Tuba Testing- Texas Bandmasters Association Convention
Posted: Sun Jul 25, 2021 12:56 pm
I attended this year‘s Texas Bandmasters Association Convention this past week. I was able to try several tubas that I haven’t played before (and some that I have), and there were some that were quite impressive. Not all manufacturers and vendors were represented - we will have to wait for TMEA in February for that.
Miraphone
Richard Murrow had let me know he was bringing the Hagen 497, along with some other BBb tubas (possible band sales - no students here to gawk over the CC and F collection - also “no students” meaning the elephant room was very quiet). It’s always a treat to visit with Richard outside of the internet, texts, etc. I much appreciate his long-time friendship and wisdom.
497
I really like my 496, but GEEZ LOUISE I should have opted for the 497. It is much more resonant, and it plays and responds much easier. Stupid-easy. Intonation is excellent. Plays easily in all registers. Wow! What a sound! Broad, clear, and enough round velvetiness to seal the deal. It’s freaking dumb (translated: wicked good, badass, killer, amazeballs, etc.) how good this tuba plays. Is there enough of a difference to justify the difference in price from a 496? For you? Subjective. For me - HECK YES.
282
This is still my favorite small BBb. Excellent response and intonation. Goes where you want with no problem. Put it in your pocket and take it home.
Eastman
Enjoyed visiting with Chuck Kerrigan again. I always hear/read that Eastman products are continually improving, and that seemed to be proven in my trials.
832
I’m not really a fan of York leadpipe angles, but I wanted to give the tuba a chance. I was not disappointed. Everything was really good on this tuba, and it had a very colorful sound. I liked this latest edition better than the last one I tried. There was no 632 for comparison, but the sound of the 832 (going on memory of the 632) had a more colorful, vibrant, York-esque sound. A very nice player.
532
One of my local schools has used one of these for a number of years. I have always thought it was a really nice tuba, but the latest incarnation is in another league. I could not possibly justify buying a King 2341 if a 532 were available at a better price. The intonation was absolutely spot on, and it just sang and resonated from top to bottom. Nice, full American style BBb sound. Not heavy, and not hard to hold. Fun to play.
New Piston F Prototype
Apparently, there may be only one tweak left prior to this going into full production. Chuck said that he would like the fourth valve to be a little more responsive down low, although he said it was much better than any rotary F. I played the tuba, and I thought it was an excellent instrument. If there was an issue with the fourth valve at all, it is so slight that the tweak cannot amount to much. I think it could be successfully sold as is, but with their willingness to improve their instruments, I think the final edition could be a really good piston F tuba that actually sounds like an F Tuba and not an Eb. Lively, attractive sound. Low range was otherwise spot on. Intonation was very good, and response and tone were easy and even all throughout. Felt very consistent, more so than previous Eastman F tubas I’ve tried. And the fifth valve slide is in the front of the tuba much like a B&S (I like).
836
Like some other members here, I really do like the 6/4 CC sound in certain applications, despite not having a need or desire for one. And I have played a couple of incarnations of the 836 previously, having determined it to be a good tuba, although not distancing it’s self far enough from other 6/4 tubas in terms of intonation and response.
Well… The latest 836 seems to be a much different beast. The response was immediate in all ranges, the tone was clear, rich, projecting, yet broad (but not overly pillowy). The low range was absolutely solid and responsive, or as much as I can be on a tuba, and the intonation was much, much, much improved - very little adjustment needed (and the quiet elephant room helped figure that out). I had to rethink my position about owning one – it was THAT good.
Wessex
I got to hang with Carl and catch up - always a good hang. We heard the first attempt at fountain destruction while at the Wessex booth, but the guy only wrecked one fountain. I think one valkyrie was slain that afternoon, and one college kid tried for 15 minutes to march the Hungarians through a muddy, bombed out battlefield. Other than that, it was a pretty peaceful week.
CC Helicon
I’ve tried this helicon a couple of different occasions, and it’s fun to play. Makes a clear, direct, yet large enough sound without being too bassy like a sousaphone. I would really like to spend more time on it figuring out the best way to hold it so that the bell screw underneath the bell didn’t hit my back. It doesn’t help being a big guy, but I think I could definitely make it work. Carl said to hold it with the bell facing a little more forward. I did, and that helped. That is probably easier than asking them to turn the bell collar clockwise about 2 inches during assembly(@UncleBeer HINT, HINT) . Aside from that, it’s a great player. I’m not sure yet if I will trade my Eb for the CC - the Eb is lots of fun to play - but it’s certainly something to think about. If the bell screw was placed differently for a big guy, that might help sales (or at least one sale
).
California Solo F
This was a nice F tuba with a small voice. Good, workable intonation with a smaller, clear sound. Nice low range and very singing upstairs. Very responsive. I don’t personally have a need for this kind of F tuba, but for someone who is looking for a smaller F tuba sound for solos, light work, etc., they should give it a whirl.
Wyvern CC
This was my first time to try this tuba, and I was highly impressed. It played incredibly well from top to bottom, had super response, excellent intonation, and had a large, highly attractive sound. I might liken it to a Miraphone 1291 on steroids but with a richer, more interesting sound. Killer low range, sweet high range, very consistent throughout.
Berg F
The latest version seemed to really play well. Intonation is respectable, and response was good. Nice dark sound. Good low range with no issues. The valves, of course, are not Miraphone-dreamy (no one comes close), but they were smooth and functional. Just fine. No issues. A good tuba at a good price.
Chicago Presence 6/4 CC
I have played this model previously, and thought it was a good instrument. I still think it is a good instrument. I found myself wishing it was a little more open in the low range. Intonation was respectable and workable. Nice clear, projecting sound that wasn’t overly broad.
665 Tubby 6/4 EEb
I wasn’t too sure what to expect, but the first note told the story - HOLY COW! It’s a good thing that it wasn’t for sale the day I tested it. I would have cut a check on the spot. Big, full sound that was vibrant, dark, clear, and smooth. Unlike some EEb tubas, the low range was solid and free/easy. Singing, clear high range. Intonation was excellent, and response was superb. Very resonant. Lightweight. Great valves. Easy to hold, and the angle of the valves was very comfortable. And despite appearances, the bell was not scratched by the corners of my big square head. There is enough room.
I agree with Carl that for the times you don’t absolutely need a big tuba in orchestra, band, etc., this tuba could cover everything else. Light to medium orchestra rep, band, wind ensemble, quintet, solo, jazz, and anything else you can think of. Highly impressed.
Miraphone
Richard Murrow had let me know he was bringing the Hagen 497, along with some other BBb tubas (possible band sales - no students here to gawk over the CC and F collection - also “no students” meaning the elephant room was very quiet). It’s always a treat to visit with Richard outside of the internet, texts, etc. I much appreciate his long-time friendship and wisdom.
497
I really like my 496, but GEEZ LOUISE I should have opted for the 497. It is much more resonant, and it plays and responds much easier. Stupid-easy. Intonation is excellent. Plays easily in all registers. Wow! What a sound! Broad, clear, and enough round velvetiness to seal the deal. It’s freaking dumb (translated: wicked good, badass, killer, amazeballs, etc.) how good this tuba plays. Is there enough of a difference to justify the difference in price from a 496? For you? Subjective. For me - HECK YES.
282
This is still my favorite small BBb. Excellent response and intonation. Goes where you want with no problem. Put it in your pocket and take it home.
Eastman
Enjoyed visiting with Chuck Kerrigan again. I always hear/read that Eastman products are continually improving, and that seemed to be proven in my trials.
832
I’m not really a fan of York leadpipe angles, but I wanted to give the tuba a chance. I was not disappointed. Everything was really good on this tuba, and it had a very colorful sound. I liked this latest edition better than the last one I tried. There was no 632 for comparison, but the sound of the 832 (going on memory of the 632) had a more colorful, vibrant, York-esque sound. A very nice player.
532
One of my local schools has used one of these for a number of years. I have always thought it was a really nice tuba, but the latest incarnation is in another league. I could not possibly justify buying a King 2341 if a 532 were available at a better price. The intonation was absolutely spot on, and it just sang and resonated from top to bottom. Nice, full American style BBb sound. Not heavy, and not hard to hold. Fun to play.
New Piston F Prototype
Apparently, there may be only one tweak left prior to this going into full production. Chuck said that he would like the fourth valve to be a little more responsive down low, although he said it was much better than any rotary F. I played the tuba, and I thought it was an excellent instrument. If there was an issue with the fourth valve at all, it is so slight that the tweak cannot amount to much. I think it could be successfully sold as is, but with their willingness to improve their instruments, I think the final edition could be a really good piston F tuba that actually sounds like an F Tuba and not an Eb. Lively, attractive sound. Low range was otherwise spot on. Intonation was very good, and response and tone were easy and even all throughout. Felt very consistent, more so than previous Eastman F tubas I’ve tried. And the fifth valve slide is in the front of the tuba much like a B&S (I like).
836
Like some other members here, I really do like the 6/4 CC sound in certain applications, despite not having a need or desire for one. And I have played a couple of incarnations of the 836 previously, having determined it to be a good tuba, although not distancing it’s self far enough from other 6/4 tubas in terms of intonation and response.
Well… The latest 836 seems to be a much different beast. The response was immediate in all ranges, the tone was clear, rich, projecting, yet broad (but not overly pillowy). The low range was absolutely solid and responsive, or as much as I can be on a tuba, and the intonation was much, much, much improved - very little adjustment needed (and the quiet elephant room helped figure that out). I had to rethink my position about owning one – it was THAT good.
Wessex
I got to hang with Carl and catch up - always a good hang. We heard the first attempt at fountain destruction while at the Wessex booth, but the guy only wrecked one fountain. I think one valkyrie was slain that afternoon, and one college kid tried for 15 minutes to march the Hungarians through a muddy, bombed out battlefield. Other than that, it was a pretty peaceful week.
CC Helicon
I’ve tried this helicon a couple of different occasions, and it’s fun to play. Makes a clear, direct, yet large enough sound without being too bassy like a sousaphone. I would really like to spend more time on it figuring out the best way to hold it so that the bell screw underneath the bell didn’t hit my back. It doesn’t help being a big guy, but I think I could definitely make it work. Carl said to hold it with the bell facing a little more forward. I did, and that helped. That is probably easier than asking them to turn the bell collar clockwise about 2 inches during assembly(@UncleBeer HINT, HINT) . Aside from that, it’s a great player. I’m not sure yet if I will trade my Eb for the CC - the Eb is lots of fun to play - but it’s certainly something to think about. If the bell screw was placed differently for a big guy, that might help sales (or at least one sale
).California Solo F
This was a nice F tuba with a small voice. Good, workable intonation with a smaller, clear sound. Nice low range and very singing upstairs. Very responsive. I don’t personally have a need for this kind of F tuba, but for someone who is looking for a smaller F tuba sound for solos, light work, etc., they should give it a whirl.
Wyvern CC
This was my first time to try this tuba, and I was highly impressed. It played incredibly well from top to bottom, had super response, excellent intonation, and had a large, highly attractive sound. I might liken it to a Miraphone 1291 on steroids but with a richer, more interesting sound. Killer low range, sweet high range, very consistent throughout.
Berg F
The latest version seemed to really play well. Intonation is respectable, and response was good. Nice dark sound. Good low range with no issues. The valves, of course, are not Miraphone-dreamy (no one comes close), but they were smooth and functional. Just fine. No issues. A good tuba at a good price.
Chicago Presence 6/4 CC
I have played this model previously, and thought it was a good instrument. I still think it is a good instrument. I found myself wishing it was a little more open in the low range. Intonation was respectable and workable. Nice clear, projecting sound that wasn’t overly broad.
665 Tubby 6/4 EEb
I wasn’t too sure what to expect, but the first note told the story - HOLY COW! It’s a good thing that it wasn’t for sale the day I tested it. I would have cut a check on the spot. Big, full sound that was vibrant, dark, clear, and smooth. Unlike some EEb tubas, the low range was solid and free/easy. Singing, clear high range. Intonation was excellent, and response was superb. Very resonant. Lightweight. Great valves. Easy to hold, and the angle of the valves was very comfortable. And despite appearances, the bell was not scratched by the corners of my big square head. There is enough room.
I agree with Carl that for the times you don’t absolutely need a big tuba in orchestra, band, etc., this tuba could cover everything else. Light to medium orchestra rep, band, wind ensemble, quintet, solo, jazz, and anything else you can think of. Highly impressed.
- F48796AB-A5CA-499E-BC6B-7C30734612FB.jpeg (187.86 KiB) Viewed 608 times
