Martin Mammoth or Conn 20J?

[zwad]

Anyone else want to "name that tuba" from the recordings on page 3???
Again, I give you three choices: Conn 25J, Holton 345, or Martin Mammoth

Regards,
John

First, good job on the recordings. You sound really good! I hope you play with other groups besides that community concert band

I'm gonna vote Martin Mammoth. I say that because the tuba sound is brighter and has a more compact, penetrating quality to it that I have not heard from the big Holtons or Conns. The Martin Mammoth, Holton 345 and Conn 25J all have big, fat sounds, but are different from each other.

Of course, the player trumps anything else, and if I am wrong I will have egg all over my face. But I still vote Martin Mammoth for the recordings

Thanks for the comment, tooba, and for answering the challenge!. I will reveal the answer after two more guesses which will make 4 total.

-John

[zwad]

Any more guesses on the recordings on page 3?

[zwad]

Alright I'll play because I don't mind a little egg on my face. My guess is based on reason since mouthpiece combinations and acoustics lead me down too many paths. I say the 25.

I'm omitting the 345 because this thread is a mammoth vs conn thread which would attract your attention more.

I'm also omitting the Martin because conn owners seem like they have to defend their horns more from the Martin crowd. So what a great thread to finally stick it to them.

And amazing playing!

You are correct Sir, on all counts, and your reasoning is impeccable! I was indeed playing the Conn 25J (4v Upright bell) with the stainless steel, LM4 mouthpiece (Loud Mouthpiece Company). Below is a picture of the tuba.

Conn25J.PNG

I actually have never played the Holton 345 or the Martin but I bet both of these are really great horns. I just really like that classic 6/4 sound.

One thing that I think is an advantage of the Conn 2xJ tubas, is the availability of different bells for them. It is becoming a bit rare but it's not impossible to find an original upright brass bell for them and there is even a fellow in England who makes fiberglass replacement upright bells for them ( http://www.nightingaletrumpets.co.uk/" target="_blank).

Also, the Conn 2xj tubas actually use the same bell collar size as the Conn 20k sousaphone, so you can use the 26" fiberglass sousaphone bell on the Conn 2xJ tubas. I do this for most outdoor concerts and I get quite a different sound (crisp and focused, yet darker and more organ like) with the sousaphone bell and the intonation is still pretty good even though the bell flare is different than the original 24" brass bells (See photo below of my fiberglass sousa bell on the Conn2xJ).

Fiberglass_bell.PNG

Having the availability of different bells, I believe, makes the Conn 2xJ tubas more versatile, I have 3 different bells:
-Upright bell: For solos, orchestra concerts
-Brass forward bell: For concerts where the ceiling is low or there are a lot of curtains above me
-Fiberglass sousaphone bell: For outdoor concerts where I need a very large sound with a lot of bass

I'll post a few recording clips of the fiberglass bell sound on the Conn2xJ tuba sometime with the same recorder at the same park where we play. You can compare these with the earlier recordings on page three to get idea of the difference between the upright brass, and fiberglass bell sound.

Thanks for participating in the challenge!,
John

[eupher61]

I haven't had a chance to listen to the recordings, but here is my rationale for the Martin vs the nice-but-not-so-much Conn...

The Martins feel smaller to me, meaning they don't feel as bulky or hollow, if that makes sense. The Conns have always felt more similar to the hulking BBb commendation Besson to me.

Maybe the Martin is Hulk Hogan, the Conn is King Kong Bundy to me. Both are quality but a huge difference in shape. I much prefer the Martin sound as well.

[toobagrowl]

Here come the eggs

@zwad: Thought you were gonna wait for two more responses before revealing

I knew it was a shot in the dark considering so many factors like player, mpc, acoustic environment and recording equipment. Those all have a major factor on sound. Still though, I've not heard any of the big Conns sound that bright/compact before....

What I would like to hear is a comparison between two or more different tubas/sousaphones, but with the same player, same mpc, same recording equipment, same acoustic environment (preferably indoors) , with the tubas/sousaphones in the same position while recording