New plan for a BBb. (purchased a 601 BBb)

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LeMark
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New plan for a BBb. (purchased a 601 BBb)

Post by LeMark »

Big day today... I'm letting a friend borrow the Cerveny CC 601 today, with the idea that he is testing it out to purchase it. I bet he'll love it.

I've decided against the miraphone 494 for now, because I already have a good small tuba for teaching lessons on, and the 494 would be an upgrade, but more or less redundant.

Since I'm getting away from CC tuba, I'll be looking for a larger BBb tuba to use as a symphony tuba when needed. If I retire from the symphony before a good deal presents itself, then it's not a purchase that I would probably go through with.

I'll still have the Packer BBb, the cerveny 68, and the monster york Eb. I will probably eventually sell the cerveny if I find a larger BBb I'm happy with. An older 601 BBb, miraphone 289, or a rotor marzan would be ideal


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Re: New plan for a BBb

Post by jtm »

Sounds exciting! Have fun deciding.
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Re: New plan for a BBb

Post by Tubajug »

What prompted the move away from CC? Are you being influenced by any particular bloke? :teeth:
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Re: New plan for a BBb

Post by bort2.0 »

FWIW, the Marzan rotary tubas don't really sound like German style rotary tubas. They pretty much sound the same as the piston version.

Maybe you already know that and have accounted for that, but it just seems like a very very different thing than the 601 or 289.
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Re: New plan for a BBb

Post by bloke »

No one takes advice or follows the behavior of a crazy man...

...He's just become crazy on his own accord. :teeth:

It seems to me that most of the rest of the tuba world is a B-flat, E-flat, and F world...
(I'm thinking that the old Russian world must have been an E-flat world - OK...with some B-flat), as (take a look it...) Scheherazade can be
played entirely on a 3-valve E-flat tuba...


...I'm not sure where this "American/C" thing came from (but someone knows...just not me).

Now the rest of the world's players (because USA trends are always cancerous) are messing around with C instruments.

One thing - in particular - that puzzles me about the C/American thing is that it has been so steadfast and - until recent times - there really weren't very many C instruments that could easily be played in tune. Even in the 1980's...most C models still sucked...(and - if anyone defends some of those that were introduced in the '80's, be ready for others to silently thinking, huh-uuuuuh !!! :laugh: )

I've read that - around Mozart's time - when trombones were rarely invited in to play (such as his Requiem, that I'll be playing in a couple of weeks), those were C trombones (yes or no, trombone players/historians?)

...and - well - Finley is obvious Scottish (or the either demeaning or tasty "Scotch").

found at alarmy dot com...
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Re: New plan for a BBb

Post by LeMark »

Tubajug wrote: Mon Oct 23, 2023 2:32 pm What prompted the move away from CC? Are you being influenced by any particular bloke? :teeth:
It's like this... 95% of my income is teaching. Almost all of those students play BBb tubas or euphoniums. I play euphonium a lot too.

When I play the Texas all state music for my students, typically I have gone over fingerings with them 1000 times. For those that aren't familiar, Texas all state music is never easy, and when I play it on a CC, my brain typically and randomly reverts to the BBb fingerings that I want them to use, and not the CC fingerings I need to use

And now that I have an Eb tuba that I enjoy playing, I thought it was time to focus on Bbb/Eb instead of Bbb/CC /Eb.

Playing BBb tuba in lessons benefits the students more, and is easier on my brain, and it's a lot easier to practice BBb and Eb than it is BBb CC and Eb.

CC just seems like it's a step in the middle between the two that doesn't really seem important at this point in my life
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Re: New plan for a BBb

Post by LeMark »

bort2.0 wrote: Mon Oct 23, 2023 3:01 pm FWIW, the Marzan rotary tubas don't really sound like German style rotary tubas. They pretty much sound the same as the piston version.

Maybe you already know that and have accounted for that, but it just seems like a very very different thing than the 601 or 289.
I know, but I really like rotors, and angled valve sections. Of course the 601 doesn't have that, but I also really like cerveny
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Re: New plan for a BBb

Post by bloke »

This person apparently believes that B-flat tubas are only for children, cuz he has outgrown his: :teeth:


https://www.facebook.com/groups/3756496 ... 84&app=fbl
Last edited by bloke on Mon Oct 23, 2023 4:30 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: New plan for a BBb

Post by LeMark »

I'm not sure who that is, they must have Me blocked, or vice versa
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Re: New plan for a BBb

Post by bloke »

LeMark wrote: Mon Oct 23, 2023 4:30 pm I'm not sure who that is, they must have Me blocked, or vice versa
I don't think they do, Because you responded to the ad.

I wonder if this works:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/3756496 ... 3126951084
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Re: New plan for a BBb

Post by Sousaswag »

Andy Smith’s Fafner is for sale… From what I hear it’s one heck of a BBb tuba!
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Re: New plan for a BBb

Post by bloke »

Sousaswag wrote: Mon Oct 23, 2023 4:33 pm Andy Smith’s Fafner is for sale… From what I hear it’s one heck of a BBb tuba!
Yep. That's the one that I would go look at, were it that I was looking for a B-flat to play in a symphony orchestra.

If too much money to spend, maybe you have some other stuff that you're not playing that you could sell...??
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Re: New plan for a BBb

Post by LeMark »

bloke wrote: Mon Oct 23, 2023 4:35 pm
Sousaswag wrote: Mon Oct 23, 2023 4:33 pm Andy Smith’s Fafner is for sale… From what I hear it’s one heck of a BBb tuba!
Yep. That's the one that I would go look at, were it that I was looking for a B-flat to play in a symphony orchestra.

If too much money to spend, maybe you have some other stuff that you're not playing that you could sell...??
Probably a bit much for me to justify...

Hey Joe, check your email
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Re: New plan for a BBb

Post by bloke »

I'll admit to acquiring better instruments than I probably need, but - for me - gigs are escapes from reality (whereby "staying home" would actually end up increasing my bottom line more)...so I really want them to be the best possible escapes.

Conservatism/practicality (re: Mark's tack) is a very admirable trait.
Last edited by bloke on Mon Oct 30, 2023 7:36 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: New plan for a BBb

Post by russiantuba »

Had a student when I was in my DMA play a 601 BBb. Great response and easy to play, especially for a large horn. @LeMark , have you played Doc's Hagen?
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Re: New plan for a BBb

Post by LeMark »

No, but I've played that model at TMEA.


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Re: New plan for a BBb

Post by tylerferris1213 »

I absolutely LOVE my CBB 601. It was formerly owned by James Gourlay and someone added a 5th valve at some point in its life. Everyone who tries it says something similar to, "this is the easiest playing 6/4 ever."

Once during my undergrad I forgot what day it was and only brought my Cerveny. It was actually studio day with the low brass choir and I was always put on the tuba 1 part. The Cerveny did much better than I thought it would, although I still missed my bass tuba lol
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Re: New plan for a BBb

Post by LeMark »

Big update to this thanks to a forum member that I will name soon enough...

For now I'll say I bought three airline tickets tonight, one for the way to see the forum member, and two for the flight back

That's all I'm going to say for about 10 days
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djwpe (Fri Oct 27, 2023 10:47 pm) • MN_TimTuba (Sat Oct 28, 2023 7:57 am)
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Re: New plan for a BBb

Post by bort2.0 »

Auf Wiedersehen!
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Re: New plan for a BBb

Post by York-aholic »

The suspense!

So the forum member is coming back to live with you?

:popcorn:
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arpthark (Sat Oct 28, 2023 12:31 pm) • jtm (Sat Oct 28, 2023 1:00 pm) • bort2.0 (Sat Oct 28, 2023 9:06 pm) • WC8KCY (Sun Oct 29, 2023 10:42 am) • Inkin (Mon Nov 06, 2023 3:01 pm)
Some old Yorks, Martins, and perhaps a King rotary valved CC
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