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Thread: Old, old, OLD, and trying to get back in.

  1. #11
    Join Date
    Dec 2011
    Location
    Central North Carolina
    Posts
    2,369
    Quote Originally Posted by opus37 View Post
    A C or and BBb would likely be larger and heavier.
    Yes, but not necessarily, depending on models (my Champion weighs about as much as my 4/4 Cerveny BBb did). Also, a compensating Eb is fairly heavy because of the extra tubing and larger valves. The only thing I regret about my Wessex Eb is that I wish I'd gotten the smaller (15") bell instead of the larger (19"). And the smaller (especially 3-valve) BBb tubas are not heavy.


    A Mirafone Starlight (non-compensating 5 valves and 16.5 lbs) might be great, but a bit pricey at ~$12,000. A couple of years ago I saw a great older Mirafone 4-valve rotary Eb (used) for sale by Northern Low Brass at a really good price. I thought briefly about buying it. It was gone in about two days.
    Gary Merrill
    Wessex EEb Bass tuba (DW 3XL or 2XL)
    Mack Brass Compensating Euph (DE N106, Euph J, J9 euph)
    Amati Oval Euph (DE 104, Euph J, J6 euph)
    1924 Buescher 3-valve Eb tuba (with std US receiver), Kelly 25
    Schiller American Heritage 7B clone bass trombone (DE LB K/K10/112/14 Lexan, Brass Ark MV50R)
    1947 Olds "Standard" trombone (Olds #3)

  2. #12
    Welcome to the forum! Whereabouts on the east coast are you located?

    JP

  3. #13
    Join Date
    Jan 2019
    Location
    US East coast
    Posts
    193
    I have found each of your comments informative, and appreciate the welcomes to this forum.
    The community band I’m aiming for sounds quite good and seems to be recruiting all the time, so possibly a good fit for me right now.
    Although my personal direction is definitely towards tuba, the size question looms large LOL. And most important is my determination to play for a TubaChristmas. My grandchildren think tubas, and not Santa, say “Ho-ho-ho”.
    I hope you’ll help me with questions as I come upon them. I DON’T want to make any costly mistakes if I can help it.
    Thanks again!!!

  4. #14
    Join Date
    Jan 2019
    Location
    US East coast
    Posts
    193
    NYC tri-state area.

  5. #15
    Join Date
    Apr 2014
    Location
    Summerfield, Florida Sturgis, SD (summers)
    Posts
    1,867
    You do know that TubaChristmas is for tubas AND euphoniums? I am partial to euphonium. If you are already playing on the trombone, not much of a change mouthpiece wise and the basic sound and range are very similar. But, you have to pick what moves you, and there is no sense getting anything other than what you want to play.
    Last edited by John Morgan; 02-15-2019 at 09:24 AM.
    John Morgan
    The U.S. Army Band (Pershing's Own) 1971-1976
    Adams E3 Custom Series Euphonium, 1956 B&H Imperial Euphonium,
    1973 F. E. Olds & Son Studio Model T-31 Baritone
    Adams TB1 Tenor Trombone, Yamaha YBL-822G Bass Trombone
    Year Round Except Summer:
    Kingdom of the Sun (KOS) Concert Band, Ocala, FL (Euphonium)
    KOS Brass Quintet (Trombone, Euphonium)
    Summer Only:
    Rapid City Municipal Band, Rapid City, SD (Euphonium)
    Rapid City New Horizons Band (Euphonium)

  6. #16
    Join Date
    Dec 2011
    Location
    Central North Carolina
    Posts
    2,369
    For Tuba Christmas, a compensating euphonium like the Wessex or Mack Brass is most versatile. I have played all four parts (not simultaneously!) on my Mack Brass euph. In all honestly, it's not real good or easy on the Tuba 2 (contrabass) part. But it's fine on the Tuba 1 (bass tuba) part or, of course, on Euph 1 or Euph 2. For euph, I prefer Euph 2 because I think the parts are more interesting, and likewise for Tuba 1.

    Remember: If you hold (or lock) down the 4th valve on a compensating euphonium, you're holding a 3-valve F tuba.
    Last edited by ghmerrill; 02-15-2019 at 08:37 AM.
    Gary Merrill
    Wessex EEb Bass tuba (DW 3XL or 2XL)
    Mack Brass Compensating Euph (DE N106, Euph J, J9 euph)
    Amati Oval Euph (DE 104, Euph J, J6 euph)
    1924 Buescher 3-valve Eb tuba (with std US receiver), Kelly 25
    Schiller American Heritage 7B clone bass trombone (DE LB K/K10/112/14 Lexan, Brass Ark MV50R)
    1947 Olds "Standard" trombone (Olds #3)

  7. I would not suggest the Bubbie 5 for playing in a band - it is strictly a practice tuba. You would be far better going for a TE333 Elf Eb tuba or TB330 Imp BBb tuba - both of which are light and easy to play in band setting. And both are 3-valve and therefore do not require use of left arm. I regularly hear a woman who plays an Elf in band and that projects nicely - and is a very well in tune tuba with the restrictions of being a 3-valve tuba. She has a 4-valve compensator as well and often plays the Elf in preference.
    www.Wessex-Tubas.com
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  8. #18
    To amplify a point above, TubaChristmas is indeed for baritones, euphoniums, and tubas (and Sousaphones). This concept was created by tubist Harvey Phillips and he specifically included euphoniums, but he referred to them as tenor tubas* in those days. When the current International Tuba-Euphonium Association (ITEA) began life, it was called Tubists Universal Brotherhood Association, which by an astounding coincidence spelled T.U.B.A. Before long, they began to realize that the name implied it was for tubas only, even though they all assumed "tenor tubas" would be included. T.U.B.A. wanted to be sure euphonium players did not feel slighted, so the created an executive role of Euphonium Coordinator.

    * In common usage in those days and today, "tenor tuba" is more of a role than a design of instrument. A euphonium does a dandy job of being a tenor tuba, adding an upper octave to the bass sound. But the primary roles of euphonium are as a melody and counter-melody instrument. I'd say the tenor tuba role is tertiary.

    The "cutesy" application of "tenor tuba" to euphonium in general has gone away. However, I suspect that if Harvey were alive and just now creating a Christmas horn concept, he would still call it TubaChristmas for marketing reasons. His idea was to get our instruments in front of people as much as possible. While some of us might also like the name "euphonium" to become more commonly-known, it doesn't fit well into a marketing/branding name unless abbreviated, which kinda defeats the purpose. TubaEuphoniumChristmas is really stretching the point, and TubaEuphChristmas would just create confusion. Besides, those huge bells on the tuba are bound to attract photographers! And Sousaphones can easily add highly-visible messaging with bell covers.

    Here is a photo from one of the TC events, showing a nice mix of horns (not to mention the Sousaphone covers I referred to). It also shows the mix of ages. Harvey welcomed anyone from ages 8 to 88 (I think that is the way he put it, although I'm guessing that top number gets pushed higher!) You can click the photo to get a larger view.

    Click image for larger version. 

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    Dave Werden (ASCAP)
    Euphonium Soloist, U.S. Coast Guard Band, retired
    Adams Artist (Adams E3)
    Alliance Mouthpiece (DC3)
    YouTube: dwerden
    Facebook: davewerden
    Twitter: davewerden
    Instagram: davewerdeneuphonium

  9. #19
    Join Date
    Dec 2011
    Location
    Central North Carolina
    Posts
    2,369
    I have played in Tuba Christmas events that included ophicleides and serpents -- which I consider as coloring outside the lines. Also, Dave left out helicons -- of which we must wholeheartedly approve.

    I have been unhappy with the renaming of the old T.U.B.A organization since it turned a perfectly good cult into something more politically correct and perhaps less mystical. Honestly, a "universal brotherhood" vs. a "tuba-euphonium association"? What's the marketing sense in that change? The first conjures images of black-robed mystics; the second of music geeks with brass instruments.
    Gary Merrill
    Wessex EEb Bass tuba (DW 3XL or 2XL)
    Mack Brass Compensating Euph (DE N106, Euph J, J9 euph)
    Amati Oval Euph (DE 104, Euph J, J6 euph)
    1924 Buescher 3-valve Eb tuba (with std US receiver), Kelly 25
    Schiller American Heritage 7B clone bass trombone (DE LB K/K10/112/14 Lexan, Brass Ark MV50R)
    1947 Olds "Standard" trombone (Olds #3)

  10. #20
    Join Date
    Apr 2014
    Location
    Summerfield, Florida Sturgis, SD (summers)
    Posts
    1,867
    Quote Originally Posted by davewerden View Post
    ...Here is a photo from one of the TC events, showing a nice mix of horns (not to mention the Sousaphone covers I referred to). It also shows the mix of ages. Harvey welcomed anyone from ages 8 to 88 (I think that is the way he put it, although I'm guessing that top number gets pushed higher!) You can click the photo to get a larger view.
    I now serve as the coordinator for Rapid City TubaChristmas. Speaking of ages, we had a gentleman (who comes every year) who was 93 years old playing in Dec 2018. Hope I can last that long!!

    I belonged to T.U.B.A. before it became ITEA. Even being a euphonium player, I have to admit that T.U.B.A. sounded much better than ITEA (spelled out versions, also). But, it did probably make the less informed think that it was ONLY tubas, not euphoniums and baritone horns, also.
    John Morgan
    The U.S. Army Band (Pershing's Own) 1971-1976
    Adams E3 Custom Series Euphonium, 1956 B&H Imperial Euphonium,
    1973 F. E. Olds & Son Studio Model T-31 Baritone
    Adams TB1 Tenor Trombone, Yamaha YBL-822G Bass Trombone
    Year Round Except Summer:
    Kingdom of the Sun (KOS) Concert Band, Ocala, FL (Euphonium)
    KOS Brass Quintet (Trombone, Euphonium)
    Summer Only:
    Rapid City Municipal Band, Rapid City, SD (Euphonium)
    Rapid City New Horizons Band (Euphonium)

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