How do you feel about Conn 56J tubas?

[LukesBulldogface]

Hi guys and gals. I'm looking into several tubas and I was considering the Conn 56J. What can you tell me about it, the good and the bad. Thanks

[Douglas]

I just got one in January but couldn't start playing it till about yesterday because of All State tryouts. But it is a great horn the intonation was better than most of the CC tubas i tried, great low register and has a really nice sound. But I have heard about some that have horrible intonation and a really dead sound so I would go to a shop and try one.

But that's just my $0.02
Doug

[TexTuba]

[Chuck(G)]

Rattles because you have to tighten Allen screws practically every day.

Try some of this stuff on them and they should stay put:



A good German product (division of Henkel). Here's their corporate song:

http://www.henkel.com/int_henkel/ourcom ... ong_US.mp3

[Tubaryan12]

Henkel

Where I come from Henkel is the Devil or a Saint (depending on what side of town you work on).

[JayW]

As was mentioned above....the onconsistencies seem to be what has given the 5XJ series somewhat of a bad rep. But When you find a good one, for the money I think they are just as good as anything else out there.
I know some people metion having trouble with the allen screws that hold the valve section on, but i have never had a problem with this, and of course Chuck's suggestion is the route I would take if it were an issue.

If you are looking for a compact horn that has the ability to make a big sound then a good one will definitely do the trick. They are also outstanding Quintet and small ensemble horns, with the guts to play even the big stuff in an orchestra.

Best of luck

[Getzeng50s]

looks like a getzen G50 cousin...

[Tabor]

They make me feel hungry.

Silver: Nervous, yet hungry

Brass: Sad, yet hungry

-Tabor

[Tabor]

They make me feel hungry.

Silver: Nervous, yet hungry

Brass: Sad, yet hungry

-Tabor

[JCradler]

I've owned a 52J for about 4 years now. Using Binak(really!) on the valves has kept them clean and moving smooth. Retrofitted with Yamaha springs and nylon valve guides. Never had a problem with the Allen screws that hold on the valve section. Removing the leadpipe is easy to do for cleaning.
These tubas , to me, have an old-school sound to them. Some tuba players don't care for it, but I haven't heard any complaints in that department. Ergonomically they are rather comfortable for most folks I've known that have tried them.
Build quality has been hit or miss lately. If you buy new from a reputable dealer, they will take care of any warranty issues that may arise.
Hope this helps, YMMV.

JC

[adam0408]

Soo I have a further question. I just recently got a brochure that was extolling the virtues of this particular instrument. I am quite taken with the matte finish. How does this finish affect the sound of the instrument as compared to a laquer finish? Will I (or anyone else for that matter) really notice a difference? I compared a miraphone 1291 silver to a laquer and the difference was pretty marked.

I am in the market for a Tuba, but I havent had the chance to try many. Any help is greatly appreciated.

[JayW]

I am sure I will be scorned for saying this, but.... I have always felt the satin finished horns never played as well as the regular lacquer/bright silver. I dont know if that type of finish would effect response, or it was just coincidence, but that is my feeling on the satin. As for regular silver vs. Lacquer...if you do an archive search there are some interesting explanations by "rick denney" if I remember correctly that I found very interesting and explained in far greater detail than I will ever be able to do.
The one benefit of silver is that it will be more durable than a lacquer finish from what i have seen. Therefore greater resale value , usually.

[JayW]

just for a start, here is one such thread I am speaking of
http://www.chisham.com/tips/bbs/mar2004 ... 69541.html

[Rick Denney]

Will I (or anyone else for that matter) really notice a difference? I compared a miraphone 1291 silver to a laquer and the difference was pretty marked.

I will say this straight out: Anyone noticing any difference in the way an instrument plays is assuredly noticing either 1.) something in themselves, or 2.) a difference between one instrument and another. There is no difference between identical tubas that have different finishes.

But there is no such thing as two identical tubas.

Rick "who likes silver because it's purdy" Denney

[Joe Baker]

To add to what Rick said (I agree with all of it) there is one way in which the finish can affect your sound: if it affects your state of mind while MAKING the sound. Contrary to a trumpet test some years ago that found evidence that silver plating (again, trumpet bells -- lots of reasons this would not translate to tuba bells) SHOULD make the horn sound darker; but most players thought they played brighter on silver plate. Why? I think it may be because seeing that bright silver made them "think" brighter sounds. I have a Benge trombone that I LOVE. The bell is bare brass, and tarnishes to what I think is a really beautiful complex looking brown. I see that horn and I can just hear all these dark germanic sounds in my head; and when I play, those are the sounds that come out of the bell. But I don't for a moment think it has to do with the metal behaving differently. It's a Jedi mind trick.
________________________
Joe Baker, whose mind is more easily tricked than Rick's is.

[Rick Denney]

Joe Baker, whose mind is more easily tricked than Rick's is.

Don't kid yourself.

Matt Walters reported many years ago a study done by the horn maker Lawson (if I'm remembering that correctly). The study found that in the highest harmonics of horn sound when played loudly in the highest range of the instrument (i.e., the bell-ringing edge), epoxy lacquer attentuated the highest audible harmonics by 20%, and nitrocellulose lacquer by 5%. There was no difference between bare brass and silver. The buzz was made by a mechanical transducer instead of a player to eliminate bias, and it was the same horn tested after applying different treatments, though I'm not sure how that would be done. Like the Schilke test, I see flaws in this test (at least as I'm remembering how it was reported). But the point remains: The attenuation caused even by substantial damping devices affects only frequencies well above those that are audible in tuba playing.

Rick "whose epoxy-lacquered Yamaha is the easiest finish to maintain of them all" Denney

[MileMarkerZero]

I have had a 56j for 4 years. Here are some of my thoughts.

Pro - I love the sound. It's that enveloping, American-tuba sound that blends so well with the other brasses. With my Conn, I don't have to worry much about blend, it's already there.

Con - Because of that enveloping sound, it's hard to tell how loud I am really playing. I have a tendency to blow the dust out of the air vents if I'm not careful. Put another way, the louds don't sound really loud (to the player) even though they are.

Pro - As was stated by JC, they are ergonomically very comfortable. You don't have to hold your hand at some cockeyed angle to get all of the buttons under your fingers and the slides are all accessible.

Con - I really don't like the 5th valve situation. It can't be removed for cleaning without taking the entire 5th valve assembly out. Kind of a pain in the tucus because if you don't put it back together just right, and hold your mouth just right when you do it, the 5th valve will bind.

Pro - Mine is very open and in tune. In fact, I rarely have to adjust my 1st slide more than 1/2" for anything. The high register just sings.

Con - This is as much me as the horn, I know, but I don't seem to get as easy of a response in the low register as I do on larger-bore rotary horns. FOR ME, to get the low register (between F# and Db) to center on the Conn takes a lot of work. The caveat being that I have never been satisfied with my low register playing on any horn. But then I won't be satisfied until I sound like Gene Pokorny.

Basically, it's a really good horn. I picked mine over about 15 other models/types I played. It was the one that spoke to me. It's a very reasonable price and is a LOT of horn for the money. Don't let the small bore fool you, it can roar with the best of 'em, and the satin silver will make you look good while you do. ;^)

If you are a college student, it will do about anything you ask it to - band, orch, quint, solo. There are likely some pros out there using them in orchestras.

I'll give you the same advice that anyone else would: try a lot of horns. If you like the 56, buy one.

[Billy M.]

I'm getting ready to purchase a Conn 54J that I got to take on a 3 day trial. I was very lucky that the horn picked was one that worked exceptionally well for me. Don't buy 'em sight unseen.

You'll find some problems with quality control, that's more than likely. Also I can say that the horn will work good for an all-around (with exception to the largest of ensembles like a big orchestra).

Gotta love that American sound though. I'm SO GLAD that some horn companies are going back to that more colourful yet still effectively deep sound.