American 6/4 BBb tubas

[arpthark]

What is your favorite?

[bloke]

so far, Kevin Sprecht's Holton 345.

If I owned it, I might Jazz it up a little bit, but it's pretty nice.

[bort2.0]

Without a doubt, Lenny Jung's Martin BBb:

[Rick Denney]

I haven’t met an American Bb BAT I like better than my Holton.

Rick “but has played some that barked at the Moon, too” Denney

[York-aholic]

Mine! However, they are the only American 6/4 that I have played. Heck, I don’t think I’ve played any other 6/4 tubas so maybe these are terrible…

[bort2.0]

I'll have to dig up a photo, but the 6/4 rotary Conn (or Holton?) BBb that was at Baltimore Brass about 7 or 8 years ago had the most amazing amazing low BBb that I've ever played or heard in my life.

Every single other note... Made it sound like I've never played a tuba before. I was literally unable to play a scale at all. They said there were no leaks or no repair issues...?!

Cool looking tuba though. Maybe the internet wayback or Klaus archive has a picture

[kingrob76]

Without a doubt, Lenny Jung's Martin BBb:

Who owns this horn now?

Lenny used to say the best horn he ever owned is on the bottom of the Pacific as it went down with the ship he was on that got sunk during WWII.

[York-aholic]

Without a doubt, Lenny Jung's Martin BBb:

Who owns this horn now?

Lenny used to say the best horn he ever owned is on the bottom of the Pacific as it went down with the ship he was on that got sunk during WWII.

It’s in the tuba museum in the Carolinas.

[bort2.0]

Without a doubt, Lenny Jung's Martin BBb:

Who owns this horn now?

Lenny used to say the best horn he ever owned is on the bottom of the Pacific as it went down with the ship he was on that got sunk during WWII.

It's with Vince Simonetti at his tuba museum.

https://simonettitubacollection.com/ins ... -piston-2/

I was down there about a year ago, and was very excited to see that instrument again.

I think it is the prize of Vince's collection, he is absolutely thrilled by it. And rightly so, it's quite an instrument. I told Vince that it deserves to be played and heard again, and I think he generally agreed, and then changed the subject.

Side note: I highly recommend visiting museum and spending an hour or two with Vince. He is who he is, but if you start the tour/conversation with him with some good name dropping and information sharing of your own, you skip past all the usual stuff and get to some authentic stories and conversations about tuba stuff and tuba people. Tell him stuff you know, and he'll tell you stuff that he knows. I learned an awful lot that day.

He's got to be 80 something by now, pretty small guy with a whole lot of energy. I don't mean to sound disrespectful or anything, but sometimes you don't know how long people will live, keep going on, or be able to do these things. When I see older people making an effort to share and do these things, I think it's only responsible and respectful to give them plenty of our time as well.

[Sousaswag]

Holton 345 has my vote

[bloke]

Holton 345 has my vote

yes, but it really S

[tubaing]

so far, Kevin Sprecht's Holton 345.

If I owned it, I might Jazz it up a little bit, but it's pretty nice.

Hard to disagree on this on. Maybe I'll throw some more money at it in 5-20 years. A 5th valve, some kind of finish, a new (rounded and not oversize) thumb ring.

Joe, if you had it, how else might you jazz it up?

[bort2.0]

so far, Kevin Sprecht's Holton 345.

If I owned it, I might Jazz it up a little bit, but it's pretty nice.

Hard to disagree on this on. Maybe I'll throw some more money at it in 5-20 years. A 5th valve, some kind of finish, a new (rounded and not oversize) thumb ring.

Joe, if you had it, how else might you jazz it up?

Uneven eighth notes?

[bloke]

so far, Kevin Sprecht's Holton 345.

If I owned it, I might Jazz it up a little bit, but it's pretty nice.

Hard to disagree on this on. Maybe I'll throw some more money at it in 5-20 years. A 5th valve, some kind of finish, a new (rounded and not oversize) thumb ring.

Joe, if you had it, how else might you jazz it up?

That's probably about it, except I might not even put a fifth valve on it considering how long the number one slide is.
It will play a second partial low C with that slide pulled out as far as it can go won't it?

As long as the #1 slide tubes are on those instruments, I've always wondered if a right hand thumb trigger for the main tuning slide - to pull it in a little bit for some pitches on those instruments - would be a useful thing, and maybe more useful than a 5th valve operated by the same thumb.

[Bob Kolada]

There was a guy in Florida who had a huge York Bb with 3 front valves and a very long top 3rd valve slide. I'd like to play that some day.

[prairieboy1]

My 1916 Holton 'Mammoth" 3 valve BBb! It is presently in the very capable hands of Lee Stofer. Lee will be fabricating a new leadpipe and mouthpiece receiver for it. I hope to have it back by the fall. Such a glorious sound from that horn!

[Kontrabasstuba]

I love my old York BBb Tuba

[Tubeast]

...and the video shows you have every reason to do so, Daniel.
Gotta love that sound, especially below the 2nd partial.
I wish manufacturers of front action piston machinery came up with ways to reduce the number of "bottom bows", i.e. slides to pull for water dumping.
And no, I didn´t miss those water keys: on unvented valves, they´ll only work sufficiently if you press the valve as well to let air in to replace the water´s volume in the slide.