Frank holton eflat tuba?

[Tymbrewolf]

Good deal or not. 400 not 499 including tax w case and mouthpiece. Played bbflat into college 30 yrs ago. Just want to putter around and probably more with melody.
Don't believe i will even play with others. Don't remember fingerings or really much
but was very handy playing by ear. Always sat second chair. If i could hear it once i could play and improvise which made jazz band more fun. This or find a bflat euphonium. Thinking this might sit in between... So really two questions as full size tuba is out of the question due to price and space.

First, thoughts on eb...

SECOND and more importantly almost, how is that on price? Everything works as it should.

[JRaymo]

Good deal or not. 400 not 499 including tax w case and mouthpiece. Played bbflat into college 30 yrs ago. Just want to putter around and probably more with melody.
Don't believe i will even play with others. Don't remember fingerings or really much
but was very handy playing by ear. Always sat second chair. If i could hear it once i could play and improvise which made jazz band more fun. This or find a bflat euphonium. Thinking this might sit in between... So really two questions as full size tuba is out of the question due to price and space.

First, thoughts on eb...

SECOND and more importantly almost, how is that on price? Everything works as it should.

Not a bad price,

Might have a wonky scale. I’d check that with a tuner if it’s a monster sized E flat. The smaller ones were better in that regard. Looks like it might have been high pitch with the loop in the tuning slide. Sounds like it would be fine for your planned use of it.


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[matt g]

That’s a “medium” Eb.

Probably okay pitch. Main issue will be the valves. If you’re using this as a stepping stone, it’s probably fine.

[bloke]

the price tag...

' looks like what I used to see in the 1950's - '60's - 70's in music stores and pawn shops...

...I seriously wonder how long that PRICE TAG has been hanging from that instrument.

(implying nothing...just noticing a style)

[acemorgan]

I will answer your first question:
I played BBb for 50 years, and really liked it, but needed to downsize because of shoulder trouble. Initially, I bought a euphonium and enjoy it a lot, but the notion of an Eb began poking at me. So I picked up an Eb about 2 years ago, and love it. I wish I had begun it 50 years ago. It fits--physically, emotionally, artistically.

Second question:
I paid $300 for a super old Eb, then another $650 getting it into decent playing shape. The price you describe seems reasonable for a "gateway" instrument in acceptable condition.

FWIW: spring for a new mouthpiece; you won't regret it.

[2nd tenor]

On playing an Eb instead of a BBb there are many past posts and some division. At one time Eb’s were used much more in the USA and they do just fine for a lot of stuff, one of my Tubas is a three valve Eb and I’ve found it very usable.

New Eb’s can cost a lot of money. At $400 that old Holton looks cheap but it could easily cost you the sticker price again to get it into a usable condition and that’s assuming that the valves aren’t completely shot - as an aside thick oil helps with worn valves. The Tuba was built in high pitch and the mod on the tuning slide is effective but (IMHO) second rate, if it were practical to do so then I’d want to get it changed (a dog leg extension, on each side of the tuning slide, works on some conversions).

To me the mouthpiece receiver size for the Tuba is in question, looks like some past work has gone on there. I wouldn’t like to recommend the best mouthpiece for it but I like the Wick range and IMHO three valve Eb’s don’t need large cup mouthpieces. I use a Wick 3 on my three valve Eb but smaller (like a 5) gives an easier high range with only relatively trivial loss elsewhere.

If you can afford to take a gamble then why not? Do you have a reasonably good and affordable brass repair technician that you can use?

[hrender]

When I started back, I started with an old Eb. It was a good gateway back to playing. I paid what they're asking for this horn, so I think it's a good price, but its playability obviously will have to be determined by you or someone you can trust.

FWIW, Ed Firth has a small King Eb that's also available for a bit more. Ed's a good guy, and you can trust his judgement IMO.

[bort2.0]

Offer them $350.

If they say no, ask them how long they've had it in the store... and how much longer they plan to hold onto it.

FWIW, this time last year, I bought a Martin medium Eb as a placeholder tuba while other things were being bought/sold/repaired. It's now my only tuba... not ideal, but fun to play and sounds great.

I think you should go for it!

[donn]

Most of the "I do it all on my Eb!" crowd have at least 4 valves, if not more. Of course it all depends on what you want to play - I've seen Bavarian style bands use an oval euphonium for a bass, and it's OK, they just play within the limits of the instrument and the audience doesn't care if that means not much below the bass clef. Same for bass tuba, which used to be a thing. It isn't any more, though, so in most situations where people have been using tubas, expectations are going to be more or less based on the contrabass tuba, and for a bass tuba that at least means more valves.

I have the "Eb tuba got me back into playing" story, too. It was a little one. Little Eb tubas are cool - normal tuba family parameters just applied to scale, no mammoth genes, and 3 valves probably do just fine. I wouldn't be spending more money on a flea market tuba than I could afford to throw away, though.

[Tymbrewolf]

Thank you for all your comments and suggestions.

[KerryAbear]

I’ve been looking for an E♭ tuba for the past few months. There was a good deal on ShopGoodWill recently on a three valve Besson probably from the 80’s. But I passed it up because with out a forth valve you are missing notes from EE to AA♭. For playing in community orchestra I would switch between E♭ and BB♭tuba, but for brass quintet I want that range because I need a smaller tuba for balance. I also am very weary of the intonation of older tubas. With that said, I believe that instrument pictured is in a music shop in OKC, if I don’t have an E♭ this summer I’ll bring my mouth pieces with me and test that horn.