WILLSON fan here... :cheers: To my German mind, the word "cone" is tied to the expression "Konus", which is very strictly defined as a rotationally-symmetrical shape the cross section of which consists of a trapezoid. Therefore, it has a large diameter on one end, a small diameter on the other, and ...

Hi, I suggest You search this forum for Doc´s recently posted video clips of him performing that kind of music on stage. Those show a great deal of what this is about, and I´d use them anytime myself as a reference / reminder of what tasteful treatment of this repertoire can do. Do not play one note ...

...which gives a perfect explanation why cars might be required to carry numberplates on BOTH rear and front ends.

Hmmm... While I´d applaud the idea of inviting lesser known but high quality acts as mentioned, I can´t wrap my head about the rest of that proposal: Who was that "nobody" tasked with the decisions You criticise? A curation gremium? So, who else will get to choose / invite acts instead, and how will ...

Master classes on how to be a tuba section of three to five in different formations, such as Brass Band vs. wind orchestra. - staying in-tune and on-time - alternate breathing - communication within the section and with other sections - Techniques to deliver "overwhelming" parts / rhythms / passages ...

Hard question. You´d be looking for a company that stands for products of two separate categories: - The one that created the brand´s well deserved worldwide standing. In terms of vehicles, that would be the kind populating Albania´s roads. Albania is the European country with the highest density of ...

It´s an issue of culture. There are regions in the world where sellers will get mad at you if you accept their initial asking price and fail to enter into a good-sported, intellectually interesting bargaining effort before making a deal. And then there are regions where you earn bragging rights if ...

At about 19 years old, I started tuba in a youth community band (when you´re 25, you have to resign and move on to other bands in the area, if you want to keep playing). Two years later, I "upgraded" from a 3/4 3valved BBb to a 6v Melton 46 (the small one with 38cm bell). (That was the general ...

Along with Hilgers´ "Tuba Tubissima", his album "Michael Lind plays Wilder, Danielsson, Arban" introduced me to what a tuba can do and were the first two albums I got upon changing from Flugelhorn to the Real Thing.

Yep. Tenorhorn, not a Bariton, but it would be safer if there were a set of both from the same series. The horizontal main slide is something I hadn´t seen on these, yet. Transition between Tenor and Bariton is not well defined, this is rather a question of the manufacturers´ take on the subject and ...

RIGHT NOW we´re in the process of preparing for the band´s main concert coming up on December 2nd. It´s the band´s 160th anniversary, so the conductor chose to take us through different musical eras. Those are the two reasons I´m bringing both a BBb and an F tuba on stage: Bauern-Polka by R.Strauss ( ...

Regarding 50 Pfennig - coins:
Haven´t seen the oak-planting lady in a while.
https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gerda_Johanna_Werner

The colloquial name for these were "Fuchs" (fox) for some reason.

Tofu, what you described is commonly known as "Sock-Clocking" on this side of the equator. Down-under, people refer to that same procedure as "Clock-Socking", of course. MY favorite mouthpiece put to either variant of that use is a PT50+. Just adds more "Clock" to the sock than the PT50 basic ...

Those rings come in very handy when marching and/or doing standing gigs in people´s driveways or outdoor concerts on plaster / concrete / pavement marketplaces.
I don´t know these as ring-damping devices, but rather as scratch preventers.

Flgh = 6/4 cornet? I don´t think so, but am not sure about British flugelhorns. I believe cornets, alto- tenor- and bariton horns as used in British Brass Bands share one sound concept: SLIGHTLY more conical than a trumpet / valve trombone, and starting with a rather small bore. There doesn´t seem t ...

As to woofy F tubas: Yes, there are, and I own one. But it´s very comfortable. Exchanging the originally issued brass bell with a brand new goldbrass one made the sound even softer and more "pleasant". But then, the #1 valve bore is some 18.5mm and #4 is 21.5mm. That´s more bore than my (huge) ...

Let´s not forget the obvious: BBb, in general, looks more intimidating than its CC counterpart (just compare a pair of Rudy Meinls to see what I mean), and a 5th valve will increase that effect due to a barrier of plumbing between you and the conductor. Raises chances he might just shut up and let ...

There´s a difference between willingness to market/advertise and willingness to produce. The Willson model 6400 hasn´t been advertised in decades but Herr Kurath told me they´re still being made occasionally, per individual demand. It MIGHT depend on BESSON accepting direct orders rather than in ...

Search for the subject will deliver statements that some of you have used different shafts (#0,#1,#2) with their F-tubas.
Some have stated that they migrated from the latter to the former.

If you want, please comment on Your motivation to do so.
What will the different shafts do for you?

I´d always expect variants of "best practice slide operation" among specimen of equal valve setup. I own two horns with "elongated 5th valve on right hand thumb"-setup. On the Willson BBb, 235 works PERFECTLY for Contra-E and B-natural above that. 345 will provide well-in-tune Db. 1345 is on the low ...