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So I got myself a YBB-103. Playing as a sub in a top-end polka band, and while my Conn 12J is still in the shop, I did my first rehearsal with my Kanstul. I can hold it while standing, but it's not ideal, it's not a horn I wanted to add strap rings on, and it's just all wrong for the genre. The bandleader wanted a punchy, baritone-like sound, but it had to be a tuba. The 103 is super light, I don't need to add a strap (and the players I know who made a career out of standing tuba gigs, their backs all start hurting after a while, no matter how "comfortable the strap is, and I have the strength to let my left arm do all the holding), and it's easy to overblow for the baritone-esque sound.

When I first got it, I couldn't get a decent high range, and was told by a few that it's not built for that and likely won't ever sound great. A few weeks of having it, and the high end just takes a different kind of blow, and I'm figuring it out.

I saw @LeMark's King Dump video, and realized that not only works with this horn since the main tuning slide is connected directly to the lead pipe, but it clears out anything that got in there and the bell bow with one move.

One downside is, I've painfully gotten my fingers stuck in the very tight valve wrap once already, and I might start putting leather wraps over those areas to prevent myself from doing that again.

The other thing is, the horn does play down to E very well. Nice, tight, articulate sound. But I can't seem to get a decent false tone out of it. Has anyone successfully figured it out on this guy?

blattweasel funhorn

bloke wrote: Wed Apr 08, 2026 12:00 am blattweasel funhorn

100%!

The funny thing is, when I play the Kanstul, I get winded because of how much air/breaths it takes, but with this horn, I get winded because of the amount of backpressure and occasionally have to empty the tank. But the "practical" range of the instrument takes less work, and lets me bounce around a bit more, which the bandleader wants. During solos, the tuba player is supposed to aim the bell down at the audience, and he loves that I can turn around and lean back and do the same thing with this horn. Obviously it adds pressure to the embouchure, and I would never try that with a 5/4 horn.

But, for instance, in this tune:

I'd play the "breakdown" at 2:27 down an octave on most horns, even without a 4th valve. The false tones seem very squirrelly on this one, and I can't seem to center a low Eb on it, so I'm considering taking it up an octave into the same range as the baritone, but the extreme high range is also a bit squirrelly in a different way, in that it's a bit tricky to slot the notes and they're easier to chip.

I can’t seem to get false tones on some small BBbs, either.

If you ever have to take it to a repair person, have them check the valve alignment and check for leaks just in case that’s part of the problem with the squirreliness.

I found that for false tones on horns that don't want to play nice that I have to lighten the mouthpiece pressure basically to 0 and play like a bass trombone-shaped buzz. Even if the horn doesn't want to resonate nicely with your face you can get some beef to come out that way

It's also possible it has a false tone somewhere you're not looking for one, that could work.