TubaForum.net

Hi all,

Maybe you saw my post on Facebook, or maybe not. A few days ago, I happened to be in Cincinnati, so I decided to drop by Buddy Roger's to see what's what over there. They have a great website with a ton of tuba stuff, but I wanted to see what they had in person.

Firstly, Chris Hite is an awesome individual. Knowledgeable, kind, friendly, and overall a great person to work with. We hung out for an hour and a half or so and chatted tuba, mouthpieces, repair, etc. He even knew my 6465 when I mentioned it. I'm famous!!

Their showroom is great. Many, many tubas and euphoniums, gig bags galore, and of course mouthpieces and Schlipf mutes. If you need any of those things, I'd bet they have something that fits with you and your tuba/euphonium.

I tried several horns, but was really interested in the Willson Merlin. It's been out a while, but you don't really see them. Well, they had one. Check out my thoughts and photos below:

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Willson 3060FA-5 Merlin - A KILLER tuba. I thought it was profoundly easy to play, well built, but not too heavy, easy to maneuver, comfortable to hold, and VERY in-tune. Nothing struck me as being out one way or another. Slides are all accessible, valves feel great, I was very impressed. Truly. I think these should be WAY more popular than they are. You all know I don't need any other tubas. However, if in the future I want a better 4/4 CC tuba, I won't even have to think about it, this is what I'd choose. I loved it.

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Adams 6/4 - This I didn't play, but noticed some new pull rings on some of the tuning slides, and I'm told this horn is pretty much the best a Yorkbrunner can be, with a totally redesigned 3rd branch if I'm remembering correctly. Scary price to be fair, but if for some reason you want a Yorkbrunner, and want it to be as in-tune as possible, it may be worth a look.

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Great euphonium selection from Shires, Willson, and Adams. Boy, do I love that Adams antique finish!

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Lidl LCB-884 (I think?) - I didn't play it, but boy is it pretty!

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Lidl LBB-884 (I think?) - I didn't play this either, but again it's pretty!

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Lidl 654-5I - One of the two F tubas I tried, this one with the 5th at the bottom of the stack. What an easy playing, in-tune, and pretty F tuba. This one struck me as being Firebird-ish in the body/design. The rotors are so very light and silent, what a pleasure to play. No low C trouble at all, and I didn't find that I needed the 2nd trigger, but it's sure nice to have for low G and such.

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Lidl 651-5 IGR (or similar) - I believe this one is based on the same body as the previous F tuba, but it places the 5th at the top of the stack. I actually preferred this one to the other. The low range felt better for me personally, but again, no low C issues, the 2nd trigger was mostly helpful with 5v F tuba problems like low G. It was great. I'd play one! It also has a gold brass bell.

Not pictured:

Chris's personal Willson 3400 - What an easy playing Eb tuba. Literally ZERO stuffiness down low, it was amazing. I understand why those that have these hold onto them. Exceptional.

Willson 3200XL in Silver - Almost identical to my old 3200FA-5, Wade's Kurath, etc, but it has a main slide trigger. Strangely, this one was more in-tune than either my old 3200FA-5, OR my 3200RZ-5. Both of mine have pitch quirks that the new one doesn't. I will say, the main slide trigger was GREAT. Whoever buys this will be very happy, I'm sure.

While there, I purchased a Robert Tucci RT-84S because I liked it. I think it's a great match for my F tuba as well as my B&M CC.

Anyway, that's it for now. I'll try to answer any questions but realize a lot of this is personal preference. I had a great time. Highly recommend you go and visit for yourself!

Chris has done great things with Buddy Rogers to make it a DESTINATION for tuba and euphonium in an otherwise under-served part of the USA! Glad you could see how much he could do with such a limited space and resources!

Sousaswag wrote: Fri Apr 04, 2025 2:54 pm
...I'm famous!!
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Lidl LBB-884 (I think?) - I didn't play this either, but again it's pretty!

Nice! (regarding you and your famous 6465)

Regarding the 884 Tuba

The looks aren't just for show! There's a reason why it's called the "de luxe" model of the Moldau .

That and the LBB 603? (The euro shank 2 piece steel Kelly mouthpiece BARELY fit into it!) of the Lidl's that I liked the most.

Although, I haven't tried any of the F tubas. CC's were fine too. But the LBB 884 Moldau De Luxe would be the winner for me.

The Merlin CC does play quite well too.

I really wonder how good the rotary Eb Wilson would be with de-rotaxed valves... But my memory is foggy if I tried the 4 valve one that Dillon's Music had for sale years ago. Assuming it was brought to the Army Conference...

And yes, Chris Hite is awesome!

Thanks for all the kind words, and David, I enjoyed your visit. Thanks for spreading the word about our little shop in Cincinnati. I'm working to stock what players of all levels are searching for and to be a help where I can. We're living in a pretty good time for tuba and euphonium equipment with so many good options available and our manufacturer partners are fantastic to work with to ensure we have what we need. It's a joy to go to work and to be surprised by who comes by to visit.

And as an update for those outside the area that don't know, Buddy Roger's/Willis Music will be moving from our North College Hill location to West Chester in the next two-three months. If you've seen the Ikea from I-75 north of the city, that's the general location. The tuba-euph room will be quite a bit bigger and our repair shop will have several upgrades to better serve our customers. I'll make an announcement when we have a firm move date. Until then, please come see us on Simpson Avenue. I still have almost 30 tubas and 10 euphoniums in stock. Videos for those beautiful Lidl tubas are still in the works. NABBA delayed my plans a bit but keep watching our YouTube channel and social media outlets for more updates.

Chris is a good guy.

@BuddyRogersMusic , back when I was messing with the unfortunate Hagen incident, Lee Stofer contacted me and said he had a Lidl 3/4 BBb that he thought would work for me. Of coruse I ended up with the Hagen from Dillon, but I'm wondering if the 3/4 Lee referred to is one of the ones that Sousawag play tested. (I think not, but am asking.)

@Mary Ann I didn't play test any BBb's. Sorry!!

That’s great. Good for BR. That’s a LOT of tubas to stock.