Re: Getzen Tubas


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Posted by Doug on April 21, 2003 at 10:37:42:

In Reply to: Getzen Tubas posted by mg on April 21, 2003 at 00:18:04:

I'm a satisfied customer of Baltimore Brass and I love my Getzen.

The reason the Getzen claims to play in CC and BBb is the 5th vavle slide. It comes originally as a flat half step, and then comes with an extender for a flat whole step. But the horn comes witha second extender that is shorter that makes the fifth valve a normal whole step. Using this slide, holding down the 5th valve, and pulling all the other valve slides makes the horn essentially a 4 valve BBb tuba.

DO NOT BUY THIS HORN TO PLAY IT AS A BBb ALL THE TIME. Buy something cheaper and better. If you play CC just to be cool, but still march on a BBb sousaphone, the "conversion" makes practicing easier at times.

Joe S. made the point that the horn is tapered like a CC horn, and adding the extra length at the beginning of the bugle is what messes up the quality when you convert to BBb. I don't know enough instrument physics to confirm this, but the horn is a TAD stuffy if you play with the 5th valve always down.

I usually keep my 5th on the flat whole step, which is good for the low Db, anything pedal F and below, and on bad days the really high D pops out using the 5th valve.

If I feel fiesty (or want a lighter horn), I use the flat half step set-up, but changing that makes the low register confusing if you've developed fingering habits.

My horn has some minor tuning problems, but those are solved by pulling the first valve slide some, and would probably be done away with when I find the right mouthpiece.

All in all:

1) Great CC horn, you'll love it.

2) The small size is no issue, these babies pack a wallop of sound.

3) Toy around with the 5th valve, but I doubt you'll ever use the BBb coversion except as a novelty.

4) They're not cheap.

4b) That might be why they quit making them (?)

5) Mr. Fedderly is a great guy and will help you in any way. His valve oil ROCKS.

Cheers,

Doug "likes to tease his fellow Techie tuba players who play BBb" G


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