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Changing nothing but the mouthpiece, what CC tuba could equally:
Play Respighi in a full orchestra
Play Berlioz in that same orchestra
Play a brass quintet
Play a recital level solo.
184,5,6,8 is not an eligible answer to this quiz



BBb is allowed as an acceptable alternative but EEb is disqualified.

Note: I have done all of the above on both a Miraphone 190 BBb and the 6/4 CC tuba formerly known as BART, but sometimes it is best not to hammer nails with a screwdriver.

M-W 2155 with a smaller mouthpipe. I'm thinking that Baltimore Brass may have special ordered some with a smaller mouthpipe and changed the model number by one number...(??)

I actually picked up one of these one time in new condition for a stupid low price. I was a bit tempted to keep it, but (as some people have played another instrument which I recently sold, and they probably understand why) I didn't keep it. I did sell it for more than twice what I paid for it to a military band in another country. I found that I could play every pitch throughout the encountered extended range of the instrument without moving any tuning slides, and play all of them in tune, which was absolutely nuts... but that was only one particular instrument.

Candidly - and I'm not looking for any arguments, I don't really understand why they built the 3225 when this tooling already existed which - in my opinion - is better (other than the too-large) stock mouthpipe.

4/4 yorkophone

Cerveny piggy

Meinl Weston 2145, with PT 50 mouthpiece. Easy decision.

Ace

Wessex Wyvern or ZO Raptor.

We as discussed previously this year, a/an

Modern Alexander 163 (But how modern are we talking about...),

B&S 4097 rotary and 4197 Piston CC

Miraphone 1291-3 CC piston, the 291 Brucker CC.

Meinl Weston 3450 piston CC

I'd maybe throw into the ring the B&S 795 international CC too.

I've never tried the gr-41... I think.

Maybe the super new Yamaha 4/4 piston CC and BBb...


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Since BBb's "count"

B&S 3103 (rotary BBb), 3301 (BBb piston of the 4197), gr-51 (and the Eastmon version).

Miraphone 495 4/4 hagen,

King 2341 BBb

The Stofer CC

Kanstul 33t and the front Action 33s BBb and the 90 front Action CC...

Never played BUT the Yamaha 632 Neo BBb
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Unless you meant tubas that have more of a "stovepipe" type of bell...

And, I probably listed way more tubas that people won't use for those particular pieces... Hmmm... I think I over did it or missed the point... I may edit this post later...

Small bell Thor

MiraFone 186, not a MiraPHone 186...ok, disqualify me...

Ace wrote: ↑Wed Oct 11, 2023 4:04 pm Meinl Weston 2145, with PT 50 mouthpiece. Easy decision.

Ace

I had one for a few years just for that purpose, and it was... Lacking. Not just for large ensemble work, but also for solos no matter what kinds of mouthpieces I used, deep to shallow. The tone was just kind of "blah" and there was a definite volume threshold. Not blatty or edgy, just a certain level where it stopped. The intonation was overall good top to bottom.
A tweaked 2155 or the rare 2000 may have been just the ticket.

Are 184,5,6,8 suddenly hard to find?

How about a Symphonie F like bloke’s?

It's the player, not the horn, and you know that! :-)

But really, what a difficult question to answer. Any biggish 4/4 to 5/4 tuba that plays well and you like the sound, that's your answer.

If it were me, the things I would look at would be:
Alex 163 ( one of the good ones )
B&S GR-41
MW2145 with an RT-88 (double secret bonus points if you can ever track down a BBC edition 2145. Outrageously good, I think they only made a few)
Nirschl 4/4 CC ( The handmade-est version)

A good MW-32 will also do an excellent job

Even in just the five instruments listed above, there's quite a variety in the type of sound that you would get.

The Alex 163 that I owned with spectacular, and surprising to me in a lot of ways. I had this expectation that it was going to be much bigger in size and sound than it was, but that wasn't exactly true. Physically, it was a lot like the 186-or 188, and up until a mezzo forte or forte, it behaved similarly as well.

But right about the point where a 186 or 188 starts to get ratty or a little stuffy or just starts to feel a little different... And starts to sound like you're pushing the instrument too hard... That's where the 163 kind of takes over

Instead, the 163 opens up even further and just keeps going and going. It's an unsuspecting amount of bigness at the top 25% of output, because everything else was nice and mediumish and easy to play

That is, you can kind of just chill out and play and know that everybody can hear you and it sounds nice. But when you really need to lay down some thunder, you can rain hell over the entire orchestra and still have rain clouds in reserve.

And after you're finished kicking ass back there, stroll out front and play a pretty little solo as if you didn't just do what you had just done.

Like the tuba version of a tough biker dude in full leathers and all tatted up... but also has a cat named Petunia, and you'd better not mention it.

Just get one with the intonation doesn't suck

York 712

bort2.0 wrote: ↑Wed Oct 11, 2023 7:44 pm ...
Just get one with the intonation doesn't suck

So, for how many models is this the critical tip?

jtm wrote: ↑Wed Oct 11, 2023 9:35 pm

bort2.0 wrote: ↑Wed Oct 11, 2023 7:44 pm ...
Just get one with the intonation doesn't suck

So, for how many models is this the critical tip?

We can condense it further:

Just get one [that] doesn't suck

Thanks, phone ... It was supposed to say:

Just get one where the intonation doesn't suck.

But yes, such a broad question, the answer "get a tuba that doesn't suck" is probably these best I can really offer.

A Rudy 3/4 CC could also be an option, forgot about that

Also depends on the strength of the bass trombone player, and to some extent, the rest of the brasses.

My votes would include:

Rudy Meinl 3/4 cc

MW 2145 - esp if small valve!

HB2 or HB2P

Getzen CB-50/G-50 hands down. Especially after a few modifications, this horn can do solo work, brass quintets, and small orchestras with ease!

tylerferris1213 wrote: ↑Thu Oct 12, 2023 6:27 am Getzen CB-50/G-50 hands down. Especially after a few modifications, this horn can do solo work, brass quintets, and small orchestras with ease!

I think the short 4/4 York/Holton tubas - with King valve sections stuck on them - can punch-through/blend-with orchestras as easily as anything, and not just small orchestras and orchestras of any caliber playing at any decibel level. It's just a matter of what type of timbre someone's looking for...
... and there's no need to chop them down two feet shorter...

... and - with the 18 ft long bugle - they also resonate more.

Gnagey CC? Mine was pretty good, but a larger BBb ended up being a better choice for wind band.