TheAltoHornGuy wrote:I am interested in performing works such as Hindemith; do you think it would be a suitable solo horn? As a horn player, intonation issues aren't very new to me.
Which Hindemith? The Tuba Sonata will be a struggle on a euphonium, especially one with a low register that requires a particular approach.
Rick "not familiar with other Hindemith sonatas" Denney
Dear me, apologies! I meant Horovitz; I love listening to the 1st movement...
The Alto Horn "who confused Horovitz with Hindemith" Guy
For comparison, the horn on the left is a MW 45SLZ.
It's like an infant tuba.
"When I grow up, I wanna be a 164..........."
Principal tuba, Bel Air Community Band
Old (early 1900s?) Alexander BBb proto-163
1976 Sonora (B&S 101) 4-rotor BBb
~1904 York 3P BBb Helicon
Old Alex Comp.F, in shop
I splurged last year, and bought an Alex 151 from The Horn Guys. I am not a euph player by nature, but I have been playing it regularly in a concert band (until the pandemic, that is...). The horn I got from Steve Ferguson is the gold brass version. I like it a lot. I think it actually has a tuba “sensibility” to it, as opposed to feeling like a euphonium.
I find it to be not too bad, intonation-wise. Playing into the low register is not particularly a problem. Maybe I just got lucky!
I did make an Acapella recording of a quartet, using the 151 for the two euph parts. It will give SOME idea of how it sounds (please be gentle...!).
Z-Tuba Dude wrote:I splurged last year, and bought an Alex 151 from The Horn Guys. I am not a euph player by nature, but I have been playing it regularly in a concert band (until the pandemic, that is...). The horn I got from Steve Ferguson is the gold brass version. I like it a lot. I think it actually has a tuba “sensibility” to it, as opposed to feeling like a euphonium.
I find it to be not too bad, intonation-wise. Playing into the low register is not particularly a problem. Maybe I just got lucky!
I did make an Acapella recording of a quartet, using the 151 for the two euph parts. It will give SOME idea of how it sounds (please be gentle...!).
TheAltoHornGuy wrote:....Can it be quite loud as well?
I have not really tried to specifically push it to it’s limits, but I would say it can play as loud as your average euphonium. It does get a little edgy, sooner than a euphonium would, however.
I had a couple of issues while doing that recording. I was getting used to Acapella and a new microphone set-up, so I think that the upper parts ended up sounding a little too soft in spots. With Acapella, you cannot adjust balance on the fly...it’s “set it and forget it”.
I had a rotary bariton at one time, cannot remember the name except I think it had a 45 in it. That thing was so unbelievably out of tune with itself that I just gave up, warned the buyer that it was pretty bad. Don't know if any mouthpiece could have fixed that. I liked the ergonomics.
If you would like a baritone that sounds similar to the Alexander(thin construction), but has "modern" intonation and is very comfortable to play, I can recommend the Kühnl & Hoyer Baritones.
Hello,
I'm looking for photos of the Alexander 151MH, which was the C-pitched model.
This model hasn't been manufactured for a long time : Several decades ? Does anyone know ?
Thank you in advance for any information you can give me on this subject, and for any photos !
Miraphone 185 CC tuba (old)
Alexander bass trumpet model 19
Bach 36 BO slide trombone
Kühnl & Hoyer 527 slide trombone
Couesnon 3 valves C trombone (old)
