Posted by withheld on February 08, 1999 at 14:25:54:
In Reply to: Re: Re: Hirsbrunner vs. Meinl Weston? Which is better? posted by Bob on February 08, 1999 at 12:58:22:
Who says you need a 6/4 horn to keep up with an orchestra anyways? Sure, Mr. Jacobs played his York 6/4 but he played it with the compactness and focus of a smaller horn (compare his "6/4" sound with Deck's or Cooley's). It's my opinion that a tuba should be a bridge between the trombone section and the basses. To often today's MASSIVE TUBA SOUND comes across unfocused, mushy and void of life.
If I'm not mistaken, Bobo held his own with a Mirafone 188 and John Fletcher sounded just fine with his EEb. Don't let this recent push towards "bigger horn=better sound" fool you. Is any tuba worth $15,000 anyways? Buy a horn, learn to sound good on it, and let your playing do the talking. You don't need a 6/4 horn to be a "Master" of the instrument.