Posted by Sean Chisham on February 28, 2000 at 08:53:27:
In Reply to: F comparisons posted by Curious F'er on February 27, 2000 at 23:53:47:
Good choices for F's, IMO. The only one of your choices which I am not a fan of is the PT-10P. I have tried it on a couple of occasions and I never really cared much for it. It was uncomfortable to hold, play, and listen to.
The Meinl Weston 45slp is a fantastic piston F though. It retains most of the German rotary F sound qualities, while beefing up the low end, if you need that. It is the only piston F I have ever tried which I seriously considered buying.
The PT-10 and PT-15 are siblings. They play very much alike with slight differences in response. The PT-10 seems to ring a bit quicker and is a little bit sweeter, while the heavier PT-15 may have the bigger bite. The PT-11 is the PT-10 with a 4+2 rotary valve setup. I find it difficult to keep my brain straight with the whole 2 handed valve usage thing, but I am sure it is just a learning curve.
Of the PT-10, PT-11, PT-15, PT-16, and 45slp, I bought a PT-15. Why? Even though the 45slp is a great horn, I grew up, like many, on B&S rotary F tubas and love their sound. I feel more comfortable on them. I never really dug the 2 hands full of valves approach, so the PT-11 and PT-16 were not for me. Besides that, the 6th valve does add a little bit more to the stuffiness factor. Not really a big deal, but for some it may be. I also preferred the stronger presence of the PT-15 over the PT-10. Although they look the same, the 15 is a bit stronger, IMO.
As far as a 6th valve giving you more options, this is true. Not so much for intonation purposes, because a good tuba should have a very even scale to it anyways, but more so for trills and quick runs.
I had some help choosing my particular PT-15 and ended up with a fantastic horn. The low end, where many Americans complain about German rotary F's, is just as strong as that of the player. I can play the same lit on my F as on my Hirsbrunner CC. If you approach the horn with a musical mentality instead of a physical mentality, then it really is easier. Listen to a fine German tubist play orchestral excerpts on his F tuba. This will open up the mind of even the most die hard F pundant.
I have played and listened to Yamaha F's and Willson F's and don't feel they have the same special sound of the German manufacturers. The Rudy Meinl and Miraphone F's also have that German sound. The Rudy F is more challenging to manipulate, though.
sean