Time for the long list
My actual favorite tuba at the workshop and, in my opinion, the best horn (I think there was 4 of them!)
Miraphone 494 Hagen 3/4 BBb: Miraphone this one of the finest instruments ever conceived! This model is absolutely nuts, bonkers, no amount of praise can ever be enough. This horn (well horns) deserves poems about its greatness! HAVE Y'ALL SEEN MIRAPHONE's LOGO! This tuba is the literal embodiment of it! When the light shined upon this Earth, the 494 descended from the heavens! Is it even possible to surpass such an instrument??!! As far as I am concerned, it is a crowning achievement for mankind.
Miraphone logo
https://www.miraphone.de/media/logo/def ... Logo_1.png
Miraphone logo in color
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/ ... e_logo.svg
All hail Miraphone
The only negative I guess, would be that it still sounds like a small BBb. A very good sounding small BBb. Also, this tuba is more of a 7/8 sized tuba, like a Conn 5j. And because I giving it so much praise, someone, out there, is going to be like,
"This horn is meh, this horn sucks! Who would ever like this tuba!"
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Fellow tuuubbbbiiiiiiisssssts, do you guys have any idea how incredible it is to almost have all of the Willson Eb's in the same room at the same time! The only one that was missing was the rotary model. But, this years Conference had the compact model, the tall one, and the top action one!!!!
Even though I am still not a fan of the Willson tuba sound...
Willson Eb 3400S FA-5 'Gabriel Capet': But this horn plays wonderfully. And I do prefer this models sound over the taller ones though. Honestly, this deserves almost as much praise I am giving the Miraphone 494.
thedancingsousa wrote: Sat Feb 21, 2026 12:11 pm
Man, what a little beast of a horn.
YYYEEEESSSSS
thedancingsousa wrote: Sat Feb 21, 2026 7:15 pm
That Willson felt like such a monster. Every note spoke so well and felt so solid.
YYYUUUUUSSSSS
basstrumpet13 wrote: Sun Feb 22, 2026 11:59 am
The horn damn-near plays itself!
-Negatives: This is the only piston tuba to EVER hurt my pinky, when I was trying to use both the 4th and 5th valves fully depressed... Softer springs and adjusting the thumb ring to suite my hand would solve that problem. Still... chill out with with the spring tension. Oh, I guess the ergonomics is not bad but it is a little odd at first.
In short, if I was going to take a horn home with me, this would be the one.
Willson Eb 3400 TA-4 3+1 Compensator: I find this tuba comfortable to hold. Plays well. The only negative is the 'compensating' aspect is, well, noticeable. I think part of it is because the horn plays so well, when the 4th valve is engaged, it becomes more obvious. Now that I got a chance to try this 3+1 one too, I think the 3+1 compensator Eb I liked so far the most is the Geneva Cardinal. Still, between this and the front action version, I would rather have this one. I did keep coming back to this horn and the 3400s. Deciding which I liked better. But the 3400s played a lot better, and I liked the sound a little more.
Willson Eb 3400 FA-5 'Marty Erickson': Similar to the other Eb's, but I would rather have the 3+1 compensator.
Vintage King 4/4 BBb: When I first say this tuba I was a little surprised. This tuba not only is old enough (sousaphone not withstanding) to have its main tuning slide before the valves, but it also has a slide within a slide. Another horn that has 2 main tuning slides... neat. The Yamaha 623 (BBb & CC), the Willson BBb version of the Canadian Brass CC (solo model?), and the B&S 3301/3302 (pt 2p) that I a aware of. I am going to assume the reason it has 2 main tuning slides because it used to be a high pitch tuba? But I have no idea.
When I first started to play it, I was really, really disappointed. My mood towards that horn was soured. So far, all King BBb's (and classic US style/made horns) that I have tried I liked. I set the horn down, and started to walk around the elephant room again. I kept thinking about it. Because the 4th valve was very flat. After thinking about it for a awhile, I cam to a conclusion or theory that the 4th valve tubing was intentionally that long and it is not a flaw of the actual horn itself. So when I went back, I decided to try my RT 44 mouthpiece instead of the RT 82 to see if if responds better. I also decided to put my tuner with its contact microphone to see how good the intonation was, if that had an effect too.
I started playing, adjusted the slides. At that point I spoke with... Joe?
@jtuba (I am terrible with names, please correct me if I am wrong!). I also think you were the kind gentleman I spoke with last year (2025) about the 6 valve rotary Hirsbrunner CC. We talked for a bit. Basically, both he and I confirmed with the tuner, that the 4th valve was indeed too long, because it was lengthened to an E!
I played the horn as one would play a normal 3 valve horn with the tuner. The only note that was considered 'bad' was the 23 f#/Gb was 20 cents flat (which is common and typical, that usually means the 3rd valve is a little long, I also had the second vale pulled out too, which is also a factor). If I recall C in the staff use 13 and for D in the staff use 3. Normally, I am used D in staff to either be in tune open or 12 if the open note is flat. On this tuba though, it was playing sharp. It is possible that it is actually in-tune and I am subconsciously playing up, since I have use the 4th valve on my CC tuba, which can ride a little low. I don't recall what the tuning was above the staff, but I assume it was just as good. In my opinion, this tuba has some nice intonation!
I liked this horn more with my RT 44, and the brief tooting I did with the Kellyburg.
-- If had to let my B&S 4097 (PT 20) go, I would happy to have this King in its place as an all around tuba. --
HOWEVER
1.) The 4 valve would have to be shortened back to a normal length
or...
2.) The 1st valve and maybe the 3rd valve would need rods. Because, with the 4th valve tuned to E, pedal Eb is now in tune with 24, all of the other combinations are now too long or too short! That or my brain just didn't want to figure out the proper combinations.
Wessex 6/4 Eb Tuba ‘Tubby’ - TE665HP: Love it. I llloooovvvvveee the big or monster Eb tuba sound! I actually got a chance to play this tuba with a tuner this time around. It was flat natured, I thought the intonation was still good. certain combinations work better with 3rd valve alone, others with 12... Which, on paper, is fine. I'd like to play more with a tuner. Holding a tuba and the tuner at the same time makes a bit tricky to adjust things on the fly.
Miraphone F 1281 'Petruschka': Fantastic. Enjoyed playing on it. Whoever that women was on the phone all those years ago that I happen to be in ear shot of, the Petrushka is still just as incredible then as it is now. It is my first time also trying this tuba out. I actually did play on some F tubas this time around too, but this was by far my favorite F tuba!
Miraphone BBb 496 5/4 'Hagen': Plays wonderfully. Sounds amazing too. Low register response feels great to me too.
Miraphone BBb 495 4/4 'Hagen': I still think it is the weakest of the Hagen series. I though the low register responded better with the RT 44. I do like this more than the Miraphone 186 BBb that was next to it.
Meinl Weston 97/2 4/4 BBb: Good job MW, you have made a BBb German style tuba that I actually liked! This and the Hirsbrunner Kaiser would make that 2. Well, A tuba with a long lead pipe, large bore, tall stove pipe like bell, with little or even no bell flare. Yes, I know the Miraphone Hagen series would essentially be under the same category, but they are not the same. Basically, I was not the biggest fan of the piston Rudy's, the MW Fafner's and MW Fasolt. I do not like the MW 25, Yamaha 641 (
), and the Wessex 6/4 Kaiser.
***********************************************************************************************************************************************************************************
I am going to lump these 3 horns together. I Like how all of them played and sounded. I am going to still give the Eastman the edge. Of all of the compensating tubas that have tried (in any key), I still think that the Eastman does the best job of making me forget that it has compensating valves. In other words, when the 4th valve is engaged, it isn't as noticeable or distracting. It just plays well and feels fine. The Elgar is the same but I think I still prefer the Eastman. The Gnagey plays well too, and I like the tone that it has.
Eastman Eb EBE853 Front Action Compensator
Wessex Eb TE465 P ‘Gnagey’ – A 5 valve non-compensating front action Eb tuba. The valve is a little odd though.
Wessex Eb TE557P ‘Elgar-Americano’ Front Action Compensator - The valves are inline. The regular Front Action Elgar is a 3+1 though.
***********************************************************************************************************************************************************************************
Meinl Weston 4260 "Tradition" F 6 valve Tuba: - If I had this tuba, it would take me awhile to figure out what finger is doing what! Quite confusing with 6 valves plus several finger/thumb activated slide mechanisms.
Meinl Weston F 2250 'VB' Tuba: The 'Velvet Brown' edition of the 2250. I enjoyed playing on it. I liked it more than the standard 2250. Is it because of the more ergonomic valve block? Smaller bell? Both? In my opinion I hope Buffet Crampon will re-engineer their other models to use this valve cluster instead. This model also features the removable screw on bell, faaancy. Had the removable part been lower, someone could have possibly made a custom bell front / recording bell for it too!
Aw well.
Miraphone 5+1 6 valve 481 'Elektra': I thought was nice. It does start building resistance a lot faster when you are descending
Yamaha F YFB-621: At least I think this was this model that was at the Workshop. I thought it was fine. I guess the third best F tuba I tried? I'd rather have the 'Elektra' more though.
-_--__---___----____-----_____------______-------_______--------________--------________-------_______------______-----_____----____---___--__-_
I know I tried the other Buffet Crampon F's. I thought they were okay and/or alright, I guess.
I didn't play them for very long. I should judge more based how they play from F2 and up. Unless someone wants a F tuba to be the 'do everything' tuba.
-_--__---___----____-----_____------______-------_______--------________--------________-------_______------______-----_____----____---___--__-_
Eastman BBb EBB534: Still like it
. I am pretty sure I picked this one up. I didn't realize the Eastman EBB622 even existed (it does say new on Eastman's website at the time of this post). Thank you
@aarongsmith for mentioning it. I'll make sure to look for it the next time tuba gathering (Elephant Migration Gathering?
). Seeing as I already like a King 2341 / EBB 534 / Kanstul 33T and 33S.
Conn 26J/27J BBb Recording Bass: Now that is a big upright bell! Outside of one vintage BBb 4/4 or 4.5/4 Conn, don't really like the Conn tuba sound. The short action valves does cause to get real stuffy in the 4th valve register. I feel like the BBb compensators is easier to deal with. HOWEVER, from F1 and up, MONEY
. It could be an illusion or placebo thanks to the short stroke, but it plays so well I'd figure it is the horn itself. The description that Lee Stofer's website,
https://tubameister.com/pre-owned-instruments/ is spot on.
Buescher Custom CC Tuba: Don't remember any details but a nice playing and sounding tuba. No surprised to see on Mr Stofer's site that is has been sold.
York 5 valve CC Tuba: The way the leadpipe was is attached is neat and peculiar to look at. Nice tuba but I liked the Buescher Custom CC more.
Sierman CC 'SKYLARK' 4550WT-S: I thought it was fine. I don't think I tried the Hirsbrunner original at Stofer's. I think it is because I figured if the Sierman played fine, chances are the Hirsbrunner is just as good if not better. Only Sierman tuba I remember briefly trying. Not entirely sure why I didn't try the others.
Wilson BBb 3100 TA-4-O 5/4 3+1 Compensator: I did try this tuba with my PT48, RT82, RT44, and 2 piece steel Kellyburg. For this particular horn, I thought the RT44 made the comensating response less noticable. It is a pretty cool big horn!
Lidl BBb LBB 701: A 3/4 tuba. I liked it this time around! So uh good job little buddy!
https://youtube.com/clip/Ugkxjm7oVmgzAI ... xLzBz_hxoX
I did try the B&S 4197, 3098, 3198, The Rudy Meinl Piston CC and BBb. The Kanstul 5/4 CC and BBb. This is a place holder when I come back. I thought they were fine.
), and the Wessex 6/4 Kaiser.
), than there were people seriously looking to buy a tuba or a euphonium, or anything else, for that matter. 
