Conflicted about tuba choice

[sdloveless]

Smartassery aside, I’m sure the physical nature of your primary method of earning income is the reason why you’re left scratching your head when someone decades younger than you is concerned about carrying about something that’s 29lbs versus 24lbs.

You should head over to literally any electric bass forum and observe the whining about how a 10lb bass will cause wailing and gnashing of teeth resulting in unavoidable back surgery, vs a 9lb featherweight that's just right.

I have nothing to actually contribute to this thread.

[kingrob76]

I’ve never made a punch list for purchasing an instrument.

I make similar punch lists for pretty much any large expenditure. I enjoy analytics. I enjoy statistics. I LOVE baseball. Data points add color to my thought process but they do not fully dictate my decisions. They HAVE talked me out of some decisions, at least temporarily. For me, understanding the things that make me either happy or unhappy allow me to make decisions I won't regret later more often, and recognize better when I made a mistake so I can correct it. It's 100% my process and I know it's not for everyone, but remember I am not approaching this as someone who relies on their instruments as a source of even secondary income.

[bort2.0]

Another note about transportability... And not to make it about weight, but size and awkwardness. I have to go down about 20 (narrow) stairs from where my tuba is in the basement to get to my garage. Tuba doesn't fit in the trunk, so I have to put it in the front seat moved all the way back (a problem if anyone is to go with me). But, I can't get the tuba in the passenger side door, because the garage is too narrow, so I have to back the car out into the driveway first. But the driveway is too narrow between the retaining wall and stairs, so I have to pull all the way into the seat to get the door fully open and the tuba in the front seat.

Not whining, but what a hassle. A different car would change things a bit, but it's still a narrow garage that likely wouldn't solve any of the accessibility issues.

I can't picture myself doing all that nonsense when it's 10 below... Especially knowing that a 188 or 1291 would just slide right into the trunk, in my not cold garage.

Thanks for the Eb suggestions. I had a Besson 983 for a few months and liked the idea of it. But I kept gravitating back to the contrabass tuba sound.

Appreciate all the thoughts, keep em coming

[Jperry1466]

I also think it's interesting that my tuba selection has not really impacted things as much as I'd like to think. Mostly, it's been about what makes things easier for ME and not about the output from the bell.

Do I go for sound (to my perception)? Playability? Ergonomics? Transportability? Cool factor?

Rambling and not wanting to change, but, my back hurts.

These three elements speak more to all of us as we age. Once upon a time, a good 5/4 horn was very appealing. At 71, my lungs aren't what they once were, and the arthritis in the fingers of my right hand makes piston valve action painful while rotary spatulas are still very doable. The same is true when transporting in the case - it hurts my hands. While I still have enough air and energy, I can be quite happy with my 186 MIraclone. A 90-year-old friend who plays in our community band recently sold his full size and bought a 3/4 rotary BBb. While it doesn't get the big sound, he is quite happy with it and can move it around easily. I use a Warburton mouthpiece that doesn't quite get the sound that I am used to, but the sound is still very good, and it makes much more efficient use of my air. According to those who have heard me play, I am the only one who hears the "difference" in sound.

Getting a reverse right shoulder replacement this week, so the doctor says there will be no more 300 lb lifting for me ever.

[kingrob76]

@bort2.0 seems to me like what you REALLY need is a car that suits your tuba. #priorities

[donn]

And a new house. Unless a remodel would suffice.

As it happens I'm looking at a similar situation - on the point of committing to a house with some pretty narrow staircases, and it certainly has occurred to me that the BBb is going to be tricky through there. The basement is spacious and reasonably pleasant, though, so tubas may end up living down below.

[York-aholic]

Or a convertible so you can just drop the tuba in from above.

Seems practical for Minneapolis.

[tofu]

.

[tofu]

.

[2nd tenor]

It appears that I am someone with a similar mindset to kingrob, for me it’s all about identifying parameters and using structured choice. In addition I think it’s about, in a variety of ways, being flexible.

‘You’ know that you want a contra bass, so an Eb or F wouldn’t work for you. That’s a parameter set. You know that you’re tight for space so, realistically, what you get has to be no larger than a 4/4 size. You could measure space in your car, your in home transport route and your store to define (maximum allowable) size too. You also know that weight is an issue so realistically what you get has to be no larger than a 4/4 size.

In lots of life we can’t have what we would ideally want. We have choices: buy nothing; buy something and then be miserable using it; and buy something that with thoughtful and skilful use will meet enough of our objectives. I often end up making the later choice and it can turn out surprisingly well.

Some things are for life, a Tuba can be for life but it does not have to be. I usually like to keep my instruments for a very long time but life does change; we sometimes need to make temporary purchases, we sometimes need to restructure, and we sometimes become able to restructure to something more ideal.

What would I buy? I’d buy a popular, readily available and relatively inexpensive second hand BBb in 4/4 size - possibly smaller and preferably compact - that was good enough to see me through say five years of the type of playing that I do - other limiting circumstances could change in that time. Three valves would be lighter than four and likely cheaper too, maybe that’s a consideration. I’d lower my sights and see how I could make a not ideal but suitable enough purchase work for me - mostly that’s surprisingly well. I’ve become a pragmatist and am much happier for that change of mindset.

[gwwilk]

I understand the problems identified in this thread because at 79 years of age I've dealt with them. My 4v R/M Bayreuth '5/4' BBb hasn't seen a rehearsal or performance for the past 4 years initially because a new CR/V's trunk space contained a 'step-up' that made loading the large Jacob Winter case that protects the Bayreuth nearly impossible to load and roll forward. I switched to my 5v Miraphone 191 gold brass in its MTS case as my rehearsal and performance axe, and I have enjoyed its versatility and range.

However, my knees rather than my back seem to be more of a problem for transporting any tuba because I have 5 stairs to descend/ascend into and out of my garage. As time passes my surgically replaced left knee seems object more and more to this activity while my bone-on-bone right knee objects vehemently to this 'abuse'.

In short, my back pain is overshadowed by my knee pain during any tuba transportation.

[bloke]

It seems like most every car manufacturer today makes a car that is one particular shape – all the way from BMW and Porsche down to Toyota – whereby it’s basically a FOUR-door version of what used to be called a TWO-door “hatchback“ in the 1970s. (With its manual transmission, the Matrix – in particular – gets well up into the 30s as far as gas mileage…that is: if I didn’t leave twenty minutes later than I intended to - to go play a gig, because I was determined to finish an instrument repair before I left.)
I can fit a whole bunch of stuff in my Matrix, and even longer more awkward stuff when I fold the back seats down. I got a really good price on a 6/4 Walt Johnson fiberglass case quite a few years ago, and it actually “just” fit between the two back doors of a 2000 Toyota Corolla.
Maybe Brett is bringing his family with him to listen to his “artistry“ when he performs?
There’s not a single member of my family who’s the least bit interested in hearing me play with any group at any venue… unless the venue itself has something to offer them, or – re: my son – if we’re playing one of those stupid orchestra concerts where we perform all of the video game music…and there are no comps for those concerts, so…

In the Matrix, i’m quite confident that I could fit – and all in their hard cases – FatBastard, The F tuba, the cimbasso - its long square flight case, and a euphonium… i’m sure I could fit more things in.

That having been said, none of you were taught to pack for trips by my father (who also managed to bring home heirloom furniture from our grandparents in our cars), and none of you have delivered dozens of repaired instruments back to schools in compact sedans (or eight or ten instruments back to the school on the way to three separate gigs where you yourself will use four different instruments).

BRETT’S TUBAS…??
It’s good entertainment fodder as a running joke, but it’s none of our business.

THOSE WHO HIRE US TO PLAY…??
want to see us with “a tuba“

ADVICE…??
I would be hard-pressed to name models of tubas that I wish I owned - rather than the ones that I do own, so I am not a very good person to ask about what someone should or shouldn’t own then, am I?

[hrender]

My grandfather used to say, "A worker chooses his tools, a non-worker chooses his toys."

I recall he used a different word than "non-worker."

[bort2.0]

I'm glad people find my method interesting -- I just try to share my experiences because it's tough to have access to many different instruments, and maybe my thoughts are helpful to someone else. Maybe not.

To address a few other things:
* Yes, a new car and a new house would fix an awful lot of other things in my life, too.
* Yes, Joe, my family likes to come and see me play. Not 100% of the time, but since the kids are getting old enough to keep themselves okay for an hour or so, they are interested and want to come and see me play. My wife likes it too, but also, if the kids are there, she needs to be there too.
* @tofu -- that's quite a story, and glad you were okay. But I did laugh about the coat hooks with 3x as many coats as it's designed for. My wife's parents house is exactly like that. Coat hooks behind the side door. You can only open the door halfway. Otherwise, my house is a bit safer than that, but hassle is hassle!

My resounding thought in all of this is that things just need to be simplified as much as possible. When I'm playing a lot, I get frustrated by how much extra time it takes to handle transportation stuff instead of just getting where I need to be. When I'm not playing a lot, I'm more tolerant of it, I think to myself "I sure wouldn't want to do this all the time."

[Rick Denney]

Most of us are not workers, and don’t need to be embarrassed by that fact. I play tuba for fun and psychological therapy, and thus can play whatever instrument pleases me. I have built a collection that gives me something close to ideal for the range of situations I face, and I do have an old-man strategy. But tremor may end my playing long before other physical constraints.

Just buy and play what you want. Justification for hobbies need be no more than you want it and have the money.

Rick “not a navel-gazer” Denney

[hrender]

This memory popped up...


I do not begrudge anyone his hobbies. I have a few, also. The N+1 approach applies to many things.

[tubanh84]

To respond to a specific question earlier. If I'm not being paid to play, which I never am these days, I play the horn that is most fun for me. There is still a base line of it has to be appropriate and produce a product that I'm satisfied with. But in general, between a boring-but-great horn or a fun-but-very-good horn, these days I'll take the latter.

I've had the same experience with the 1291 (though I haven't played one as much as most others). It's always been a great sounding horn. Very easy. Huge sound for its size. But I've always been able to put it down and leave it. When I played a Rudy, I couldn't put it down and leave it. I always had to do JUSTONEMORETHING. Same thing with my 184. There's always one more thing I want to do on it. My 182 isn't quite as fun, but it's the most fun F I've ever played. And it does a ton for a small horn. I was always able to put my PT6 down and be done for the day.

[Doc]

I don't believe I could ever pick up 300 lbs from the floor, even when I was in a college marching band. Must be doing it wrong.

I do that every time I get off the floor.

You should head over to literally any electric bass forum and observe the whining about how a 10lb bass will cause wailing and gnashing of teeth resulting in unavoidable back surgery, vs a 9lb featherweight that's just right.

Absurd, isn't it. I play basses that do what I need. And I have a nice, wide, padded NeoTech strap. I carried a sousaphone on the same shoulder for years - a bass and nothin'.

[Doc]

If anyone knows of an extraordinary 300 pound tuba, I wouldn’t mind buying it.

… that’s about US$360, correct?

Even more attractive if, at the current rate, you can buy in Euros instead of Pounds Sterling. Just sayin...

[bone-a-phone]

Another note about transportability... And not to make it about weight, but size and awkwardness. I have to go down about 20 (narrow) stairs from where my tuba is in the basement to get to my garage. Tuba doesn't fit in the trunk, so I have to put it in the front seat moved all the way back (a problem if anyone is to go with me). But, I can't get the tuba in the passenger side door, because the garage is too narrow, so I have to back the car out into the driveway first. But the driveway is too narrow between the retaining wall and stairs, so I have to pull all the way into the seat to get the door fully open and the tuba in the front seat.

What you need is a minivan.