Cimbasso brands and where to buy

[cskatz]

I'm considering buying an F cimbasso and am seeking advice.
Who makes cimbassi? What brands should I consider?
Where does one find/purchase them?
I saw Chris Olka's video review of a Dillon. Dillon currently shows them out of stock.

More generally, where are good places to find/buy tubas these days? Looks like Brasswind went under. Any new places (I'm aware of Dillon, BBC, Tuba Exchange, The Mighty Quinn)?

[Craig F]

Looks like Brasswind went under.

They just got assimilated by the Guitar Center Borg. Guitar Center/Music & Arts/Musician's Friend/WWBW were all owned by the same company. WWBW was deemed redundant and was shut down and they redirected customer's to Music & Arts.

Back to our regularly scheduled program...

Wessex Tubas has Cimbassi. I have not seen any reviews and not sure what the availability is.

[bloke]

Play before you buy and bring your tuner.

[cskatz]

WWBW was deemed redundant and was shut down and they redirected customer's to Music & Arts.

They used to have 30 tubas in a showroom (in the early 2000s). It was worth a flight to go try lots of tubas in one place. They even picked me up at the airport (long before uber). Sigh.

[MiBrassFS]

Some years back, I had exactly one business transaction that involved a Chinese “cimbasso” from probably the biggest Chinese instrument/tuba reseller. On the 15th day I had it, I took it apart to clean it. I immediately raised a red flag over an issue with the valves. They were unusable. Constantly binding up. The bearings were very loose. The issue went unresolved and since it was just outside their “trial period,” I was stuck. So much for “customer service” and “warranty.” I improved it as possible, but in the end, I sold it to someone who was going to swap out the valves with a German set they already owned. They really wanted it even after I gave them a walk through on every issue it had and I got all of my money out of it. Happy, happy.

[dp]

Mike Johnson is making cimbassi.

[Mary Ann]

Funny, even though I need nothing at this point in time, I would still be attracted to a cimbasso in tenor Bb, just because. Whoever is stuck selling my stuff after I leave the planet is going to have quite a task. I keep telling people you can never have too many tubas. They walk into my living room and go Yikes.

[bloke]

Funny, even though I need nothing at this point in time, I would still be attracted to a cimbasso in tenor Bb, just because. Whoever is stuck selling my stuff after I leave the planet is going to have quite a task. I keep telling people you can never have too many tubas. They walk into my living room and go Yikes.

Wade clicked "like" because he and I are both (slow as molasses) building bass trombone cimbassos (cimbassi?).

Mine is .562" bore, with four front-action pistons and two L.H. rotors.

The bell section has an on-board F-attachment (as I DO have a regular playing slide for it), which would not be used when the valve section is mounted (in lieu of the playing slide).

As I have not idea how in-tune (or not) it may be, it's going to have a tune-any-note trigger just past the mouthpipe tube and before the first piston...though I got absurdly lucky with the rotary one I built in F.

None of the stuff I acquired to build this thing cost very much...The bell section is an 80's Yamaha copy of a Conn 72H...previously QUITE distressed...actually bartered for a set of valve caps the previous owner wanted... bragging...?? (maybe...??) the bell section now neither shows nor suffers from any hints of damage...(I might get in a weird mood, and spend two or three hours - some morning - buffing and lacquering it...?? nice thing about "vintage" Yamaha? They PAINTED their name on bells, back then, so no "YAMAHA" engraving. )

tuba players who also dabble/double in euphonium...
A BASS trombone cimbasso (probably) is a better "weird thing to have" (as far as being useful) vs. a tenor trombone cimbasso...
...oh yeah...and if an F cimbasso (used to play the 3rd trombone part in a "classical" symphony or symphonic piece) "triggers" B-flat tenor-and-bass slide trombonists, just IMAGINE how much a B-flat valve trombone/cimbasso will trigger them.

(They'll claim blah, blah-blah, and blah-blah-blah regarding "the music" when - just as in politics - their UNDERLYING argument is "who ends up with the money".)

[the elephant]

I picked one up at Family Dollar around the corner.

Great prices.

[Mary Ann]

I would go for a rotary bass tbone cimbasso, but not a piston because I stopped trying to do pistons. I can't even work a cornet with pistons, just feels awkward to this violinist / hornist. I would have at one point headed into bass tbone, and I even bought one, but it was clearly out of my reach ergonomically even a couple decades ago. Just too heavy having to be up in the air and maneuvered while up in the air. It was inspired by a CD by Doug Yeo, and he told me to buy the Yamaha single rotor that I still have (621 or something like that.)