Vintage Alexander BBb

[MikeMason]

Is this something “the bloke” could pull off?

[bloke]

Aren’t they usually pretty nice about mailing parts?

I don’t I don’t mind soldering stuff on to instruments in the dead of winter (on some weekend that’s dark for gigs), and maybe even shining up those parts pretty and shooting some clear paint on them…
… but I’m sort of tired of fooling people into bragging on how clever I am - and having to figure out how to overcome obstacles and problem solve. I’m more into just sticking stuff on that fits, and then holding out my hand for some money.
I would probably try to coax you into that shorter fifth valve. I have that so-called long whole step on fatbastard, and it’s OK, but I still like the long half step system that I put on the compact Holton B-flat. With the long semitone, the double low C ends up being a little flat vs. very sharp with the long whole step system. I find a flatter double low C to be more useful than one which is quite sure, and the 5-4 length for B and E is really nice. In addition to all that, it’s just easier to install less tubing, because it’s not so hard to find a place to put it.

One thing I really don’t like to do is to have someone bring me some old beautiful instrument to trick it out, and then discover that it’s just a shined up old rattle trap.

[MikeMason]

Still haven’t had any contact with the seller, so less and less likely this will really happen. I’m not afraid of the half step 5th and dark winter road trips. So the disadvantages of the half step? Just no low b natural and future buyers may be turned off?

[bloke]

Still haven’t had any contact with the seller, so less and less likely this will really happen. I’m not afraid of the half step 5th and dark winter road trips. So the disadvantages of the half step? Just no low b natural and future buyers may be turned off?

How many people need a B-natural, other than theoretical wonks ?

I almost do NOT need a C, and almost do not need a C sharp.
I don't need a B-flat-nor-lower, either, but I play them in practice, so that my F, E, and E-flat are reliable.

"Low" E-flat (with that system btw) is 5-2-4, and pull a slide a bit.
With that (altered) Alexander instrument, the available slide would be the 5th slide (vs. a typical front-action piston instrument, whereby the available slide to pull would be the upper #4 slide).

[MikeMason]

Sounds good. E, e flat , and d are most important of course. I have seen several low c and one low b in contemporary works in the orchestra. I guess I could use different horn or figure out a temporary slide strategy for the rare occasion.

[bloke]

Sounds good. E, e flat , and d are most important of course. I have seen several low c and one low b in contemporary works in the orchestra. I guess I could use different horn or figure out a temporary slide strategy for the rare occasion.

I can pull out one or two things (on my compact Holton) and play a B-natural.

Anyone who is stupid enough to write that deserves whatever they get.

Of course, "low-D" is straight-up 2-3-4.

Being a hoot, I would go ahead and play it, but certainly wouldn't sweat it.
Were it actually exposed, (of course!) I would practice it - and make a spectacle of myself.

I have a friend who is a pretty good composer.
https://robertgpatterson.com/compositions/
When he (a horn player) and I are on the same gig (where someone's else commission/new piece is being played) and he hears me - over where I am - playing some really stupid sh!t, he'll walk up to me (during the break) and say something to the effect of

' another one of those young kids who writes too low for the tuba; so many inexperienced composers are under the impression that the tuba is an octave below the bass trombone.

[MikeMason]

Never heard from seller so gave up. Refund issued. Looking for something similar. Melton,Cerveny, etc. Send any ideas my way. Thanks.

[bort2.0]

Ugh

So sorry that you had to go through this. I'll keep my eyes and ears open for you for a good big rotary BBb... Much like I have ....

What's your budget?

[MikeMason]

This is a want and not a need so trying to keep the budget low,3-5,000. I will look at the new Eastman 825 when available. I can get an.employee discount My employer is an Eastman dealer. Would be over the stated budget. We’ll see.

[bloke]

Are you considering selling your lap sousaphone?

[MikeMason]

The hypothetical b flat would really need to blow my socks off.the 836 makes me sound better than I am. Not married to it though.

[arpthark]

I know Mike has found another tuba, but I think this Alexander has been relisted:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/185514886385?h ... C7000%7C10

[MikeMason]

Yeah. Never one bit of communication.. eBay pulled the last add because it was “suspicious “. Took me a few days to get my money credited back to my card.

[Rick Denney]

I bought a Mitutoyo metric vernier caliper on ebay, and it was the same thing: The listing was pulled immediately after the sale. I received the item, however. But it was a fake--labeled Mitutoyo but not a Mitutoyo at all. Really low quality. I started a return, heard nothing from the seller, and ebay refunded my money. There is no return address to ship it to, so apparently I'm not going to be asked to return it. Pulling a listing soon after the sale is a big red flag.

I was actually surprised that it was shipped to me. After the listing was pulled, I figured it was a fake and I sent a message to the seller that I wanted to cancel the sale, or if it was shipped already, I would be demanding a return if it turned out to be a counterfeit. I never heard a peep, but the next day started getting package tracking.

Ebay is getting even more suspicious these days.

Rick "buying from Italy is especially risky these days" Denney

[LargeTuba]

The hypothetical b flat would really need to blow my socks off.the 836 makes me sound better than I am. Not married to it though.

I’m considering selling my Eastman 623, which is “blow your socks off good.” It would be on the high end of your budget, but Pm me if you’re interested.

[donn]

But it was a fake--labeled Mitutoyo but not a Mitutoyo at all. Really low quality.

Would I be able easily tell whether mine is fake?

[MikeMason]

The hypothetical b flat would really need to blow my socks off.the 836 makes me sound better than I am. Not married to it though.

I’m considering selling my Eastman 623, which is “blow your socks off good.” It would be on the high end of your budget, but Pm me if you’re interested.

I bought an old miraphone 190 Kaiser b flat. Let me play with that for a while.

[Rick Denney]

But it was a fake--labeled Mitutoyo but not a Mitutoyo at all. Really low quality.

Would I be able easily tell whether mine is fake?

Your what? A Mitutoyo vernier caliper? Maybe. Mine was identified as a fake for the following reasons:

1. It measures accurately (and I have the standards to test it against) but one of the jaws is visibly deformed as if it had been dropped. It was sold as new and was still back in its Chinese fish grease, so I assume it was "calibrated" by giving it a bit whack with a hammer. Trouble is, that fixes the outside measurement only at the tip of the jaws, and ruins the inside measurement.

2. The gib screws on the moveable jaw were chewed-up crap.

3. The serial number on the calipers did not match the box.

4. The "hardened stainless steel' was all scratched up, and scratched easily with non-hardened mild steel.

This was to be my inside calipers--what I use out in the shop is an older Mitutoyo (script logo) and the differences are obvious.

I've decided that nearly all "new" Mitutoyo calipers on ebay are fakes, unless they are sold by established dealers and cost at least $80.

Even the bona fide Mitutoyo calipers are no match in quality for the Swiss-made Etalon vernier calipers--I have that one in a 12" length calibrated in inches and it is accurate to half a thousandth over its whole length. My Mitutoyo calipers are accurate to a thousandth at best over half the length.

Rick "who tests calipers against micrometer standards and Grade A gauge blocks accurate to 20-40 millionths" Denney

[donn]

Mine was not sold as new, if I remember right, so not much of this would be evidence. Though to my undiscriminating eye, mine looks a lot nicer than yours sounds. Model 505-675, could have met that price threshold but don't remember. I can easily make visible scratches, but they're just at finish depth - a shiny track through the milled surface texture.

[Kctuba]

I’m going to make the assumption that that is the Alex model that the YBB 641 is based off. LOTS of similarities….