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Thread: HEFT- Which contemporary, available-in-the-USA euphoniums are the heftiest?

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Jan 2019
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    US East coast
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    HEFT- Which contemporary, available-in-the-USA euphoniums are the heftiest?

    I have now played the Cool Wind Euphonium for about 6 months, taken lessons with a teacher whom I find perfect for what I want to learn, and am playing in a delightful band of amateurs, pros, music teachers, high school students, and some very pleasant folks who have not spoken much about why they’re there, but seem to enjoy it, as I certainly do.

    My original intention was to get to tuba via starting on euphonium, but I find that reasons for continuing on euphonium are unexpectedly emerging, and habitually reading here has been an education about brass, especially low brass, that I didn’t even know I had missed until now.

    After nearly buying an Eb tuba but realizing that learning a second set of fingerings would be a major frustration, I began to consider what I could continue to do with euphonium that would be musically satisfying to me without having to deal with the complications of finding a really good sounding tuba that I could also lift and transport. Having played almost all of the best of the wind ensemble repertoire that was available until I stopped playing bass clarinet seriously in 1970, this isn’t as easy as it might sound.

    So a question here- I know and love the Miraphone sound, and I know it is a heavy weight instrument. Are there any other “hefty” euphoniums that will bridge my love of low gutsy sounds with the color and tone of the euphonium I’ve always admired? Something between euphonium/tenor tuba in the same instrument? Or something else I haven’t thought of at all? Hoping to find something that can last me for the rest of my musical life.

  2. #2
    If you like a big sound like the Miraphone, you might also consider an Adams E2. Its sound is large, dark, and dense.
    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

  3. #3
    I think the answers are Miraphone, Adams E2, and Hirsbrunner.
    Sean Kissane
    Low Brass Specialist, Paige's Music
    Principal Euphonium, Indianapolis Brass Choir
    Principal Euphonium, Crossroads Brass Band

  4. #4
    You could add the Willson 2950/2960 to the hefty list.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Jan 2006
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    West Palm Beach, FL
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    3,853
    I’ve not played the Adams E2 more than a few minutes but I would vote for the Miraphone 5050 for “heft”. Big dark tone with good intonation.
    Rick Floyd
    Miraphone 5050 - Warburton BJ / RF mpc
    YEP-641S (recently sold)
    Doug Elliott - 102 rim; I-cup; I-9 shank


    "Always play with a good tone, never louder than lovely, never softer than supported." - author unknown.
    Symphonic Band of the Palm Beaches
    El Cumbanchero (Raphael Hernandez, arr. Naohiro Iwai)
    Chorale and Shaker Dance
    (John Zdechlik)

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Jun 2018
    Location
    Summerville (SC)
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    Hello Ann, at the recent ITEC 2019 conference I had the opportunity of fiddling with a number of euphos, a few of which, though quite different in tone and construction, I really liked.... including the Adams E3 Sterling bell, E2, and even more so the E1 with 0.70mm yellow brass bell for its amazing sparkling resonance... Besson Prestige for its silky and warm power... But the one which took my breath away, even with my rudimentary chops, was the Miraphone M5050, for its glorious tone, flexibility of color, and dynamic power... Besides, oddly enough, for my rudimentary chops, it happened to be the easiest to speak.

    Have you contacted Tuba exchange in Durham (NC)? According to their website, they might have M5050 in stock:

    Tuba Exchange
    1 (800) 869-8822
    Questions & general info
    luc@tubaexchange.com
    Sales & Marketing
    todd@tubaexchange.com
    Sales – Sealed Bids
    kevin@tubaexchange.com
    Administration
    betty@tubaexchange.com
    Technical & Repair Service
    mike@tubaexchange.com
    Store Location / Hours
    2411 S Alston Ave.
    Durham, NC 27713
    Hours9–5 EST, Monday–Friday

    Regards, Guido
    Last edited by guidocorona; 07-03-2019 at 08:40 AM.
    M5050L - DC2&3, SM2&4U, BT16, Carbonaria Heavy & New
    Wessex EP104 Festivo - available
    Carolbrass CCR7772 Bb cornet - Available

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Dec 2011
    Location
    Central North Carolina
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    2,369
    Quote Originally Posted by ann reid View Post

    After nearly buying an Eb tuba but realizing that learning a second set of fingerings would be a major frustration, ...
    Just to add some more frustration ...

    I have never found learning the extra set of fingerings to be problematic, and I'm pretty sure that you would be able to manage it in quick order and with little frustration. For one thing, you'll be surprised at the degree of commonality in the fingerings. But really, I think you'd find that in a week or so of reasonable practice you'd have things pretty well nailed. It's kind of like learning Russian. People are put off because the alphabet is SO different. But it's really not, and once you're over that minor hump, the rest is straightforward.

    Also, I think that you'd discover that switching between the Bb euph fingerings and the Eb tuba fingerings would not present a problem to you.

    Just something to keep in mind for the future.

    Now trombone ... THAT was a switch!!
    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)

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