I've had my 3/4 RM CC for about 11-12 years now, these are extremely versatile horns and when you find a good one...wow! If you haven't tried one yet, I'd recommend a Laskey 28H mouthpiece, I have more mouthpieces than I'd care to admit to and I've always come back to the 28H. Sound and response are ...

PM sent

I saw Dave use that 6/4 RM on Mahler 8 and Mahler 3 with Houston. Unbelievable, even with all hell breaking loose on stage in the middle of Mahler 8, you could hear Dave. Tastefully present. It's a hog!

Here's the whole horn and the normal Alexander engraving on the bell. This was Dennis Miller's old Alex, it's awesome but the Rudy Meinl engraving on the back is curious...

Thought y'all would be interested in this engraving on the back of my Alexander 163 bell. I don't know the history behind this, maybe at some point, Rudy Meinl was helping Alexander make tuba bells?

JB

I've been using an app called Twisted Wave for a few years now. It's similar to audacity, allows you to do all the traditional editing/normalizing and then you can export the files as WAV, mp3, AAC to dropbox, email, text message. It's great for recording piano rehearsals on my iPhone and then ...

I bought a Wiseman case back in 2017 or 2018. I bought both lids and they threw in a foam jacket for the outside of the case. It took about 6-8 months to get the case, they're easy to communicate with, I've flown maybe 7-8 times with it, I love it. Not cheap, I have mine insured, like a tuba. The ...

I have a couple of Hercules bassoon stands that are fine and work on both my Meinl Weston cimbasso and my franken-basso. That having been said, I've gone to a K&M contrabassoon stand when I take the horns out of the house. It's big but extremely sturdy, highly recommended. https://www.wwbw.com/KM ...

I've had one for a little over 10 years now, I love it. It's basically the size of a Miraphone 186 but it will put out more sound. I've used it for solo performances, brass quintet, and in the orchestra. Extremely clear sound and fairly nimble up and down. Intonation is easier to manage with a 5 ...

Unfortunately, a lot of stands say tuba/euphonium and they're just a tuba stand for someone that is in a seated position. If you're wanting to stand up and have the euphonium supported, I would recommend the K&M 14951 stand. I've had good luck with this stand, it has plenty of height for a tuba or a ...

I'm not a fan of the Trumcor practice mutes, I've talked with Rick in the past about a redesign. I have access to both a Schlipf and a Trumcor, the Schlipf is significantly better (and lighter). If you can find one, I'd recommend a Wallace practice mute for your 186, they look like the schlipf mutes ...

If it were an F tuba, I would say yes add the valve, in fact I had a 5th valve added to an old 4-valve Alex F about 20 years ago. On a CC or BBb, especially an Alex that is lighter than most other tubas on the market, you're going to add a lot of weight with a 5th valve and all the extra parts ...

Seems logical to sanitize new (to you) gear even when we're not in a global pandemic....I've bought two mouthpieces since March (one new and one used), I washed both with soap and water, I'm fine. Sure wish we could look at the original thread in its entirety... I want to thank Mark for creating ...