Conn 15J

[matt g]

https://reverb.com/item/24842035-conn-1 ... uba-silver

There’s a few of these around.

Basically a 12J with a trick to make it a marching tuba. Some 30-odd years ago, I was playing trombone regularly in a paid church gig where another fellow would show up with a 15J and a Conn #2 mouthpiece. He sounded darn good on it.

Interesting little diversion in tuba manufacturing.

[arpthark]

I had a beat-to-sh!t 15J that was my "summer take-home tuba" in middle school. Duct tape, electrical tape, crumpled bell, rips, you name it.

Come to think of it, the Yamaha 201s that we played in middle school also could be converted to marching, if I am remembering right. All these tubas were probably from the 80s.

[matt g]

Yeah, 201C? Maybe that was the convertible version?

I remember playing one, and it was equally bad as a regular 201. I’ve always had a soft spot for the 5J and 12J, and the 15J is similar. I think the 15J was a decent player in “concert” mode. I think…

[arpthark]

I think you are right, 201C.

Yes, I found it ironic that our never-played-in-concert "summer tuba" was clearly a better player than the Yamaha 201:

15J:
- front valves
- small
- lightweight

Perfect for a 13 year old.

Versus the YBB-201:
- top action
- way too tall and uncomfortable
- heavy as heck

I like these little Conns, though. They are a pretty facile tuba.

[TJTuba]

I got my hands on an old one missing a valve piston. Anyone know where I could purchase a replacement?

[bloke]

201M was/is the convertible marching version of the 201

I have a project that could either go top or front action.

I'm so damn tired of all the anti-top-action bias (as well as anti-B-flat bias) that (though it would make a better C than B-flat), I'm tempted to let it remain in B-flat and choose the 4-valve top-action valveset.

Not all top-action tubas suck like Yamaha.