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Just curious about impressions on performers and tubas at the exhibits

Look at the Professional Development forum. You will see a thread going on with lots of what you’re looking for.

At this year's Workshop, I enjoyed every performer I heard, without exception.

The Exhibit Hall was a little different this year, many of the usual Exhibitors there, but fewer overall,
and fewer overall attendees as well. The weather was mild, and we had a good time.

fewer sellers there
fewer attendees also
good time had by all

See? You could have posted all that in the Haiku thread.

I enjoy it when people discuss horns along with their quarks and features. Lets see if I can get the ball rolling. I am sure I will keep saying the tubas that I think are amazing will always be amazing.

The Lidl tubas where cool. I thought the 2 BBb tubas where better. The deluxe one and the more compact but not the classic Lidl 3/4 tuba.

Miraphone 1291 5/4 BBb: AMAZING! -- I consider the 1291*191 and its CC equivalents to be 5/4 tubas more than 4/4 tubas.

Miraphone 1291 5/4 CC: AMAZING! -- But I liked the 1293 more

Miraphone 1293 5/4 CC: AMAZING!

Miraphone Bruckner 291 5/4 CC: Amazing!

Miraphone Hagen 496 5/4 BBb: AMAZING! -- Probably the best tuba there, I hope Miraphone is printing money with this model.

Miraphone Hagen 494 3/4 BBb: AMAZING! -- Very good but not quite up there with the 5/4 Hagen.

Miraphone 187 5/4 BBb: Nice tuba but not my cup of tea.

Miraphone 188 5/4 CC: Nice tuba but not my cup of tea.

Alexander 163 4/4 CC: Has a nice sound. Played nicely but didn't spend to much time with it.

Conn Eb 6/4?: Nice sound, only 3 valve, but the Bb below the staff was tricky so I am not sure if a 4th valve with be an asset.

Ceverny Rotary Eb: Neat tuba. I find the 4th valve pointless on this tuba unless a different valve section would solve the stuffyness.

Marzan Slant Rotor 5/4? BBb: Nicer, to me, than the silver one that was at the conference years ago.

Hirsbrunner Kaiser 6/4? BBb: I am generally not a fan of a true German style tubas. I prefer American style tubas with their large bell flares (I like my pancakes). But this tuba was pretty good!

Eastman EBE853 4/4 compensating front action Eb: AMAZING! I really enjoy how this tuba plays! I think it sounds great too!

Besson 982 4/4 3+1 compensating Eb: F and E had a bit of resistance, but it is in the nature of most compensating tubas. Otherwise it great.

Kanstul 33s 4/4 BBb: Amazing! Front action version of my favorite tuba the 33T. You were gone to soon Kanstul.

York 4/4 CC: It was nice, sound is very nice too.

Wessex TE665HP 'Tubby' 6/4 Eb: Just like the Conn Eb it has a very nice sound. Like a lot of Eb tubas the Bb below the staff a bit tricky to center, but not as bad as the Conn or the Cerveny.

Bohm and Meinl 4/4 BBb: I didn't spend a lot of time seeing as I did not like it.

Meinl Weston 3450 4/4 CC: Plays nicely and the sound is also quite good.

B&S 4197 (pt20p) 4/4 CC: I am glad I came back to this tuba after I was properly warmed up because it is AMAZING! Going to get the 4097 (pt20) instead though.

B&S GR51 4/4 BBb: Like the 4197 (pt20p) I am glad I played this again after I warmed up. This tuba and the 4197 (pt20p) both seem to respond better with pt48 (now rt48) mouthpiece versus my Bear MMVI CC Euro shank mouthpiece. AMAZING!

Meinl Weston 195 Fafner 5/4 BBb: Not my cup of tea but nice sound. I would prefer the B&S GR55, Miraphone Hagen 496, and the Miraphone 289 Slant Rotor over this.

Meinl Weston 3225 Ursus 4/4 CC: Found it weird that the whole tuba is in front of you instead of the usual way you would hold a tuba. Didn't spend to much time with it but it seems to be a very good tuba.

B&S 795 International Series 4/4 CC: Seems to be nice but didn't spend much time with it.

I'm sure I've tried others but I can't recall what they were at the time of this post.

If you made this far, great! mini rant time
Don't care for F tubas. I did not test any tuba with a tuner.

Miraphone, or instrument sellers, bring a 289 BBb tuba. My second favorite tuba overall and I think it is a shame it is not more popular. In my view word of mouth and advertising helps a ton, and if you don't bring this tuba then how are people supposed to gain interest in it. And yes, I do think the Hagen 5/4 is overall better... but the 289 is too unique and also amazing to be forgotten.

Meinl Weston or Buffet, you bring a ton of F tubas but why do you never bring one of the Ebs? Just like Miraphone with the 289 how are people supposed to gain interest if you never bring them. Heck, had Dillon Music? not bring the B&S piston version years ago I would have never got a chance to try it. I, unless I am blind, have never seen the rotary Eb at the conference. Do you want Miraphone with sprinkles of St Petersburg (and possibly Wilson, though they never bring this one too) to own the rotary Eb tuba market? I've heard very nice things about your modern Ebs and I have tried the piston B&S version years ago. Now if only I could try the rotary one too.

I wish I could try a Yamaha YBB-632 Neo 3+1 BBb tuba, Hirsbrunner HBS 692 3+1 BBb (probably next to impossible), Hirsbrunner HBS 688 3+1 Eb (also probably impossible), Meinl Weston 2040/5 rotary Eb, and the best tuba that a certain person has played, a turn of the century King top action BBb.

I wish Kanstul didn't fold so soon, otherwise I would get a Kanstul 33T BBb over the B&S 4097(pt20) CC. Now, if only someone could make me a top action rotary Kanstul 33T (or even in CC form) or a top action B&S 4097 (pt20)... But I seem to like unicorns in the tuba world.

Now, if only I was extremely wealthy...

I'm not sure there were fewer people or fewer sellers. Perhaps there was less buying of instruments, but I wouldn't know for sure. The two places I spent the most time seemed to be doing okay. Some companies came (B&S / Buffet, Eastman, Wessex, Stofer, Dillon, Buddy Rogers, Baltimore Brass, Mercer & Barker, Adams, Doug Elliott, Yamaha) and some didn't (Willson, Miraphone, Mack Brass, Giddings). Someone was there selling printed music. The room is smaller now since USO moved three pool tables from what is now the computer gaming lab into the room. There were definitely times when the exhibits room was slower but I think more people were at the events than what was typical. It being 85 degrees in there didn't help. Proximity to TMEA probably doesn't help, either.

The attendance on Thursday for the sessions was above what I recall for a Thursday from previous years. Friday also seemed as expected.

The other factor at play for the evening concerts - the Army Band has definitely figured out the live streaming thing in terms of production and sound quality. Super easy to tune in and watch quality stuff.

Funny that Mack Brass wasn’t there. They are closer to DC than anyone else on the list. About an hour and a half drive on I-95.

Really wanted to go this year but life got in the way. Maybe next year!

Interesting detailed commentary by PlaytheTuba, thank you for that! I agree about Kanstul. If only I had “come back” a couple of years earlier, I could have had one of their tubas brand new. Now fans have to depend on the used market. Having recently acquired a 902-3B, I can see those folks had a lot of good things going on!

Interesting to me that the lengthy list of tubas he tried out was devoid of Chinese made instruments. Were they not represented, or did he just not try those? I know Buddy Rodgers brought Eastman.

I would have probably gone had over 800 miles (x 2) of crazy drivers (and particularly on I-81, in my consistent experience) not been in the way.

I was actually thinking about just showing up and hanging out (no booth), but work was/is sitting there staring me in the face, along with stuff on the house that was also staring me in the face and saying "fix me".

I hope I do not turn this thread to a political schnitzel fest. I will delete this post if it does.

A little bit more about me, I am an Armenian that was born in the US and live in Northern VA. For personal reasons outside of the tuba world I personally decided to try and avoid getting stuff made in certain places. I am sure you could guess the places that I would avoid but please do not post on this forum. If you would really like to know you can ask me with a pm. I think my personal feelings this time around manifested too strongly. Next year I will go try more of them out. Seeing as if someone asks me what is a nice tuba to get, I don't want to leave good horns out of discussions.

Now, I would recommend the Eastman EBB534 BBb over the modern King 2341 BBb. Unless King gives the option for extra cost of making tubas like they did in their glory days! The Eastman EBB562 BBb that is based from the B&S gr51 BBb is very good. Assuming Eastman has good quality control, I would have a hard time telling the difference between the EBB562 and the gr51. The John Packer JP377 Sterling 3+1 Eb is a very good tuba. I could have sworn that either John Packer or Eastman made a great tuba that is based on the Miraphone 191 BBb...

The John Packer JP379BB Sterling BBb that is based on the Meinl Weston 25? I don't really like. I personally do not like the Meinl Weston 25 either. So far I only like the Meinl Weston 18 from all of the Meinl Weston BBb tubas that I have tried. The Wessex ‘Gnagey’ – TE465 P Eb is also very nice from what I remember. The Wessex ‘Excelsior’ – TB570 BBb 5/4 Compensated 3+1 BBb and the Wessex Removable Bell Tuba ‘XL’ – TB576 5/4 BBb are pretty neat.

Now, more tubas I would like to try. The Wessex Leviathan - TB681HP & TB691P Compensated 6/4 3+1. I know people don't prefer top action tubas but I do. I would like to try the Willson Tuba 3400 TA-4 3+1 and the rotary version but I don't see the rotary one on the English website. I want to say I've tried a 4 rotary valve Willson Eb and I wished I spent some more time with it. I would also like to try the Hirsbrunner rotary Eb but it is probably impossible due to its rarity and it is not listed in the English website. I would like to try a Gronitz BBb, CC, and I think they make one Eb? one day. Oh, and brand new Alexander tubas, seeing as I've only tried older ones.

They are more tubas I've tried in the past. But it would probably be better if a I sat down when I have free time an just post an entire list of everything that I tried and can remember.

Or just practice like my username suggests

One of my closest friends from college is Armenian and proud of it.

Thank you for the write up!

My observation about country of origin of the tubas you reviewed was meant quite innocently. I apologize for going there because obviously this is a sore spot for you. Had I known, I would not have made the comment.

I have to say, though, that I really like the term “political schnitzel fest”! I will probably use it in the future!

You sound like a guy who REALLY LOVES tubas! In other words, our kind of people!

Toot on,dude!

I don't think MW even HAS any Eb tubas anymore. Front piston Eb's just aren't popular, and large piston F's fill that role.

I owned one for about a month, an old 2141, which was an absolute DOG in terms of intonation.

I'd like to be able to play their rotary 2040/5, which supposedly exists somewhere!

B&S used to make one, too, the PT-22P? I'd love to try one of those, too. Again, they just didn't sell that many of them. I'd be tempted to own one just because I lusted after one at Dillon's several years ago. However, I suspect they might have the same tuning issues as the 2141, being largely the same instrument.

As far as some companies not being there, such as Willson, they just don't seem to market very well here, do they? Yes, they exist on the used market, but quite sparingly. The "popular" ones are always at these places. Miraphone, Buffet, Eastman, etc.

I hope Meinl Weston still has Eb's available. But sadly you might be correct, seeing as Eb tubas are the last popular key by far. Heck outside of the UK with their 3+1's Eb tubas almost went extinct.

But Meinl Weston still lists the rotary 2040/5 so there's a tiny bit of hope? The piston version isn't on their English website.

Now if I was insanely rich so I could back roll certain tubas and be like

NOW YOU GET A TUBA AND YOU GET A TUBA, etc.

And arpthark, did your friend ever treat you to eating Lahmajoon? If not call your friend up and either make them make it or buy it for you.

Anyone who desires to own one of those three E-flat models listed in the last couple of posts, I hope they find one and for a great price and really enjoy it. I find them challenging to play in tune, but I also consider myself a pretty lazy player who doesn't like to work too hard with an instrument.

Not yet*

And i am probably a lazier player, especially as regards tuning. For instance i might play in tune more if i moved slides...


*in response to if i gone to the army works shop.
also Baron Munchausen's response when asked for famous last words, at least in the Terry Gilliam version.