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matt g wrote:Some great recordings with all kinds of different tubas. The response to this question is fairly vast.

tobysima` wrote: ↑Tue May 04, 2021 11:28 am

matt g wrote:Some great recordings with all kinds of different tubas. The response to this question is fairly vast.

Fair enough. Which are the most influential? The ones that the sound makes other people want to play the same tuba?

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tobysima` wrote: ↑Tue May 04, 2021 10:58 am ... I'm still trying to refine my question so I can get an answer that I am looking for.

bloke wrote: ↑Tue May 04, 2021 11:41 am I don't personally believe that tubas need to imitate the sound of a string bass in an orchestra (such as the American 6/4 types tend to do, and were originally designed to do), since every orchestra features a string bass section.

I also don't really believe that the super-wide-sounding tubas are the very best choice for being the "contrabass" of the brass section in a symphony orchestra. (Watch a good trombone section's eyes light up when a good tuba player shows up with a good F tuba.)

I don't believe that factory-shortening those huge 6/4 things to C does anything to help them.

The 6/4 york-like thing has been (so far) a *4-decades fad. It seems to be here to stay - at least - to some extent...though I've actually witnessed a few prominent younger (middle-aged) "6/4-since-day-1" players begin to see the light, and realize that less is often more (more audible resonance, and a more identifiable-as-tuba resonance).
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*though, yes, Holton pulled it's 6/4 body and bell molds back off the shelf - in the 1960's - and configured a companion valveset to construct a "reasonable facsimile" of Mr. Jacobs' York (though larger), so that they could claim - in an ad - that the CSO principals all owned a Holton instrument. ...I strongly suspect that Holton wasn't particularly happy when people ordered (mostly: the B-flat versions of) them...as they were always priced - adjusted for inflation - as high as the Yamaha 826 is priced, today...and we all know good-and-well that Mr. Herseth didn't use any Holton trumpets, though - obviously - he was given at least one...and I also tend to wonder how often that single B-flat horn was pulled out and played, in the orchestra.

Three Valves wrote: ↑Tue May 04, 2021 11:41 am

tobysima` wrote: ↑Tue May 04, 2021 10:58 am ... I'm still trying to refine my question so I can get an answer that I am looking for.

You could give us the answer you are looking for and we can tell you how wrong you are!!

I get the gist of what you are asking however. I imagine Deck and Porkorny have made the largest modern era contributions but I'd like to also think there are some I've overlooked. Not every major orchestra has made famous recordings we can refer to...

So stuff like the 186 and the Kaiser tubas are better suited for the ideal orchestral sound?

KingTuba1241X wrote:

So stuff like the 186 and the Kaiser tubas are better suited for the ideal orchestral sound?

Yes. Large(er) German style rotary horns punch through the mix of orchestras nicely and blend better with the trombones. Have you seen some of Perry Hoogendijk's videos on YouTube? You just hear more TUBA versus when the player is using a York Style horn. It's all about what sound you're aiming for, neither are a bad thing.

tobysima` wrote: ↑Tue May 04, 2021 11:56 am

Three Valves wrote: ↑Tue May 04, 2021 11:41 am

tobysima` wrote: ↑Tue May 04, 2021 10:58 am ... I'm still trying to refine my question so I can get an answer that I am looking for.

You could give us the answer you are looking for and we can tell you how wrong you are!!

I get the gist of what you are asking however. I imagine Deck and Porkorny have made the largest modern era contributions but I'd like to also think there are some I've overlooked. Not every major orchestra has made famous recordings we can refer to...

I definitely think as popular as the York sound is, it doesn't offer the best blend with the other brass, especially the trombones.

The best race car in the world will not win unless it’s operated by a driver who knows what he’s doing.

KingTuba1241X wrote: ↑Tue May 04, 2021 5:24 pm

The best race car in the world will not win unless it’s operated by a driver who knows what he’s doing.

And the best Racecar driver in the world behind a gutless slug will only be able to do so much, take for instance.. Mario Andretti in a Ford Pinto with an exploding gas tank . IMO it's at least 75% equipment up to a certain point then 50/50. I like the tall bell York though, even though the bell flare is too wide.

Yorkboy wrote: ↑Tue May 04, 2021 6:10 pm

KingTuba1241X wrote: ↑Tue May 04, 2021 5:24 pm

The best race car in the world will not win unless it’s operated by a driver who knows what he’s doing.

And the best Racecar driver in the world behind a gutless slug will only be able to do so much, take for instance.. Mario Andretti in a Ford Pinto with an exploding gas tank . IMO it's at least 75% equipment up to a certain point then 50/50. I like the tall bell York though, even though the bell flare is too wide.

Wow, I didn’t think was I said was so controversial- I guess anything can be argued against.

BTW, that bell flare is 18.5”, smaller than a King 1241, same size as a newer 186.

Yorkboy wrote: ↑Tue May 04, 2021 6:28 pm Yes, my bad you are correct about the Mirafone I was thinking of the VMI 3301.....

bloke wrote:This thread is delving into nerdy minutia, but (on the nerdy minutia topic) I’m pretty sure that any model 184 tuba that gentleman recorded with featured a bell diameter of only about 360mm…(less than 14-1/4 inches).