POLL: shorty/fatty (York-like) Holton B-flat tuba with 19-inch bell...

[MN_TimTuba]

Thanks, Bill!

I'd like to check out @MN_TimTuba's Stofer-modified 2341 sometime. That's supposed to be a really really nice tuba.

Brett,
I'll be in Roseville tomorrow, singing at the funeral of a close friend. Had I not already made plans for afterward I'd bring along the King. We could meet at Ron's house (I suppose we'd have to check with him first) and give several horns a workout.
Raincheck?
Tim

[bort2.0]

Thanks, Bill!

I'd like to check out @MN_TimTuba's Stofer-modified 2341 sometime. That's supposed to be a really really nice tuba.

Brett,
I'll be in Roseville tomorrow, singing at the funeral of a close friend. Had I not already made plans for afterward I'd bring along the King. We could meet at Ron's house (I suppose we'd have to check with him first) and give several horns a workout.
Raincheck?
Tim

For sure. I'm down in New Ulm for the weekend anyway.

Very sorry to hear about the loss of your friend.

[bloke]

I can't even stop for two hours and clean this one up to be sell-ready (until all of these schools have their stuff back), but it's silver, has a no-damage "KING" (MTS) case, and (though all of them are "good") playing this particular one caused my eyebrows to perk up a bit - when I played it.

It appears as though (new) the big stores are now asking $10,359 for these silver Kings (case included) and - for the perceived-as-a-major-brand Chinese knockoff - I'm seeing $7,943.20 (silver plated with case)...and I have no idea what the "good buddy" discounts are...

I'm not going to be asking anywhere in those areas, but (clean, shiny, nice, gig-ready, #1 and #4 upper slides tricked out) I'll probably be at five.
These will ship FedExGround, and it's a little bit cheaper to ship to a commercial location, school, or church, than to a residence.

As early as August, I can clean it up demo it (video, possibly...but it DOES "go"), pack it, and ship it.

[Doc]

For sure. I'm down in New Ulm for the weekend anyway.

My favorite town in Minnesota!

[Rick Denney]

A 4/4 York-"like/size" tuba is just enough smaller than (new-style) King to function really well as a brass quintet B-flat tuba...better than a King, in that regard...more clarity/definition and - when needed - "front".

A new-style King - arguably - is just enough larger than a 4/4 York-"like/size" to serve slightly more effectively in a wind-band tuba.

These size differences are subtle, though, as to be NEARLY OF NO CONSEQUENCE...but that's PRECISELY what we discuss here, isn't it:

"that which is of no consequence"

If using either in a paid or quite good community orchestra, a player should be prepared to be conscientious regarding pulling the upper #4 slide for all of the B-naturals they will encounter, OR devise something - in the way of a particular length of 5th valve circuit - that I did on my Holton (defacto: same size-and-type-of-resonance as a 4/4 York) B-flat.
===================
With a "long whole step" 5th circuit (specifically) with a B-flat tuba, the "low E-flat" (encountered, but fairly seldom) is push-button ready, YET the far-more-often-encountered B-natural above that "low E-flat" USUALLY - unless a tuba features a to-the-good quirk - asks for REMOVING the left hand from the #1 slide, reaching over to the #4 slide, and pulling that one out (for good 2-4 B-natural intonation, as - nearly always - 5-2-3 is too flat for B-natural).
I choose an adjusted semitone as MORE B-naturals (and low E-naturals, for that matter) are encountered than low E-flats, so my decision resulted in BOTH the B AND low E being push-button ready, with low E-flat requiring a pull of the #4 slide for it's 5-2-4 valve combination.

IN CONTRAST, a C tuba VERY STRONGLY ASKS for it's 5th slide to be an adjusted WHOLE tone, as "low F" is even more commonly written/played than ANY of the previously-mentioned pitches, and - thus - a push-button low-F is a VERY strongly-desired feature.

Fully agree with Joe’s assessment of the 2341. Just a bit too full and round for quintets like mine. 184 is really in the zone for that.

But for the Symphonic Winds when reduced in ranks (post-Covid) and playing in a resonant hall? My Eastman 2341 clone is ideal, especially when the better player sitting next to me is playing his 4/4 C. With 55 or 60 musicians on the typically dead school stage, the Hirsbrunner kaiser goes where the Klone does not.

Rick “likes to blend with the trombone, not compete with it” Denney

[MikeMason]

The Eastman 534 is a serious player. Very easy response, especially low register. I liked it better than that original Eastman 632 c, at least in terms of low register responses.

[MN_TimTuba]

The highly qualified assessments by Rick and Joe prompt me to ask: what about a switch-bell for the King? 20 inch for band, 16 inch for solos and quintet? Would a bell with less pancake (a la German or Czech) do the trick? If it worked one would have an even more versatile instrument.
Just pondering. Glad to be set straight.
Tim

[bloke]

truth:
- The guy on the podium sees that there’s a tuba back there.
- The three trombones (orchestra) or other tubas (band) will patronize us when we ask them “How do you like my new tuba?”
- if we play music, match the style, and don’t overbalance anyone, we won’t be bothered by the guy on the podium - unless we are more than 10c out of tune… well, unless the guy on the podium is really good.

[York-aholic]

I won't scratch my name into it anywhere, as that would surely warn people off of buying it - when my descendants liquidate my leftover crap.

Hmm...

[bloke]

That’s really not technically my name, is it?
It’s pretty easily undone, unlike engraving.

bloke “J S… as in Bach”

[arpthark]

Joehann Sebastianberger

[Rick Denney]

Klaus Bjerre's (RIP) nickname: Sellmoreburgers.

Rick "misses Klaus" Denney

[bloke]

Y'ALL stop ridiculing my COUNTER WEIGHT !!!

This tuba is a FULL 32 INCHES TALL, and - thus - top-heavy.

Isn't there ANYONE here who embraces THE SCIENCE...!?!?!?!?

I can't believe how vindictive and insensitive people are here...which is why I rarely post.

[York-aholic]

Though it was pretty stubborn, I actually got one out of an outside slide tube today that had been embedded up inside for at least sixty years - if not seventy or eighty.

Tough work, indeed - I'm unsuccessful just about as often as I'm successful, using the fire wrench and Kroil.

I had a funny one the other day. I was running a pretty big/long brush though a piece of outer slide tubing (not mounted on a horn) and the bore spacer came out still stuck on the long brush bristles...

[bloke]

Though it was pretty stubborn, I actually got one out of an outside slide tube today that had been embedded up inside for at least sixty years - if not seventy or eighty.

Tough work, indeed - I'm unsuccessful just about as often as I'm successful, using the fire wrench and Kroil.

I had a funny one the other day. I was running a pretty big/long brush though a piece of outer slide tubing (not mounted on a horn) and the bore spacer came out still stuck on the long brush bristles...

It happens…particularly to dead-thread bumpers.

[bloke]

I need to friggin'..

- put the finishing touches on this thing, along with a finish, and
- either PLAY it or SELL it (before it gets run over by a train )...

It's doing WAY to much SITTING...particularly for as d@mn good as it is.

bloke "24 pounds: phat power, punch, phun !!!"

[Dents Be Gone!]

I agree, guys. This is the way to go.

[bloke]

How many times playing Beelzebub does that require? I've played that piece once, and I played with a Ouija board once, so am I done for?

[Dents Be Gone!]

I agree, guys. This is the way to go.

[bloke]

amusing

I'm down there annually to do a Christmas program with a really (SUPER-)talented community college choir, and their really talented director.

Candidly (and I would say this even if I thought he would find this thread and read it), I've watched that director mature from a guy who was sort of clueless but ended up doing an okay job mature into a marvelous choir director who knew exactly what he wanted and could pick out every single wrong note in every single instrument in the hired orchestra, if there were any.

I whispered in his ear this year (at the end of the show - after others had gone up and congratulated him) that - even though his being there was a tremendous benefit/gift to the community - it was time for him to move on to bigger and better things, because he was more than ready for them.

This last program they put on in December was absolutely amazing.

The only thing that pisses me off is that - on the day that we always do that rehearsal/show - Ramon's is closed.

https://m.facebook.com/profile.php/?id=100063649655895



MY favorite: spaghetti and chicken livers (though they are supposedly known for seafood)...



...and there's a pretty darn good barbecue place right by The Crossroads (but I like my OWN barbecue better, even though my own isn't anywhere close to the level of "contest" barbecue).