Eastman 836 6/4 c

[MikeMason]

I’ve had my Eastman around 10 months now and thought I’d give my take. I love it! Everything Chris Olka and others have said is true. Easy to play, very responsive, the least amount of slide pulling I’ve had with a c tuba. Also the most comfortable to hold. With sticky pad placed where bottom bow touches legs. I use 2-Very secure and comfortable, with easy access to slides. Having easy access to 2nd slide has been a game changer. About the size- I wonder how much bigger, if any, it really is than a pt6p. It fits fine in my Cronkhite pt6p bag but with about 3” of slack at bottom bow area of bag. If you filled the 836 and a pt6p up with water, I wonder how much more,if any, the 836 would hold, but certainly shaped differently. It’s also set up better right out of the box than any other tuba I’ve owned. Valves vented, slides aligned. As a part time player, I never thought I’d be able to justify a tuba of this quality. Thanks Eastman! It’s a pleasure.

[cjk]

Yamaha yfb621 with 16’’ bell

So Mike, what do you think of the yfb621 with the larger bell?

[Rubix]

I've had mine since September. It's a tremendous instrument only made better by having someone like Matt Walters go through the *inside* of the horn and clean up flaws. I've gotten many compliments on my sound with it in community groups, even a band director visiting from out of town seeking me out after a concert to compliment my playing!

[proam]

The tubist in our Christmas eve quintet showed up with one of these tubas this year (I played trumpet). I thought his sound was fantastic. It seemed like he could buried us all in that glorious sound with just a little extra effort.

[MikeMason]

@ cjk, I like the horn quite a bit more now. More tuba-ish, less euphonium-Ish, while retaining the great playability.

[bort]

Tell us something you don't like about the Eastman. Could be more helpful than the honeymoon stuff!

[anotherjtm2]

... It’s also set up better right out of the box than any other tuba I’ve owned. Valves vented, slides aligned. ...

Slides aligned is pretty basic, no?

[Worth]

As a Wisemann owner for almost 6 years now, although I'm not looking to change horns, I am interested in your reason for the switch from your 900 to the Eastman 836. Perhaps a brief discussion of the shortcomings of the Wisemann horn (aside from valve caps and leadpipe) that precipitated the switch and what the 836 does for your craft that the 900 did not. The professional set-up of an instrument as you describe (whether tuba, guitar, etc) is worth every penny if you have someone willing with the chops at the source or locally. Was this set up (valves vented, etc) out of the box from the manufacturer or at the point of sale? Here's to your continued enjoyment, it sounds like the 836 in capable hands is a wonderful instrument!

[MikeMason]

Things I don’t like- flat first line g and 3rd line d. A common issue with bat’s.
Valves were factory vented and slides were acceptable to me out of the box.
Why I switched. Much harder question. I was and still am torn about switching. I really loved that wiseman. I had no complaints. Rich Serpa,the previous owner,had it perfectly set up. I was lured by the resonance,responsiveness, and power- none of which were really lacking with the wiseman. I also am a band instrument salesman. I like to play brands I also sell,when possible. I’m not totally sure I made the right decision. I’m the happiest I’ve ever been with both my horns at present. But as my wife will tell you, always subject to change.

[Chris Olka]

Glad to hear your thoughts mirror mine on this great model! Congratulations on the purchase!