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Have been playing my besson soverign 981 ee flat for close to 30 years now.Solos,quintet,10 piece brass ensemble,wind bands,brass bands and the occasional symphony orchestra show.I never learned to play cc.Not once in that time has a conductor been critical of my choice of tuba.It has a lovely dark sound that puts a great foundation on any ensemble.It is a do it all tuba.I have owned f and bb flat tubas but i have always ended up taking my ee flat.

I'm an amateur who has played BBb for many years. Then I picked up a old helicon and discovered Eb. Now for the last couple of years I only have Eb tubas in the house and am looking for my dream Eb horn (I'm old and retired, I should be able to use my school bus driving earnings for something fun : )

The only issue is that sometimes my brain goes wonky when I play my Bb baritone and then switch to Eb. But then I get over it and the fingerings snap back.

I find that the Eb can actually play most of the baritone and solo music that I enjoy playing by myself. I can hold my own in a community band and small groups are more fun.

I played trumpet and baritone (TC) in high school. After 40 years without playing, I joined the high school alumni band, which needed a tuba. When I found Eb tuba fingering was 95+% trumpet fingering, I bought an Eb and joined low brass. For the last 10 years the Eb (Besson 982 & recently the Wessex Gnagey) has served well for solo, quintet, small group and community band. Knowing the TC fingering gave me an advantage when a brass band was formed.

Recently, I bought a BBb tuba to learn - as Snake Charmer put it - to help keep my mind young.

I started playing it about 7 years ago after I found a super cheap one ($50) to practice my budding repair skills. After that one, I bought another one ($70 this time), played it for a few years, then decided to convert it to a front-action, five-valve horn. I also got an Eb helicon (my avatar) in there as well. I find them to be very fun. I'm also enjoying playing old rep on my Franken-Eb (since it can actually do it with five valves now!).

Here's the Franken-Eb:

My first instrument was Eb tuba at age 9. My NJ public school offered free instrumental group lessons to 4th graders. Being the only tuba, my lesson was one on one with the band leader. Learned BBb in high school. Still prefer Eb.

I seemed to have very good results with Eb when I came back to playing a number of years ago. I had played F tubas previously but I liked a little more weight in the sound and decided to make the switch. My bass tuba work is now all done on Eb and except for a few fun finger tricks having to be done for some solos (that generally fall better on F) I really enjoy myself.

Yes - A 1970's Besson with 15-inch bell and small pipe. Has a more compact sound vs. the 19-inch bell e-flats. Very good BQ horn. Good on most solos. Works in band with other tuba mates in the section. Works in smaller bands on its own. Maybe a drawback is the bell points differently then most tubas and the 3+1 can be something to learn, but 3+1 works great once you get it under your fingers (IMO). Yes. some have used it in orchestra, but F-tuba seems to be the norm.

lost wrote: ↑Sun Nov 08, 2020 6:59 pm Big tubas are fun, but I find most joy lately on my trusty york eb...play etudes and solo stuff. Since used eb's are cheap and plentiful and new ones are now being made regularly how many of you BBb tuba players have taken the eb plunge? Note: I do the treble clef trick when I play Bass clef on eb because I started on trumpet in methods classes.

I was a symphonic player that mainly used CC tuba as my main instrument. I discovered Eb tuba while I was at Philadelphia Musical Academy studying with Paul Kzywicki. Paul came back from a Philadelphia Orchestra tour of the orient with three Yamaha, non-compensating Eb tubas. Paul said it was time for me learn a bass tuba in addition to my CC contrabass tuba and recommended the tuba in Eb because it had a great sound and was way less expensive than an F tuba. I bought one of the Yamahas an learned to play it. Over the years, the Eb tuba has been my main instrument for orchestra pieces with a higher tessitura such as Berlioz, Mendelssohn and Stravinsky. I have also played it as my main solo recital tuba. My original Yamaha Eb is long gone in my "search for the Holy Grail". But, after many Eb tuba changes, I designed my "dream tuba" with the body of a 1910 York, Monster Eb tuba, a 4 piston, front action, .687" bore valve set, a fifth, flat whole step rotary valve and a custom lead pipe. I do not know how to post photos on Tuba Forum. If you want to see photos of the tuba, either send me a request via private message including your E-Mail address or send me instructions on how to post photos.

Randy's E flat tuba that he designed is superb! I have played this tuba and I played E flat as my bass tuba for years.

Best,
Mark

My tuba playing is about 60/40 E-flat versus BB-flat.

For about 8 years, a Holton Monster E-flat and Martin Indiana E-flat sousaphone were my only tubas. Now I've a 3/4 BB-flat for those occasions when a contra is the better tool for the job.

I first played Eb tuba in 1988 when the Director of Bands at the University of Maryland handed me a little 3-valve Eb horn that had been sitting unplayed for probably 30 years and told me to go learn it because we were going to do Moorside Suite from the original brass band parts on as authentic as possible instruments (authentic to when and what it was written for) - cornets, peck horns, etc. My first bass tuba was a Yamaha YEB which I liked playing but never enjoyed the color (for me, many Yamaha's just sound bland) so I sold it. I borrowed Eb's after that as needed, mostly Besson 983's from either Gil Corella or Tom Holtz - did that for close to 15 years, then ended up buying Tom's 983 from him this past spring. I REALLY like the way this 983 sounds but I suspect someday I'll trade for a non-compensated Eb so my ape-brain doesn't have to work so hard and just go with a 4+1 setup.

I can play the Eb tuba just fine, but choose not to.

I use my MW2141 in quintets and brass band. BBb or euphonium in concert band. Trombone in quartet or jazz band.

I really want an Eb, but I always hesitate pulling the trigger. I had a chance to buy a new demo silver JP 377 this year at TMEA and take it home at what seemed to be a really good price. I came VERY close to getting it. I hadn't finished sorting out all my tuba business (buying/selling/reorganizing), so I didn't get it. Might have been a mistake. I'm not sure I want to commit to any serious reading gigs if I can't put in the time to become a good Eb reader at home, but I think if I had one, I'd play it plenty. What do you Eb folks think?