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Trying to decide what direction to go in with my horns here. Not a pro. Haven't been paid to play in years. Barely even play in public anymore. Just like to practice and play etudes and annoy my daughter by using her Suzuki violin books for sight-reading practice. She says it's annoying but I know she's secretly impressed.

Anyway. Current horns: Gnagey 4/4 CC; MW 182 F; Miraphone 184-5U with a left-hand major third valve. All legitimately great horns. And this is my conundrum. I want to try something new for my small horn. I love the 182, but I've had it for 20+ years, and life is short. I also, for space reasons, should really have 2 horns, not 3 (but that's a very minor concern). So most likely, I part with the 182 and one of the CC horns, and get a fun new bass tuba to pair with the remaining CC tuba.

I've always been intrigued by British Eb tubas, and I've also never spent any time with a big piston F tuba. So that's where I'm leaning - one of those two.

Here leads to the question, to which there are no right answers. I'm just interested in thoughts:

The Miraphone and a big F or British Eb basically cover the same ground. At least with the Miraphone, it's a brighter sound, so I'd have two timbres to choose from, especially if I paired the Miraphone with the British Eb.

The Gnagey is much more point-and-shoot and is more of a legitimate contrabass tuba. It's also piston valves, which I prefer. A piston F or British Eb would then be able to be a contrabass/bass pairing in the way it really wouldn't with the Miraphone. Much closer to the same timbre, but more facility in different registers.

I've also never played Eb, so is it worth re-learning all of the concertos with the new sets of fingerings? On the other hand, would it be a fun challenge?

Added challenge: I'm in Alaska, so I'm making this choice blind without much opportunity to test horns.

What would you all do? And again, this is mostly for fun, and there are no right answers, and whatever I do, I'll have some great horns to play, so it's a win-win.

There is a huge difference between a Miraphone 184 and a Miraphone 283. When I let a fellow band member try the 283 (he was already playing an old good-sounding piston Eb) he said, "It slots like a euphonium." Like, easy to play. Has a more open low register than a 182 by far. So -- just championing my favorite, and I have owned two different 184s and one 182 that now lives with the Pittsburg Symphony player.

I'm not criticizing your post...

...but these sorts of musings egg on the freak jury.

ie. Every tuba player (collectively owning every model ever made) will - eventually, if enough people respond - recommend every model ever made.

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bloke wrote: Fri Apr 11, 2025 12:09 pm I'm not criticizing your post...

...but these sorts of musings egg on the freak jury.

ie. Every tuba player (collectively owning every model ever made) will - eventually, if enough people respond - recommend every model ever made.

In my defense, I do describe this as pointless and meandering.

tubanh84 wrote: Fri Apr 11, 2025 12:46 pm

bloke wrote: Fri Apr 11, 2025 12:09 pm I'm not criticizing your post...

...but these sorts of musings egg on the freak jury.

ie. Every tuba player (collectively owning every model ever made) will - eventually, if enough people respond - recommend every model ever made.

In my defense, I do describe this as pointless and meandering.

But that’s an oxymoron as "pointless and meandering" is the very definition of TubaForum.

Perhaps if possible a trip to a place like Dillon’s would be probably your best bet. Chance to try a bunch of different horns and at least get an idea of what reverberates with you. I know that’s a hike from Alaska. I don’t know if there is any kind of sizable operation within easy distance of Alaska. Another possibility is something like TEMA in Texas or the Midwest Band Clinic in Chicago (in December - it'll feel like Alaska ) - but side benefit you can also hit the world class museums - Art Institute / Shedd Aquarium / Adler Planetarium / Field Museum of Natural History / Museum of Science and Industry - we’ve got our own WWII German U-Boat inside and an entire Burlington Zephyr Streamliner from the 1930’s - an entire 727 suspended from the ceiling and a whole lot of other great stuff, Modern Museum of Art, Lincoln Park Zoo, Brookfield Zoo, Chicago History Museum, west of the city the incredible Morton Arboretum, The Chicago Botanic Gardens up by Ravinia just north of the city and the summer home of the CSO - with many other museums in the general area. Last not least the CSO. Go to the Mid-west clinic -try an array of tubas and then attend the annual sold out best concert on the schedule - the CSO Brass ensemble. It is always an experience that while there you never want the concert to end. Transports you to another realm of the sheer art of music. Never disappoints. Chicago at Christmas is special. Make it a family holiday. The current Mayor is a special kind of incompetent, but the new States Attorney is making a difference reining in the street criminals.

Depends on what you like. I’d keep the Gnagey either way. It is more of a contrabass tuba than the 184.

Big piston F tubas will sound more similar to that Gnagey, but they will be nearly identical, if not a little bigger, than a 184. They’ll play great in the low register but will run out of gas quicker than your CC. Depending on what you get and how you play, some have intonation quirks.

Most British Eb’s will sound pretty much identical to piston F tubas, and will still run out of gas around the same area. Front piston non-compensating Eb’s from Willson, either model, are my absolute favorites. Rare, but very good players.

A big bass tuba and a small contrabass tuba can theoretically cover the same or similar stuff, but when you need low, keeping the bigger CC will be good.

In Alaska? Whew. Fly somewhere and try/buy. You’ve got the Buffet showroom in Florida that will have both the Besson 3+1 Eb and the Meinl Weston 2250 piston F. I’m more of an F player these days and the 2250 just rocks.

OR…

You can try your luck used, and see what you find. Look around here, on Facebook, and at the good tuba shops. Dillon’s, Baltimore Brass, even the Tuba Exchange might have some good stuff. That’s what I would do first to see if you can save a little money. But if money isn’t a concern, I’d tell you to buy the Willson 3400C Eb and be done with it. Baltimore has two.