Using an F tuba for everything

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bort2.0
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Re: Using an F tuba for everything

Post by bort2.0 »

@Tubeast -- thanks for sharing. What is your latest acquisition?


Tubeast
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Re: Using an F tuba for everything

Post by Tubeast »

Bort, I thought no-one would ever ask... :smilie8:

A few weeks ago, I bought a nice brand new ADAMS Solo F.
The light-weight-version with .6 mm brass.

It comes with two very different leadpipes.
The "solo" one is for, well, solos.
The other one adds a lot more Oomph down low at the cost of a not-quite-as-easy access to high range.

Best F tuba I ever touched.
Yes, i am very proud :tuba:
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bort2.0
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Re: Using an F tuba for everything

Post by bort2.0 »

Tubeast wrote: Mon Aug 22, 2022 8:32 am Bort, I thought no-one would ever ask... :smilie8:

A few weeks ago, I bought a nice brand new ADAMS Solo F.
The light-weight-version with .6 mm brass.

It comes with two very different leadpipes.
The "solo" one is for, well, solos.
The other one adds a lot more Oomph down low at the cost of a not-quite-as-easy access to high range.

Best F tuba I ever touched.
Yes, i am very proud :tuba:
Congrats!

Pics, or it didn't happen! :laugh:
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bloke
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Re: Using an F tuba for everything

Post by bloke »

When someone is happy with their instrument, that makes me smile.
--------------------------
On the topic of Hirsbrunner designs of F tubas (re: Adams)

I recall - YEARS ago (was it in the 1990's...??) when the every-two-years big-friggin'-tuba-shindig was at U of Ky...
I don't believe the Hirsbrunner's had a both, but son and father were there, and they pulled out (either in a hallway or outdoors) an VERY small F tuba with a VERY small bore size, and were showing it to a handful of "celebrity" tuba-istes. It really played nicely (though no tuner was available). I'm thinking that the prototype may have been the only one ever made. (After all, bigger is better, and that one was small, so...)

Does anyone know what happened to that tuba?
Does Peter, Jr. still have it?
(I can't even remember whether they had bothered to put a 5th rotor in place...I'm pretty sure it was raw brass.)
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jtm
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Re: Using an F tuba for everything

Post by jtm »

bort2.0 wrote: Thu Aug 18, 2022 2:32 pm
LargeTuba wrote: Thu Aug 18, 2022 2:16 pm You should’ve kept the Besson Eb. I reckon that would’ve been better equipped to handle everything.
Played well, but ergonomics were a no-go. I like F fingerings better than Eb, too, feels more natural.
You’ve got past the Eb fingering issues now, right?
John Morris
This practicing trick actually seems to be working!
playing some old German rotary tubas for free
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bort2.0
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Re: Using an F tuba for everything

Post by bort2.0 »

jtm wrote: Sat Sep 02, 2023 7:39 am
bort2.0 wrote: Thu Aug 18, 2022 2:32 pm
LargeTuba wrote: Thu Aug 18, 2022 2:16 pm You should’ve kept the Besson Eb. I reckon that would’ve been better equipped to handle everything.
Played well, but ergonomics were a no-go. I like F fingerings better than Eb, too, feels more natural.
You’ve got past the Eb fingering issues now, right?
Not really, but only because I haven't really tried. That is to say,I've barely played anything at all in the last year or so, And I honestly can't remember the last time I was sitting behind to piece of music reading music period

I would imagine that my skill level is somewhat like people who are learning a language... you can speak it before you can read it.

I can play the instrument just fine, I really have zero trouble doing anything on it, except for the limitations of having 3 valves. But if you stick a piece of music in front of me, I'll probably get a little confused because I haven't forged that mental connection of what I'm seeing, what I'm hearing, and what I need to physically do to make it happen.

I've never had trouble with that before, and know I won't have trouble with Eb as well. I just don't have the time to practice, and again, have barely played in the last 12-18 months. But once I force myself to look at music and play what's on the page, it'll work out just fine.

Someday :eyes:
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Re: Using an F tuba for everything

Post by TheHatTuba »

bloke wrote: Mon Aug 22, 2022 9:26 am I recall - YEARS ago (was it in the 1990's...??) when the every-two-years big-friggin'-tuba-shindig was at U of Ky...
I don't believe the Hirsbrunner's had a both, but son and father were there, and they pulled out (either in a hallway or outdoors) an VERY small F tuba with a VERY small bore size, and were showing it to a handful of "celebrity" tuba-istes. It really played nicely (though no tuner was available). I'm thinking that the prototype may have been the only one ever made. (After all, bigger is better, and that one was small, so...)
Piston or rotary? I think I remember seeing a tiny rotary at some point.
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Re: Using an F tuba for everything

Post by bloke »

TheHatTuba wrote: Sat Sep 02, 2023 9:39 am
bloke wrote: Mon Aug 22, 2022 9:26 am I recall - YEARS ago (was it in the 1990's...??) when the every-two-years big-friggin'-tuba-shindig was at U of Ky...
I don't believe the Hirsbrunner's had a both, but son and father were there, and they pulled out (either in a hallway or outdoors) an VERY small F tuba with a VERY small bore size, and were showing it to a handful of "celebrity" tuba-istes. It really played nicely (though no tuner was available). I'm thinking that the prototype may have been the only one ever made. (After all, bigger is better, and that one was small, so...)
Piston or rotary? I think I remember seeing a tiny rotary at some point.
It was a small piston F tuba with the Holton/York front-action config, but SMALL bore. I wouldn't be surprised were it that the bore of that valveset were only .669" (more likely .689", I suppose...??), but I didn't even ask to play-test it and I also didn't inquire as to the bore size. It was sounding pretty nice and fairly in-tune when others were playing it. I offer no comment - regarding intonation - in reference to their more customary-sized F tubas which made it to market. Those years were the bigger-is-always-better years - and even with obviously-smaller instruments (whereby I believe - from which - we have not really emerged)...(but look at me - buying a Miraphone model 98... :red: )
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