TubaForum.net

VOTE ON ONE EACH:
- THE BEST SMALLER-SIZED B-FLAT TUBA
- THE BEST MEDIUM-LARGE-SIZED B-FLAT TUBA
- THE BEST EXTRA LARGE-SIZED B-FLAT TUBA

- no "poll" platform...You'll need to type them in manually (as well as identifying their size range) in your post.
- there's no requirement to vote on all three sizes...you can submit a favorite in only one size.
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voting requirements:
- You need to be 25-or-older (ie. a grown-up, at least in car insurance companies' opinions).
- You need to have played several models in the size ranges of B-flat tubas whereby you're voting.
- Two-feet-too-short tubas are INELIGIBLE.
- You need to own/use-reasonably-regularly at least one B-flat tuba.
- You need to (without looking at some written music) be able to - minimally - play all twelve major scales in their most accessible octaves...ie. you need to be able to play tuba, in order to vote.

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Good luck to everyone, and - please - no wagering.

Small Hagen 494
Medium Large Eastman 534
Large Hagen 497

< 4/4 BBb: Conn 5J (honorable mention: YBB-621)

= 4/4 BBb: King 2341; old preferred but new is fine (honorable mention: Miraphone 186)

> 4/4 BBb: Holton 345; or the 345 predecessor with a 4 piston set (honorable mention: MW 195P)

I definitely have a bias towards pistons. Having said that, if I had to choose all from one manufacturer, I’d probably choose to get all Rudy Meinl or Miraphone.

Small - Yamaha 621
Medium - VMI 3302
Large - Holton 345 (when properly put together)

Honorable mentions

Medium - Marzan Rotor BBb

I believe I could do with a 195P-5 for extra large (though everyone knows what I have, which I prefer)
nuthin' for 3/4
nuthin' for medium-large (even though I have a medium-large one that I love)


...With the 195 piston tubas, there has been an effort to keep the mouthpipe tube longish (as with the rotary version, and as with the Mr. P F-tuba), but it's still a distorted version, as (necessarily) the valveset bore sizes are so much smaller than the rotary versions...and - all of that having been said - the rotary version of the 195 still features a much longer mouthpipe tube.

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Were there a piston version of the Miraphone 98 (with its Holton 345-shaped bell) it would probably be amazing...and they would probably stick their .772-inch bore piston valveset on it, and (based on 1291-2-3) probably used the .835" rotary 5th valve.

Small: Conn 5j, Olds 99
Medium: King 2341/1241 (MY MW model 20 would also fit here)
Large: Miraphone 1291
Gigantic: That "7/4" Sam Gnagney that he brought to MWRTEC

Small: Miraphone 184
Medium: Miraphone 186
Large(ish): Mack ZO 5000, probably not the most popular choice but I really liked the one I played

Thanks for asking

Small: Olds 0-99
Medium: old-style King 12/2340
Large: Martin Mammoth

Small: Yamaha YBB-103
Medium: King 2341
Large: Rudy Meinl Bayreuth

Medium: I had a VMI 3302 for about 2.5 years and I thought it was excellent
Large: My BB-345 (although I was also very impressed with the Wessex Prokofiev)

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My personally owned main contrabass tubas were:

Conn 15J (front action)
VMI 3302
MW 5450
Yamaha YCB-822
Holton BB-345

I rather liked all of them. When my parents (thanks mom and dad) bought the 3302 there was a rotary Neptune also at the WWBW that I tried and I loved it, but it was more than twice the price.

Oh man, this is difficult for me.
Just going on the ones I've played....

Smaller-sized (3/4 -- 7/8) BBb: Miraphone 282.

Medium-large (4/4+) BBb: VMI 2301/ B&S PT-1
[They all play a little different, but the great ones play very, very nice ] Buttery sound and response, easy pitch and well made.

Extra-large BBb: My very old no-name Kaiser BBb


Honorable mentions:

4/4 and 4/4+ BBb tubas that I think are also great, and arguably swappable with the above :

Cerveny 681, Old-style King 2341, VMI 3301/3302, M-W 25.

Small: Miraphone Hagen 494

Medium: Kanstul 33T

Large: Miraphone 289

Extra-Large: Miraphone Siegfried 98

A nod towards the Martin tuba sound though, at least for the extra large category.

I sold my King 1241 with the upright bell. However, will be keeping the King Pit tuba for life so I can still participate in this thread!