Best or Favorite RECITAL Horn?

[jimgray]

Allow me to get in line behind JonH (Neptune) and STRONGLY second his vote:
"Without hesitation I would use my Melton 2040/5 Eb as a dedicated recital tuba"

I am the proud owner of a MW 2040/5, which is a marvelous 5 rotary valve Eb.
I remain surprised that these horns haven't caught on like wildfire yet.
Of course, I feel the same way about my rotary Neptune...

Think of it as falling right between the two Yamaha Fs in size.
Beautiful German sound, rotary valves, and a GREAT low end.
Flawless, IMO - and cheaper than the Mirafones, to boot!

My buddy Tim just bought a used Starlight, and I am looking forward to the shoot-off!

Jim Gray

[tjs]

My buddy Tim just bought a used Starlight, and I am looking forward to the shoot-off!

Jim Gray

Well, Jim, I'm fairly confident yours will be bigger than mine, so you'll win the contest on that end! Aside from that, I'm curious how much more compact the sound of the Starlight will be vs the 2040. Hopefully I won't be longing for a 2040 after my horn comes in!

Tim

[Nick Pierce]

My buddy Tim just bought a used Starlight, and I am looking forward to the shoot-off!

Jim Gray

Well, Jim, I'm fairly confident yours will be bigger than mine, so you'll win the contest on that end! Aside from that, I'm curious how much more compact the sound of the Starlight will be vs the 2040. Hopefully I won't be longing for a 2040 after my horn comes in!

Tim

This sounds like an interesting match. Don't leave us in the dark about the results.

[Lew]

… the 983 is the closest thing to an all around horn that I have…

NOT an all around horn. An instrument only for RECITALS. Not a do it all, but a highly specialized horn. What would you use for such an application.

I seem to be striking out here…

I think my "all-around" comment was incidental to the thought of this as a good recital horn, but using the parameter that you are asking for; what horn would I use only for recitals I would say that I can't think of one. I think of a recital horn as one that has a sweet sound that can be played with facility across the entire range of any works that I might encounter. I guess a recital horn may not have to have the projection of other horns, assuming it was to be miked, and might not have to blend as well with an ensemble, but for me the characteristics that I would want in a horn that would make it work for recitals would make it the kind of horn I would use all the time, or if not all the time would make it a great quintet horn. I can't think of characteristics that would make a horn work only for recitals, so don't think I could answer your question as posed.

[Rick Denney]

I had forgotten to mention the new piston Miraphone F - the Petrouschka, is it? That is a horn that promises to be what I want on many levels if it has the typical Miraphone sound, which has so much resonance to it, whereas many of the tubas I mentioned above do not have this quality in abundance.

The Petrouschka is a great F tuba. I spent a very little time with one on Friday and again on Saturday. I would want to try it out in a hall with just one elephant to see how well it really gets out, and I would want to park a tuner in front of it, but the sample I got made me want one. It has the nimbleness and focus of a 621, but it's bigger and yes it did seem to me to have a classic Miraphone sound. I introduced my wife to Richard Murrow, who was helping show the Miraphones, and told her to contact him immediately so that he could put her in touch with Steve Dillon if any of her lottery tickets hit.

I also played the Norwegian Star and the Star Light. The former is also the real deal, and if I played Eb it would be serious lust material. And Baadsvik's sound on it is classic Miraphone, and Boboesque in his commanding sound and dynamic color--more 188 than 186, but in a bass tuba. The Star Light seemed to me a Euphonium in Eb.

The current B&S models ranged from hollow in the low register to hollow throughout, in my humble but apparently minority opinion. What do I know? I do know this: The old Symphonies (and the new ones) have focus and clarity, and the word "hollow" never comes to mind with them. Probably someone with the necessary chops and efficiency wouldn't have the same impression I did. I don't hear that hollowness from those who play them at the highest level, but they don't seem to naturally want to put that core in the sound for me.

The Willson doesn't have the hollowness, and it might suit the purpose, especially the rotary version, which to me has a more interesting sound. But I think the tone is too beautiful, as is a Besson (though a different kind of beauty). They are both smooth, or maybe I've just heard them played by smooth players. Baadsvik is not smooth, though at times he sings softly. But he can produce opera in the fat-lady-with-Viking-horns sense on that Norwegian Star. It's the sort of sound that makes you want to jump to your feet and salute.

But what am I even doing writing this down? Buying a tuba just for recitals is so far outside my potential and experience that I don't even know how to think about it.

Rick "who played a LOT of F tubas this week" Denney

[tubashaman2]

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[tubashaman2]

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[Rick Denney]

I have been heavily considering a firebird or petruscka (sp) by miraphone, I really like and prefer the german rotary F tuba tone

You do realize that the Petrouschka is a piston F, don't you?

There have been a couple of B&S F tubas of the Symphonie type for sale on this forum for as cheap or cheaper than what a good, used 621 would fetch. If you want the German rotary F tone, those define it. And they are more than big enough to 1.) hold their own in any orchestral situation, and 2.) complement rather than supplant the small Miraphone 180.

I have bought two of the B&S Symphonie-style F tubas, each for less than what I would sell my 621 for. You could have had one of them easily--I had to be goaded into buying it after it had sat unsold for weeks.

Rick "not suspecting Wade would give away his 621" Denney

[Wyvern]

The Star Light seemed to me a Euphonium in Eb...Baadsvik is not smooth, though at times he sings softly. But he can produce opera in the fat-lady-with-Viking-horns sense on that Norwegian Star. It's the sort of sound that makes you want to jump to your feet and salute.

I have not heard Baadsvik live, but I understood he plays a Star Light for his recitals? Is that not the case?

Just curious!

Jonathan

[Wyvern]

I thought he played the Norwegian Star…

From Oystein Baadvik's website:

From the start we set out to make one tuba. We soon realized that what I needed as a full time soloist was not necessarily compatible with what most E-flat players need. Therefore we decided to make two models.
I play on the solo model, called Star Light. The symphonic model is the Norwegian Star.

[Getzeng50s]

My Firebird F

Period.

[tubashaman2]

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[Matt G]

I'm sure I'm touching on another (older) topic...but what is the main difference between an older 186 and a newer 186?

Main physical difference is the bell flare.

According to the Miraphone Guru the older 186's also had a very different leadpipe. I don't remember that he said the mouthpiece receiver was any different but the leadpipe is.

I would believe this. I should have been more specific, in the the most visible physical difference was the bell flare.

In regards to the lead pipe, was it a slower taper, what one might call a "tighter" or smaller lead pipe? I remember the lightning response that seems to be pretty consistent on older Mirafones, and was wondering if that could be part of it.

[J.c. Sherman]

Wade, if you sell your Yamaha let me know okay?

If I sell it?

As in, literally, after I have sold it?

Or, if I put it up for sale, before I have actually sold it?

.... sigh... was that reeeaaaaly necessary?

[Rick Denney]

I have not heard Baadsvik live, but I understood he plays a Star Light for his recitals? Is that not the case?

Despite what others have quoted from the web site, I don't believe so--I didn't walk up to it and read the label, but it seemed too large to be a Star Light. He's tall and lanky and he hunches over the instrument in a way that looks wrong but is in fact completely relaxed, but it makes the instrument look small. If it was a Star Light, then his example is of no use to anyone, at least not to any mortal.

His main performance was the Vaughan Williams with a band accompaniment. He had no trouble being heard over the band, even on the low F and Eb at the end of the first movement. And I was sitting at stage right and well back in the auditorium--definitely not in his kill zone. If he does sometimes play the Light, he might have chosen the larger instrument for use with the large ensemble accompaniment. I suppose I should have asked him at the party when he was showing us pictures on his iPhone of he and his wife ice fishing.

Rick "hugely impressed by his interpretation of the RVW" Denney

[Rick Denney]

I had always thought Oystein played the Star Light, but if you look at pictures of both right next to each other it might be possible to tell which one he played as they seem to look slightly different (bend of the leadpipe, and near that area)-
http://hornguys.com/hornsinstocktuba.htm#Eb%20tuba

I think the difference you see is caused by the angle of the photo as much as anything. Based on these pictures, I'm not prepared to be sure about anything. Baadsvik was playing...one of them.

Rick "who can't tell from the Army pictures, either" Denney

[tubashaman2]

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[Mark E. Chachich]

Getting back to the topic of this thread.

Wade,

Best recital horn? What a question to ask on TubeNet!

However, my favorite (my opinion) tuba for a dedicated recital horn would be the Meinl Weston 32.
1. I happen to like the contrabass tuba.
2. I like the sound of these tubas, very warm.
3. I like rotary valves.
4. A good one has nice response throughout its range.
5. It is an agile tuba.
6. You can play a wide range of works on this tuba.

I would use a Bach 7, only because that mouthpiece works best for me (range, response, etc...).

best,
Mark