Re: Uses for Eb/F tubas


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Posted by Steve Inman (long) on November 18, 2002 at 23:36:21:

In Reply to: Uses for Eb/F tubas posted by AW on November 17, 2002 at 22:16:51:

Okay -- if Rick can make half of the posts on this thread, then Steve can post at least once . . . . ;-)

Here's my long, boring life story as a tubist:

Jr/Sr High -- BBb (Miraphone 186 / MW 25).

College -- nuthin'

New engineer with extra $$ -- Miraphone 186 BBb, for about 15 years.

Then I noticed playing close to middle C was more work than I wanted to do, so --
I bought a series of used Eb tubas until I ended up with a new Besson 983 (as my only tuba).

After about 5 years of "Eb only" (playing 90% quintet, 10% either brass choir or pit orchestra -- typically 15-20 pc groups) also started playing in a quartet -- trying to cover a euph part as written for "proper" voicings. By this time I was becoming frustrated with the low end response of the compensating Eb, and I wanted a smaller sound for the quartet.

So first I sold the Eb and bought a 3/4 F (First an older Amati 6V, then a YFB-621.) Now, the 621 works great for the quartet, but it isn't as big of a sound as the quintet wants, and it has not chance of working in the 15-20 pc groups with my lips and lungs at the controls.

So, I've added a Miraphone 4V 186CC to the "collection", which works acceptably well for the present.

Conclusions and notes:

1. What started me down this road? A reply to a TubaEuph post over 5 years ago when I asked the question: "If you could only own one tuba, what would it be?" Roger Bobo was kind enough to answer with a two-part answer: 1. "A large Eb", 2. BUT he could never make do with only one tuba -- quite the contrary he owns (owned) several in almost every key imaginable (BBb, CC, D, Eb, F, G, Bb, more?) in order to be able to find just the right sound WITHOUT HAVING TO COMPROMISE (Rick, you owe me a cup of coffee.)

2. My conclusion: If you followed Jay Bertolet's approach in the bass tuba realm (Eb) and bought the 3/4 Cerveny (Eb) and a 5/4 Willson (Eb), you might just about have all the basses covered (pun perhaps intended). But if one of your horns had to pretend to be a euph you couldn't do "almost everything" with just one tuba. But two of 'em in "just one key" would almost do everything the *I* would ever need to do. But the Besson 983 Eb isn't the "only ONE" Eb tuba -- it would have to be the Willson for great quintet playing, reasonable for community band and small orchestra, okay for quartet. [Note: Jay also owns at least one BIG contrabass for his professional orchestra gig in Florida.]

3. My final answer:
a. As an adult amateur, I was not able to make do with only one tuba. *IF* I did not play in the quartet, and *IF* I had the $$$, then for me the Willson Eb might be a good one-tuba approach that would not require any significant compromise for any of the groups *I* personally play in.
b. For my combination of groups, a 4/4 CC and a 3/4 F seem to be the best approach I can find. If I find that I have too many problems switching back and forth between two keys (the CC is a "new" horn -- for me), then I might be eventually convinced to buy the Willson Eb and a small-ish Eb and make do with that pair of horns.
c. Finally, to answer the posters questions:
If I want an ideal quintet horn, I'd buy the Willson Eb 5V non-comp bass tuba.
If I want a tuba to cover a euph part and not sound too big, I'd use the YFB-621.
If I want an F tuba that does NOT sound like a small CC, I'd use the YFB-621, as it is the only tuba that both sounds like a small F but has no "hard to play notes" i.e. the low CC note.
If I want a tuba for solo playing with the sound my ear loves to hear, I'd buy a "German" rotary F tuba (whichever one has the "least worst" low CC playing characteristic) and learn to deal with the playing characteristics of this tuba.
If I did not need to have a small sound to cover a euph part or to blend with small sized ensembles, and if I never need to play in a large orchestra or community band as the only tubist, I would probably choose the Willson Eb (again).

That should be quite enough . . . .

Steve Inman
with carpel tunnel acting up in Kokomo, IN



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