Breakfast near Dillon

[tubanh84]

Got a trip back east this week, and I have some time to kill. I'm landing in Newark at about 6:05am. Just booked an appointment at Dillon at 10am. Any good places in Woodbridge to get a coffee and breakfast that anyone can suggest?

The purpose of the visit is to test out some mouthpieces on the 184 they have in stock there. But if there are any horns anyone is looking at and wants some input on, I'm happy to spare a few minutes.

[Druzone]

The famed Reo Diner! Right around the corner (392 Amboy Ave).

[bloke]

...speaking of which, here's another tuba player playing at Dylan's music:

[arpthark]

...speaking of which, here's another tuba player playing at Dylan's music:

They booed when Dylan went electric; what if he had gone tuba instead?

[bort2.0]

The famed Reo Diner! Right around the corner (392 Amboy Ave).

Not just breakfast, but breakfast all day!

[The Big Ben]

...speaking of which, here's another tuba player playing at Dylan's music:

Should have hired Ed "Tuba Man" McMichael. He was still alive then.

[tubanh84]

Here I sit. I went with the Irish omelette with rye toast. I’ll report back.

[arpthark]

Here I sit. I went with the Irish omelette with rye toast. I’ll report back.

Glad you made it! Take a toot on those demo Eastman 832 and 632s they just posted if you have a chance. I might make the two hour trip down at some point the next few weeks; they have piqued my interest.

[bort2.0]

Tell me what that B&M is all about...?

Or the Martin Eb (the 3+1 sibling of my tuba)

[tubanh84]

Diner was great. Unforced error on my part getting a corned beef omelette after a red eye flight. But I take full responsibility for that.

[arpthark]

If you see any Italian guys sitting around outside Satriale's Pork Store, be sure to give them a wide berth.

Sorry, all of my New Jersey knowledge comes from the Sopranos.

[Three Valves]

Sorry, all of my New Jersey knowledge comes from the Sopranos.

It's all true!

[tubanh84]

Had a great visit. Had a 90 minute slot from 10-11:30.

Matt Walters was amazingly gracious and had mouthpieces selected and lined up for me when I got there. Chatted about the benefits of cruises as vacations.

Because he has to wash out any horns that are played I restricted my normal urge to play everything. Sorry I couldn’t make good on most of the requests.

The 185 CC was mostly a fine Miraphone. Much bigger than my 184. It had horrendous intonation on the E Eb and D in the staff. Half step off. Had to use alternate fingerings. I wouldn’t buy this horn because of those notes. But the sound was good, low range popped, and it was a well put together horn. Just….lord that intonation.

I played a bunch of mouthpieces on it, narrowed them down to a TU23 and TU28. Left with the 28.

I then played a lacquer 832 he had there. Lord what a horn. Wow. I was exhausted, had never played it, and just spent an hour on a different horn with different mouthpieces and it was plug and play. I would have sight read a concert on it. Great sound. Crazy good intonation. Played all 5 G’s easily. Nothing but good things to say about it. Apparently the bell rings when you play a high Bb, but Matt put a rubber ring on it which stopped the issue. He said it’s one of the 2 or 3 best he’s played and I’ll believe him.

He had also just taken delivery of an enormous Buescher sousaphone that he’s going to repair and then put up for sale on consignment. I got a picture of myself with it but it’s too big to attach here. I’ll post it elsewhere and link to it in a bit.

[arpthark]

Had a great visit. Had a 90 minute slot from 10-11:30.

Matt Walters was amazingly gracious and had mouthpieces selected and lined up for me when I got there. Chatted about the benefits of cruises as vacations.

Because he has to wash out any horns that are played I restricted my normal urge to play everything. Sorry I couldn’t make good on most of the requests.

The 185 CC was mostly a fine Miraphone. Much bigger than my 184. It had horrendous intonation on the E Eb and D in the staff. Half step off. Had to use alternate fingerings. I wouldn’t buy this horn because of those notes. But the sound was good, low range popped, and it was a well put together horn. Just….lord that intonation.

I played a bunch of mouthpieces on it, narrowed them down to a TU23 and TU28. Left with the 28.

I then played a lacquer 832 he had there. Lord what a horn. Wow. I was exhausted, had never played it, and just spent an hour on a different horn with different mouthpieces and it was plug and play. I would have sight read a concert on it. Great sound. Crazy good intonation. Played all 5 G’s easily. Nothing but good things to say about it. Apparently the bell rings when you play a high Bb, but Matt put a rubber ring on it which stopped the issue. He said it’s one of the 2 or 3 best he’s played and I’ll believe him.

He had also just taken delivery of an enormous Buescher sousaphone that he’s going to repair and then put up for sale on consignment. I got a picture of myself with it but it’s too big to attach here. I’ll post it elsewhere and link to it in a bit.

At least you got some time on the 832! That is one I am really interested in.

Sorry the 185 was a no-go. Sounds like you had a good time, regardless. Matt is the man. Thanks for the write-up!

[tubanh84]

If you knew you wanted a 4/4 CC in that style, you could buy that lacquer one blind.

[Mary Ann]

Whew and thanks about the info on the 185. I had looked at it online and even talked to Matt; he said nothing about the wonky intonation but I did not directly ask. Too bad they get stuck with instruments with that kind of problem that they have to sell for enormous amounts of money. Play test, play test, play test. Yikes.

[arpthark]

Welp, arpthark is in the CC market, is hijacking @tubanh84's thread, and is going to brave the outrageous snarl of I-95 traffic through the NYC metro area to make an appointment at Dillon next Monday.

I have the 832 mentioned above reserved to try out. The silver 632 got bought out from under me on eBay.

Also planning on taking a toot on the (lacquer!) Kalison DS (a hair overpriced IMO, but curious) and the new Miraphone 188 they have in stock.

@bort2.0, I'll try out the B&M and Martin Eb if you want and if Matt isn't too terribly put out by the prospect of rinsing out two extra tubas.