Willson Silver Plated E♭-Tuba

[KerryAbear]

https://www.ebay.com/itm/155372467397?m ... media=COPY

Nice horn, but I don’t want to deal with international shipping and I want a 4th valve. Surly it’d be cheaper to manufacture a forth valve than a 3 valve compensating system.

[matt g]

If someone was playing the top part in a brass band, this thing should be just fine. All of the valve combinations should be really close to in tune and it’s a bit less weight to tote around.

[bort2.0]

That gig bag is kinda cool

[2nd tenor]

If someone was playing the top part in a brass band, this thing should be just fine. All of the valve combinations should be really close to in tune and it’s a bit less weight to tote around.

Absolutely, the Eb Bass part is often split and typically the more able of the two players takes the higher part. It would be perfect for the higher part and almost always fine for the second (lower) part too.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/155372467397?m ... media=COPY

Nice horn, but I don’t want to deal with international shipping and I want a 4th valve. Surly it’d be cheaper to manufacture a forth valve than a 3 valve compensating system.

A lovely looking and well made instrument that I suspect that might well go for a decent price, depends whether the discerning are bidding. Here in the UK three valve compensating tubas aren’t as popular as they should be and folk buy four valve compensating instruments instead, however they rarely (in Brass Band playing) have need for the added low range that the fourth valve gives. Yes, three valve instruments have a lesser range but it can still be enough - almost always is - and three valve comp instruments are always in tune whereas the four valve comp system only works when the fourth valve is depressed (2+3 is sharp but 2+3+4 is fine, the former valve combination is used much much more than and the latter).

Perhaps it is marginally cheaper to make a four valve non-compensating tuba than a three valve compensating one, but as above in use there might be no playing advantage in that. If the player performs at a high standard and particularly wants 2+3 to be in tune then only a three compensating valve instrument will seamlessly do that. Which of the two systems would I prefer to use? Well I’m a bit of a pragmatist, don’t play at a high standard and find that compensating systems add some stuffiness; on balance I’d be inclined to accept being a bit out of tune on 2+3 in exchange for - if very rarely called upon - a little added range in the basement (say 4+1 & 4+1+2).

[KerryAbear]

I want one for brass quintet parts, so the forth valve is a must for me. But I’d be tempted to buy it at that price if it were located in the United States.

[humBell]

Thanks for posting, as i still have not filled my quest for a blaikley 3 valve eb.

Not sure i have any international shipping wisdom. The few times i done it, it has been an exercise in blind trust, and not every time has it been perfect, but i survived, i guess.

And false tones are my friend. Hopefully they will be nice to other people too. Albeit, yeah they are fickle, as well as a change of texture. But they still can work.

Any Willson wisdom i would benefit from hearing? Not sure if i've been exposed to their tubas. I think there be some local baritones (or euphonia) which i have heard, and thought "not too shabby" or would have if i had not my hands full with the tuba line.

[arpthark]

Thanks for posting, as i still have not filled my quest for a blaikley 3 valve eb.

Not sure i have any international shipping wisdom. The few times i done it, it has been an exercise in blind trust, and not every time has it been perfect, but i survived, i guess.

And false tones are my friend. Hopefully they will be nice to other people too. Albeit, yeah they are fickle, as well as a change of texture. But they still can work.

Any Willson wisdom i would benefit from hearing? Not sure if i've been exposed to their tubas. I think there be some local baritones (or euphonia) which i have heard, and thought "not too shabby" or would have if i had not my hands full with the tuba line.

Willsons are as heavy as all get-out. Thick brass. Very well-made. I owned the 3200 F as my only tuba for several years.

[2nd tenor]

And false tones are my friend. Hopefully they will be nice to other people too. Albeit, yeah they are fickle, as well as a change of texture. But they still can work.

Any Willson wisdom i would benefit from hearing? Not sure if i've been exposed to their tubas. I think there be some local baritones (or euphonia) which i have heard, and thought "not too shabby" or would have if i had not my hands full with the tuba line.

If I’m truthful then the embarrassing truth is that I’ve been rather unsuccessful with false tones , which is a darn shame ‘cause I like simple three valve instruments a lot. Am I envious, well just a little . Will a Willson deliver false tones for you or others? That’s anybody’s guess and I wouldn’t rely on the answer being yes.

Here in the UK we don’t see much of the Willson instruments but a knowledgeable and well off friend has one of their BBb’s and thinks it pretty much the best that you can get. Indeed Willson is a by-word for high quality - the Swiss make some darn good stuff, usually rather expensive stuff though.

[humBell]

Probably deserves its own thread in music discussion, but probably varies by instrument and mouthpiece. And my advocating them should be taken with a grain of salt, as i probably care less about tone quality than most. All i care is that they sound at all. That is probably a useful thing when starting to learn them, as well as patience, they will get better with attention and time.

[bloke]

I'm pretty sure that I picked up a mint 3+1 comp. of one of those - years ago - and sold it.

It sounded more like an F (vibrant) than a typical comp. E-flat (fluffy).

The tuning was decent (good).

3-valve comp. E-flats are fine for brass band work, weigh less than 4-valve comp's, and are easier to hold/play.
Competent composers/arrangers for that genre know to not write below A-natural.

[Breavdah]

Looks really small. Nearly euphonium-small. Could be small-but-mighty if it makes a noise that carries, but it's not gonna have any low end.

[JRaymo]

I'm pretty sure that I picked up a mint 3+1 comp. of one of those - years ago - and sold it.

It sounded more like an F (vibrant) than a typical comp. E-flat (fluffy).

The tuning was decent (good).

3-valve comp. E-flats are fine for brass band work, weigh less than 4-valve comp's, and are easier to hold/play.
Competent composers/arrangers for that genre know to not write below A-natural.

I remember that tuba,

I had wished I were ready to buy at the time that looked like a good one. This little York master I’ve just acquired fits the bill for what I wanted it for. 15 inch bell and a smaller throat. I’d love a 4th valve but it plays well as is.


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[2nd tenor]

3-valve comp. E-flats are fine for brass band work, weigh less than 4-valve comp's, and are easier to hold/play.

Yep, IMHO they’re great and I’m no too fussed about the compensation part.

Competent composers/arrangers for that genre know to not write below A-natural.

That was always the case but it is no longer so, new pieces sometimes have the expectation of a four valve Tuba.

This little York master I’ve just acquired fits the bill for what I wanted it for. 15 inch bell and a smaller throat. I’d love a 4th valve but it plays well as is.

Nice looking instrument, enjoy.

My similar but smaller old Besson has a water key on the first valve slide and at some point one on the third would be nice too - worthwhile additions when time and funds allow.

I’ve yet to see how a fourth valve could be added to this design - would love to know - very occasionally a full tone or two lower to 1+3 would be handy.

[bloke]

OK...but - to me - It makes no sense to write an E-flat part in a brass band piece below A, as there are also BB-flat tubas.

[JRaymo]

This little York master I’ve just acquired fits the bill for what I wanted it for. 15 inch bell and a smaller throat. I’d love a 4th valve but it plays well as is.

Nice looking instrument, enjoy.

My similar but smaller old Besson has a water key on the first valve slide and at some point one on the third would be nice too - worthwhile additions when time and funds allow.

I’ve yet to see how a fourth valve could be added to this design - would love to know - very occasionally a full tone or two lower to 1+3 would be handy.[/quote]

I doubt I would bother with a 4th valve I’ll probably leave it as is. I have seen a mod which added a 4th rotor and had a finger button to actuate.


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[JRaymo]

OK...but - to me - It makes no sense to write an E-flat part in a brass band piece below A, as there are also BB-flat tubas.

I agree,

I played in a brass band in Michigan for a number of years. We competed at nabba and the us open. I don’t remember ever have music that went very low on either Eb part. I briefly played the BBb parts a few times when I still have my large CC tuba and the BBb part lived in the low register as it should.


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[2nd tenor]

OK...but - to me - It makes no sense to write an E-flat part in a brass band piece below A, as there are also BB-flat tubas.

My guess is that those that compose don’t always know the limits of the instruments and expect a four valve comp Tuba to play well through the fourth valve (mine’s ok but a bit attenuated). If the tune starts low and continues down then the composer uses the extra range and forgets about handing it to the BBb’s. I don’t see that very often .. and then there are test piece compositions, but I’ve only limited positive stuff to say about Brass Band contests and test pieces (which are there to test all parts of the Band whist sort of having a tune and musical merit too).