looking for new sterling virtuoso

[euph77]

Hello erverbody
after a long break i returned into this forum.
i had a question for all euph players in this form (spec. for sterling virtuoso players). now for over two years of playing a sterling virtuoso (300 mm heavy red brass bell) i will looking for a new one. i wan´t a bigger sound but won´t miss the typical sterling singing style like my sterling euph yet.
i will meet Mr. Carter from Mr. Tuba in the mid of December for testing a new euph.

Maybe some of the other sterling virtuoso players have some good answeres or tips for me.

i thinking between 300 or 310 mm heavy red brass bell (also sterling)

Please tell me your thinking.

maybe i be wrong to buy a new one and i should be happy with this that i had

sorry for my bad english

greetings
Christian

[Eupher6]

looking for new sterling virtuoso

It's hard for me to imagine a horn with a bigger sound than what my Virtuoso gives me with a 300 mm heavy rose brass bell and a SM 3.5. To each his own, however...

Plunking down the Euro equivalent of $6500 would require me to dig pretty deep in my pockets for a bigger sound when I've already got a very fine horn already.

Are you sure a larger mouthpiece might not give you a bigger sound? Deeper cup? Mouthpiece buzzing? (That helps me tremendously, btw.)

[davewerden]

looking for new sterling virtuoso

Christian,

My own Sterling has a 300mm bell, and it is great for my current situation, which includes mostly solo recital and chamber ensemble playing. But if I were playing more often in large ensembles I might prefer the 310. It has a larger sound, but I think it still sings very well.

What mouthpiece do you use? It could be a factor.

[euph77]

looking for new sterling virtuoso

Hello David

my mouthpiece is a alliance prestige 2 euphonium mouthpiece before i had a DW 3AL
i play brass band (2nd and solo euphonium) and tuba quartett and more often i play tuba passages (in Austria most of the tuba player plays small F-tubas).

i am very very happy with the sound of my sterling (very dark, very good tone articulation and the very soloist like sound) but sometimes when i play brass band i wish a little more bigger and stronger powerfull sound. maybe i am wrong but when i played the york eminence 4052 in Frankfurt in the years 2008 and 2009 i heard a very strong and powerfull euphonium but for me the york euphonium needs a bit to much power and control to crack it. maybe the bigger bell from Paul´s sterling euphoniums are the right way i like.
maybe someone had a 310 mm heavy red brass bell sterling virtuoso and can tell me the + and - about the bigger bell

greetings from Austria

Christian

[fsung]

looking for new sterling virtuoso

Hello Christian,

Welcome to the forum.

I have the 310 mm heavy red brass bell, and have had the opportunity to compare it to the 300 mm heavy red brass, 310 mm heavy yellow brass, 300 mm standard red brass, and 300 mm standard yellow brass bells. To my ear, the 310 mm heavy red brass bell is indeed capable of producing a larger, broader sound than any of the others I've compared it to, without losing the lush, singing quality.

The 310 mm heavy red brass bell may be too large for small, mixed instrumental ensembles. I play in a brass sextet composed of 2 trumpets, 1 french horn, 1 trombone, myself, and 1 tuba, a brass quintet (2 trumpets, 1 trombone, myself, 1 tuba), and a mixed string and wind ensemble (1-2 violins, viola, 1-2 cellos, 1-2 flutes, clarinet, oboe, english horn, soprano sax, 1-2 trumpets, french horn, 1-2 trombones, myself, tuba). I find I have to hold back on the volume when playing in those ensembles as, even playing unmiced with the other ensemble members mic'ed, I can easily bury the rest of the ensemble if I'm not careful. However, it fit nicely in the tuba/euph ensemble at the Miraphone Academy (6 euphs, 8 tubas), and the extra available power and volume might be ideal for large ensembles like a brass or full wind band.

I find the 300 mm bell to be slightly more agile in terms of response and to require less energy to play, so it is (or at least feels) easier to play softly than the 310 mm bell; and, from behind the bell, articulation sounds crisper on the 300 mm bell (though I don't hear much, if any difference, on recordings made with a mic placed 4-5m from the bell).