Schiller/Laabs piston F PT-10P (?) copy

[arpthark]

Seen here: https://www.jimlaabsmusicstore.com/stor ... ronzegold/

Anybody played it?

Are other Chinese tuba importers offering this model?

[Mary Ann]

Note that that vendor does not have a means of return, only exchange, at your expense.

[arpthark]

Note that that vendor does not have a means of return, only exchange, at your expense.

Indeed, thanks and good info. I'm aware of this policy, which is why I'd be interested in seeing if any of the other US importers carried it and if anyone's given it a whirl. But Laabs is the only place I'm seeing it right now.

[bone-a-phone]

Mack Brass has something similar, but it has 5 rotaries, and a little more expensive. I'd rather deal with Tom than Laabs any day of the week.
https://mackbrass.com/tu540-f-tuba

[WC8KCY]

My tuba buying experience with Laabs was, in retrospect, unacceptable. I had some concerns about my tuba purchased there and none of them were ever addressed, and they declined to exchange my instrument for another. The one person I needed to talk to about warranty adjustments was never available, and never returned my phone calls.

Caveat emptor.

[bloke]

LOL...

textbook freak jury posts:
no answers to your specific question

bloke "yeah...me...?? guilty as charged"

[bort2.0]

Was the piston pt-10 even that good of a tuba to begin with? I mean you can put those big piston valves on anything but...

[Mary Ann]

Even the best rotary F has, by virtue of how it has to be constructed, "that problem." The piston ones, for the same reasons, apparently do not. I understand why you would want a piston one. I played an early 45SLP and frankly it was not as good, except for the accessibility of "that range," as my MW 182. And it was a piston tuba.

Of course we can get back into the dropped mouthpiece dent and resultant fix of the nodes, but no maker has seemed even vaguely interested in applying that fix to a standard instrument. I mean, who wants a brand new shiny tuba with a dent in it, even if it does make it suddenly playable? Seems like someone could just weld an appropriately shaped piece of metal on the INSIDE at that spot and have the perfect rotary F tuba. Why am I the only one who talks about this?

[WC8KCY]

If you could get the model number from Laabs for the tuba in question--it's not on their website but is likely printed all over the shipping box it came in--chances are it's the same as the JinBao model number. You could then do some Googling to find other retailers selling the same instrument, if there are any.

In the case of my 520, there wasn't--and isn't--anyone else selling them in the USA.

Were I ever to buy another instrument from them, I'd only do so in person, being careful to only walk out of the store with an instrument without issues, and with the assumption that it's an as-is/where-is purchase.

[YorkNumber3.0]

.

[WC8KCY]

Is this possibly a JinBaoian impression of a “MRP” F.

The valve section sure looks a lot like that of the John Packer JP379B. The bell is substantially different, however.

[LargeTuba]

This is the Chinese copy of a Mrp-F tuba.

I think bloke sold a upgraded version of this a couple years ago?

[ronr]

Is this possibly a JinBaoian impression of a “MRP” F.

The valve section sure looks a lot like that of the John Packer JP379B. The bell is substantially different, however.

The JP379B is a rotary instrument

[WC8KCY]

Is this possibly a JinBaoian impression of a “MRP” F.

The valve section sure looks a lot like that of the John Packer JP379B. The bell is substantially different, however.

The JP379B is a rotary instrument

I should have referred to the JP379F. My apologies.

[iMav]

https://www.thomannmusic.com/thomann_ph ... f_tuba.htm

[Doug]

Was the piston pt-10 even that good of a tuba to begin with? I mean you can put those big piston valves on anything but...

I think this is a copy of the newer MR. P f tuba, which is a good instrument.

[cthuba]

Anyone play the 6 valve “Frankfurt” tuba?

[hubert]

To Arpthark's question dated January 6th, 2023:

I have bought a similar looking FF tuba from Erwin Schmid Musikhaus at Neubrunn, Germany. It is a perfect look-alike of the Schiller Elite FF piston tuba. I think it is not a 100% copy of the B&S MRP, but at least a very good imitation (an "almost"-copy) . The only striking difference I can see is the direction of the 5th valve (rotary).
Price was about the same as the Schiller (a bit less than Euro 3000 with case). Herr Schmid says, that he buys the components from China and assembles it himself. I cannot check, whether that is true or not. So, I am not sure, whether Herr Schmid improved the quality of the instrument or changed some part of it. (Probably not). Anyway, before buying I had a professional (friend) testplaying it and he recommended it to me without hesitation.

I am playing it for a few months now and I am very satisfied. After arrival of the instrument I was amazed, how much I had to pull all slides, except 2nd and 5th valve. But after adjusting slides the intonation was very good. Sound is attractive (tends somewhat more to the dark than to the bright side), rather even through the registers. Low register is easy and great. High register is more demanding, as with a lot of F-tubas. No wonder, it really is a big F-tuba!!
Condition of the valves is very good, even after a few months of intensive use (and...caps came with perfect thread!!! Nice surprise!!!). I have handlapped the slides myself again, because at delivery they were not moving easily enough for me.
The only modifications I had made are: replacement of the adjustable thumb ring (opening of the original was too small for me). And (not necessary, came more or less coincidentally) I was offered the opportunity to have done a cryogenic treatment of the tuba, which had a positive effect on the eveness of sound and the flexibility.

Thomann is offering a model called Phoenix, which looks a lot like the Schmid/Schiller. I did not have the opportunity to play that. But the Thomann is about 10 cm less tall than the Schmid/Schiller (88 vs 98 cm), has a bell of 44 cm whereas the Schmid/Schiller has a 42 cm bell, and is a bit lighter in weight. Price over here is about 1000 Euro more.

I only can conclude, that this is by far the cheapest F tuba, I have ever played, and that the quality matches all my needs (in quintet, brass ensemble, symphony orchestra).
Hope this information will be useful to someone....
Best,
Hubert
The Netherlands

[Three Valves]

Low register is fantastic.

But not vociferous throughout the subsonic range?

[hubert]

No, not vociferous. Sound stays "healthy" and does not break up easily in that register.
Addition: I use a Windhager (WHF) mouthpiece (rim JW6, cup C/F6 and shaft E6 = = = inner diameter 32,0 mm, bowl shaped deep cup (44,5 mm), bore 8,4 mm, concave backbore).
Hubert