TubaForum.net

bloke wrote: ↑Sat Feb 19, 2022 9:37 am

You obviously were extremely impressed when you played one of those instruments before, and feel very confident that every single one of them is going to be absolutely like that-or-those you’ve previously experienced, so I congratulate you.

I've been impressed every time I played an adams. It's the only euphonium that has been a significant enough upgrade to my Packer to consider making the change, obviously the money is the largest factor. To get a chance to get one with the short action valves and the silver bell for the price I did was just too tempting to pass up.

Miel adams wrote me this morning and told me this:

Hi Mark , thanks for the update , you are now one of the few people in the world who has an short action valve Adams, congratulations on that . It looks still great . Have fun with her ! Best Miel

Apparently this in one of two in the US with these valves, the other one being a prototype in yellow brass. This should be fun and exciting to experience

Even though I’m not a particularly good trombone player, I’ve always been impressed with how the 2B and 3B instruments - with silver bells - played for me.

I’ve read and heard a lot of trombone players berate those instruments, but (sometimes) have questioned their motives for doing so (ie. They ain’t got one. )

A friend of mine owned a silver 2B, a silver 3B, and even one of those old “Silvertone“ King trombones - that was smaller than a 2B. As the really small one wasn’t a particularly good design, he sold it, but I’m sure he still has the other two. He’s a remarkably fine player, and his other instruments are an Elkhart 88H, a hybrid valve trombone, and a five-valve dependent non-compensating euphonium with one of those Yamaha aftermarket devices. The Army hired him to play in one of their better bands – not just a run-of-the-mill base band – straight out of high school (during Nam, when a whole bunch of people were trying to get in any band - to avoid going overseas), but he soon moved on to another industry (he’s one of those rare no-foolin’ geniuses - who learned all about an extremely complex industry and its technology in a very short amount of time, simply by reading and studying) - that supplied him with a much more comfortable lifestyle.

DonO. wrote: ↑Sat Feb 19, 2022 9:44 am .....But a lead bell wouldn’t be very pretty.

That's what silver plating is for!

I have always preferred the term, “mouthpipe“ over the 1970s term, “leadpipe”…
Mostly because the latter reminds me too much of the game, “Clue“.

Tubajug wrote: ↑Sat Feb 19, 2022 10:27 am

DonO. wrote: ↑Sat Feb 19, 2022 9:44 am .....But a lead bell wouldn’t be very pretty.

That's what silver plating is for!

bloke wrote: ↑Sat Feb 19, 2022 10:36 am I have always preferred the term, “mouthpipe“ over the 1970s term, “leadpipe”…
Mostly because the latter reminds me too much of the game, “Clue“.

And easier to use with your instrument than a large-bore candlestick....

And when you say trigger, do you mean that whammy bar poking through the third valve loop?

-hum (safety first... then trigger) Bell

yeah, that's it. It may be coming off when I get it.

… but that’s part of the mass of the instrument. Aren’t you worried about affecting the sound…?!?!

LeMark wrote: ↑Sat Feb 19, 2022 1:35 pm yeah, that's it. It may be coming off when I get it.

that's why screw threads work both ways

sort of a euphonium oddity:

Most of their tuning problems are problems with pitches being sharp, and very few problems with pitches being flat…
…Though the fourth partial tuning notes – B-flat and A – are (with several makes) flat, compared to everything else on euphonium… so when players are insistent on tuning the fourth partial B-flat perfectly in tune - on particular euphoniums which are as described just above, that is often going to make quite a few other pitches be sharp, isn’t it?

(I’m not speaking specifically of Adams/Hirsbrunner, just “quite a few euphoniums“.)

I never tune to just one note.

One of the things that always impressed me (and instantly sold me) on my packer was how the high F was ACTUALLY in TUNE. After years of playing bessons, it amazed me that the 274 played more in tune than the besson it was based on

I've been assured by the former owner of the adams that the trigger is not needed, but he just never bothered removing it. We'll see. I'm not used to using one, so I hope he's correct

With older Bessons - and some other euphoniums, I have experienced “good” upper F’s but really high (compared to other first-valve pitches) upper E-flats.
My no-trigger workaround for this has always been to add the third valve to the first valve, which defines playing a flat overtone (7th partial) with a sharp fingering (1-3) of the F overtone series - thus, just about “on the money”.
Again:
These remarks have nothing to do with Adams /Hirsbrunner bugle tapers. So far, I have only played an Adams once for about thirty seconds. It was a very nice experience, but certainly not an evaluation.

The cylinder round the connection to the slide houses a spring, so as it returns to a given position?

Got friend with a pull knob on his tuba's mts that works that way, and it made a lot of sense.

Never asked him, but does that mean ya tune it by loosening or tightening the connector? Or is there something that detaches it so you can slide the slide, then reattaches to return to that position?

Pretty sure you hit it on the head, but I'll shoot come video of it in action to show what it does

LeMark wrote: ↑Fri Feb 18, 2022 12:47 pm Adams E3
Short action valves
Sterling silver bell
Tuning trigger
Bonna case

I should have it in a week or less. I got it for $7K, which is 5K less than it would cost to order it brand new.

Congratulations!!!

This thing is incredible. I've always loved Adams euphoniums, but the short action valves take it to another level.

Intonation is as good as advertised, I'm really going to love owning this. I just wish I was as good a player as I should be to own such a gem

I would recommend obtaining some spare top-sprung style valve guides for that instrument, while they are still available – assuming they are still available.

It came a nice assortment of replacement parts, including springs, felts, and valve guides

LeMark wrote: ↑Sat Feb 26, 2022 8:34 am ....

I just wish I was as good a player as I should be to own such a gem

This feeling i am familiar with.

And this can happen with cheap beaters too. Was playing last month on perhaps the cheapest tuba i ever come across (roughly the price of the mouthpiece i was using with it) and thinking how great the sound is.

Before my recent travels, i left it with a repair fellow tuba player to free slides so i can tune to others, and replace the little wadd of cloth in the water key with actual factual cork.