Why F Tuba?

[bloke]

I still wonder about that B&S bell on the JP piston body that Joe put together.

I'm thinking that the buyer sold it to a store a year or two ago.
Dave Kirk seemed to like it, but he may have been patronizing me - while I was supplying him a-cot-and-hots while working on some of his stuff...(??)

[Doc]

I love my 1974 6v GB Symphonie. Mine belonged to Georg Schwark of the Berlin Radio Orchestra. @TheBerlinerTuba helped me acquire it. The unicorn I was always wanting.

It that one of the tubas that appears on TheBerlinerTuba’s Symphonie guide page? I just ran across your unboxing video a couple days ago, and it looks amazing.

It’s the one that is featured in the 2nd Generation photos. It can be heard on a number of the Berlin Radio recordings, including their Bruckner series. Good stuff!

And Georg’s big tuba, at least in recent years, was a rotary Neptune. I’m not aware if it was ever for sale.

[Kealiiaumoku]

I am back on the Forum after retirement at the local school district. Purchased a little gift for my self ... Learning and dealing with an F horn at my age did not make sense to me. My 4/4 CC covers most of what is required in the wind orchestra, however, time has worn down my high chops. Took a chance on a suggestion from a section mate and purchased a Mack Brass TU421S 3/4 CC. Basically a Yamaha 3/4 copy with a 5th valve. For a "Cheap horn" it really helps with the upper stuff. Not a pro horn, by any means, it does what I need and slots and plays in solid pitch.

[tclements]

Funny. When I auditioned for the San Jose Symphony (1,000 years ago), I played nearly everything on my 184. I played the bigger stuff (Ride, Mathis der Maler, Metamorphosis, etc) on the 186. Only thing I played on the bass (Mirafone E-flat) was Romeo & Juliet, Damnation of Faust and Fantastique (Bydlo on euph). As the job requirements grew, I found an F to be an invaluable tool. Now, I play an F whenever I can, and the Baer on everything else.

I would say, play what you love to play, and what makes the sound you want to be making. One DOES have to take the composer's intent into consideration. In 45+ years of professional playing, I have never had a conductor ask me to play something on a different tuba.

Small story here: After playing "The Nutcracker" ballet over 600 times, one run, I played it on Yamaha 621 F, 822 F, 345 Holton BBb, Bruckner CC, HB2 CC, PCK CC, PCM CC, Willson Eb, Tuono CC and MW Norm Pearson F. Sound guy liked the HB best. Bass trombonist liked the small Yamaha F best. Go figure.....

[bloke]

@tclements

I've noticed it trombonists and trombone sections consistently react in the most positive ways to F tuba playing, but of course the F tuba playing needs to be good.

(I suspect it's because they offer the most clear sound, which makes it the easiest to tune to the sound.)