New blood, Part 1 (Besson 983)

[bort2.0]

I spent a few hours with the horn today.

Out of the mouthpieces I own, my trusty old Bach 18 Megatone (bought when I was 16 years old in 1996) works GREAT on this tuba. Great flexibility, low and high range both comfortable.

The extra mass seems to really help. With lighter piece, it's more susceptible to "buzz-back" (my word for it, not sure what it's really called.... That sensation that the tone gets a little thin and you're not getting all of everything through the horn). Smooth sailing on the Mega 18.

Speaking of low register, the compensating system is brilliant. No weirdo pedal low register fingerings, just 4th valve plus normal 3 valve fingerings. Holy cow, so easy!

I haven't played it outside my house yet, obviously, but in here, it feels remarkable similar to small to medium CC tuba, and that's way cool.

Will try to trick out the valves with lighter springs and lighter finger buttons. I like light and slightly bouncy pistons.

The hard case is a hassle, it's huge and I don't have room to deal with it. Need a gig bag and have a solid lead on one, but I really need a bag for my other tuba first.

[bort2.0]

Now with Sellmansberger finger buttons. Looks cool. Valve action is excellent!

[bloke]

Don’t even think for an instant.

Respond out loud to the following question immediately:
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The valve combination for C sharp is…

[humBell]

Don’t even think for an instant.

Respond out loud to the following question immediately:
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.
.
.
.
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The valve combination for C sharp is…

first valve?

[bloke]

I was asking the new-to-E-flat-tuba person.

Don’t even think for an instant.

Respond out loud to the following question immediately:
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.
.
.
.
.
The valve combination for C sharp is…

first valve?

[bort2.0]

I was asking the new-to-E-flat-tuba person.

Don’t even think for an instant.

Respond out loud to the following question immediately:
.
.
.
.
.
.
The valve combination for C sharp is…

first valve?

3 only and hope for the best!!

[humBell]

I was asking the new-to-E-flat-tuba person.

Don’t even think for an instant.

Respond out loud to the following question immediately:
.
.
.
.
.
.
The valve combination for C sharp is…

first valve?

But you said not to think...

[Schlitzz]

I was asking the new-to-E-flat-tuba person.

first valve?

But you said not to think...

Yep, people ride their brakes down the Hampton Roads Bridge Tunnel each, and every day. A very large group of not thinkers….

[bloke]

You did a fine job of being thoughtless.

I was asking the new-to-E-flat-tuba person.

first valve?

But you said not to think...

[greenbean]

Hey, I just heard from a VERY good source...

Bort's New Blood part 2 is also a Besson. A BBb front-action compensating tuba! So, the big brother of the Part 1 horn he just got. I didn't even know Besson made a BBb like that!

Actual photo of his new horn:

Besson_B_BE993-2-0.jpg (88.61 KiB) Viewed 1219 times

[greenbean]

[bort2.0]

[Fake news]

It does look kind of neat though. I've never seen one, and I'm not even sure what the model number is... Is it the 993? I think I vaguely vaguely remember seeing something on one of these on the other side, and somebody said it played bright instead of dark. That would be a no-go for me. I play bright enough as it is, and I don't need any tuba trying to help me out with that.

[bort2.0]

For anybody who cares, the whole reason to not talk about the other tuba just yet is because I've never actually seen it in person. The bell and the body of the tuba are not connected to each other right now, and the tuba is the very competent hands of Lee Stofer At the moment. I don't like to talk about things that I haven't possessed yet, because what if it never happens for some crazy reason or another. Like what if it gets stolen from his shop? Or what if a helicopter crashes on it before I get home? Or what if global thermonuclear war busts out directly on top of the tuba?

Probably not going to happen, but it just feels weird to talk about too much. If anybody really really wants to know send me a PM and I'll tell you. I don't care. I just don't want to start writing about it until it happens.

Maybe I gave a clue earlier I can't remember though... But if you want one I'll just say it's not something that I've owned previously. That's it! :-)

[humBell]

Hey, I just heard from a VERY good source...

Bort's New Blood part 2 is also a Besson. A BBb front-action compensating tuba! So, the big brother of the Part 1 horn he just got. I didn't even know Besson made a BBb like that!

Actual photo of his new horn:

Besson_B_BE993-2-0.jpg

I am fuzzy on how this blood thing works, especially with tubas, but if the 993(?) is a big brother to the 983? Would 't that be a blood relative, and hence not exactly be new blood?

[greenbean]

Okay, I will apologize for the fake news! I just got so swept up in the excitement of Bort's new horns that I lost it a bit. I am okay now.

But there was some genuine excitement around these parts today. This afternoon I played a big German BBb tuba that I have never played before... and LIKED it. What a nice player. Tons of sound for the effort, not an air hog, nimble, intonation good - 5th partial a bit flat. Good ergonomics and lightweight for such a big horn! I will go back tomorrow and play it again - and almost certainly buy it. HURRAY for new tubas!!

[bort2.0]

Okay, I will apologize for the fake news! I just got so swept up in the excitement of Bort's new horns that I lost it a bit. I am okay now.

But there was some genuine excitement around these parts today. This afternoon I played a big German BBb tuba that I have never played before... and LIKED it. What a nice player. Tons of sound for the effort, not an air hog, nimble, intonation good - 5th partial a bit flat. Good ergonomics and lightweight for such a big horn! I will go back tomorrow and play it again - and almost certainly buy it. HURRAY for new tubas!!

Tom, that's great! What was it?!

[spirtuba]

I owned two 983 but lost one in a volcanic eruption. The one destroyed had better valves than the one I still own (and keep far away from any volcanoes). I always used a pt72 mouthpiece someone on the very old tubenet recommended and I still think it's a great choice and started to use it on my other Eb tuba also.
The 983 disappeared from the besson web page I think, hope they don't stop production of them.

[bort2.0]

Volcanic eruption... Say more! (And sorry that happened... But glad YOU are okay).

Appreciate the mouthpiece suggestion as well! I have done zero experimenting!

[spirtuba]

Thank you. My parents lived in La Palma (Canary Islands) and I often went for holidays there. Since I don't want to stop tooting even on holidays I bought a used 983 maybe ten years ago and had it there so I could use it when I was there. It was great, holidays with a lot of tuba playing! Unfortunately our house was in the way of a lava stream, you probably heard the news, about a month ago. So that tuba has gone with it. But thanks for asking, everyone is safe. I guess this is one of the more original stories about losing tubas...

[spirtuba]

Apropos thumb ring: I almost immediately removed it, it could not be attached at a comfortable position for me. I should have them somewhere, if I find them I can post a picture.
Regarding the mouthpiece: My tuba has a small receiver, not very small but smaller than the pt6, I needed to get a pt72-s.