Looking for tips on Cerveny 601

[Lastchair]

Hi all-

I started a thread about a week ago to introduce myself and my Cerveny 601. Thanks to all who responded. I thought maybe I could get some more input from those who have experience with this instrument if I posted again with a more specific title.

I've been playing it for about 10 days now (after a ~15 year hiatus) and I think I am sounding better every day. There are still some notes I have to work at to get them in tune, and there are also some that just don't seem to "ring" with the same richness as others. D below the staff is the one I notice the most, but I would say it is sounding better than when I started.

I have done some web searching for "Cerveny 601" and I think I've seen much of what's out there. That's how I found this forum, and I have learned a lot. Nobody back in my school playing days taught me about pulling slides and so on.

Does anyone with experience playing the 601 have any tips to share? I am curious about whether trying a different mouthpiece would make it easier to pull notes into tune. Current mouthpiece is a Conn Helleberg.

I found this post on the other forum which was from the previous owner who (I think) eventually traded to a dealer in Kansas City from whom I purchased the instrument on eBay. I was going to join over there to try to contact this person, but it wouldn't let me register. So if you are the previous owner, feel free to pass on whatever advice you have.

http://forums.chisham.com/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=96879

Thanks!

Dan Olson

[LeMark]

Ever since I bought mine, I exclusively use a Sellmansberger Symphony, seems to be a great fit for it.

Mine has a couple quirky notes on it, so I installed a tuning stick attached to the main tuning slide. It helped a ton

These things can be real air hogs. If that is too much for you try a mouthpiece with a small throat like a Bobo symphonic

Most cerveny tubas have loose enough bearings in the back that you can put a drop of oil on the bearing on the back of the valve, and pull the valve slide to suction it in. Cerveny valves usually don't stick unless they get a ton of buildup, but they do/can rattle when they are dry

[matt g]

I haven’t owned a Cerveny, but every German horn I’ve owned, especially the rotary valve ones, seems to play D (or E on CC tuba) below the staff better third valve as opposed to 1&2.

[Ace]

Welcome to the world of the Cerveny 601 tuba. I'm wondering if it is becoming a cult horn because of the many posts I've seen in the past year. I bought my Cerveny 601-5MR CC tuba in the mid 1990's when the repertoire for my community orchestra in Oakland CA scheduled some big works. (Examples: Richard Strauss' Death and Transfiguration and Till Eulenspiegel; Prokofiev's Romeo and Juliet ballet suite; Nielsen's Symphony No. 4; Mahler's Fifth Symphony; etc.)

Like so many others have written about the 601, it is indeed an air hog, and it does have some notes that have to be wrestled with. On my horn, it was the low A below the staff (corrected with third valve fingering instead of 1-2) and the C# just above pedal C (not of any real consequence because rarely used). Use of air was lessened just a bit by using a PT-50 mouthpiece, but it still was a horn that required a lot of air.

Tone quality was superb and dynamic range was considerable on this instrument. However, it always seemed to be a "gentleman's tuba". No fear of the tone "breaking up" at high volume. Those who like to blat on a tuba would be disappointed. Our bass trombonist loved the match with this horn.

Ace

[Lastchair]

Thanks for your thoughts. I should have mentioned that mine is a BBb. If, like the CC, it is really a gentleman's tuba, it might take some doing for me to live up to its standards! I do like the tone. As for the air, I hadn't played for so long that I had nothing to compare to. But it seems manageable... one benefit of being full of hot air, I guess.

I have been playing that D and also the G below the staff with 3 instead of 1+2. With the 3 slide pulled out most of the way it is sounding pretty decent. I ordered a tuner so I can see if my ears are telling me the truth.

One other thing I notice is that it is quite easy to hit low Eb with an open fingering; I understand that's called a false pedal or privileged tone. And I can work down from there to about a low Ab with the valves. These sound halfway passable. But I can't hit the true pedal tones.

Dan O.

[The Big Ben]

Welcome back! The reputation of the 601 is of a sound cannon which can make quite the noise. It can be a fine bottom foundation of a band or orchestra. Your ability to control it and play it in tune will grow as your lip and lungs get to playing again. The Conn Helleburg is a good general purpose tuba mouthpiece which should work fine until you get in a much stronger physical and aural position. Players who are in much better shape than you on the 601 should give you good ideas when the time comes. When it is possible to play in a group situation, I would suggest giving that a try, Making your sound blend with others builds ability and playing real music with other people is fun. Good luck!