hold a younger player back from developing in those areas as the student needs to be reminded more often to fill up that MW. More to discuss later. Scott Tarabour

[toobagrowl]

Meinl rotary tubas have a darker/warmer sound color in comparison to equivalent Miraphone rotary tubas. It's been years since I've played both the M-W 32 and M-W 37 Bell model, but I didn't notice any major pitch issues. But I will say that the 'older' model (pre-2000/Touno/Thor, etc)
Meinl rotor CC tubas tend to have the Ab/Eb 2+3 combo discrepancy at varying degrees. Some have other pitch issues, but they seemed minor or moderate to me; nothing I'd call 'major'. The models I played were later models, made in the mid-late 1990's, so maybe that has something to do with it?.

Sam Pilafian seemed to play several M-W Bell models over his years in Empire Brass. He was still in his prime when he was with Empire. Since we are at the major holidays, here is a link to Empire Brass playing Sleigh Ride. Sam is playing a 1980s model M-W 37 (Bell model) and sounds really great on it

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=P5_akMpInhQ

[bort]

Someone who used to post here was a long-time (nearly life-long) owner of a King rotary CC tuba, which he bought and played because he wanted to sound like his teacher and tuba idol, Abe Torchinsky. Took a lot of time, effort, learning, and work to figure it out and make it go, but again, when you do that for 40 years (or whatever), it's just part of the equation.

Fast forward to about 5 years ago, he sold it, bought something new, and was immediately pleased by how much easier it was do to everything. :/