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Now that I'm a “kaiser B-flat guy", I'm getting pictures sent to me of them "in action".

To me, this looks to be a Melton "Fafner" 195.

This is a live performance of Götterdämmerung that a friend of mine is attending (as I type this post) in Vienna:
( https://bachtrack.com/opera-event/gotte ... 022/354188 )



I believe it’s Mr. Paul Adolf Halwax.

Paul has his own Fafner Modell:
The Modell: 195PH-GL

https://elcoda.com/bb-tuba-4-rotary-val ... ge_code=en

...so a smaller bell diameter...

...but - oddly - the picture my friend texted me doesn't appear (??) to show a bell diameter that is only 16.5" (420mm).

Is it possible that he owns a couple of different 195 tubas...or (as the picture my friend took hints at a brown bell) is it possible that he changed his mind, and had a stock bell put on his instrument?

Pictures can easily fool me, and often do.

bloke wrote: ↑Fri May 20, 2022 8:07 am ...so a smaller bell diameter...

...but - oddly - the picture my friend texted me doesn't appear (??) to show a bell diameter that is only 16.5" (420mm).

Is it possible that he owns a couple of different 195 tubas...or (as the picture my friend took hints at a brown bell) is it possible that he changed his mind, and had a stock bell put on his instrument?

Pictures can easily fool me, and often do.

I seem to recall seeing a video of him playing a (real) Bohland & Fuchs kaiser. And another with a regular Fafner. Maybe Herr Halwax is, like someone I know, a three-beefer player.

Suddenly, I seem to own three B-flats that I actually use, but don’t you as well ?

somewhat related, because it’s to the contrary:
After a considerable number of months, I pulled out the 5450 and played some things. Man does that thing slur easily… but I had never forgotten that.
It surprised me – as I’ve always thought of that thing as a powerhouse – how much less resonance (than the behemoth) it offers for the same amount of effort. It makes me think about pulling the tall rim off of its mouthpiece, and replacing it with a standard rim. I won’t be selling that instrument, but Mrs. bloke will - if you catch my drift.
The thing that always shakes hands with me immediately is the F. it will be months and months… I’ll pull it out and start playing it, and then turn on the tuner to see how badly I’m screwing up tuning…and it’s just right on, as if it’s a faithful dog that’s always glad to see it’s master - no matter how neglectful the master is.

bloke wrote: ↑Fri May 20, 2022 12:55 pm Suddenly, I seem to own three B-flats that I actually use, but don’t you as well ?

I do, although the 9' B-flat hasn't seen much use lately.

somewhat related, because it’s to the contrary:
After a considerable number of months, I pulled out the 5450 and played some things. Man does that thing slur easily… but I had never forgotten that.
It surprised me – as I’ve always thought of that thing as a powerhouse – how much less resonance (than the behemoth) it offers for the same amount of effort. It makes me think about pulling the tall rim off of its mouthpiece, and replacing it with a standard rim. I won’t be selling that instrument, but Mrs. bloke will - if you catch my drift.

There's just something about the sound/resonance of a large BBb that other tubas cannot quite reproduce.

The thing that always shakes hands with me immediately is the F. it will be months and months… I’ll pull it out and start playing it, and then turn on the tuner to see how badly I’m screwing up tuning…and it’s just right on, as if it’s a faithful dog that’s always glad to see it’s master - no matter how neglectful the master is.

I don't need much acclimating to mine either. It's much like the proverbial bicycle in that regard.

I haven't gone a long period without playing the 377, but it is supremely easy to play. Someone commented on my review/first notes video that it sounded like I had been playing it a long time (I made the video/sound clips the day I pulled it out of the box - those are the actual first notes). I think it's another instrument that is very user friendly. Sure, it's different from F tuba, of course, and it might be much easier to play at first, but once you know how to feed/play an F tuba, the Symphonie makes it easy to get on and ride without much difficulty even if it has sat in the corner a while. The Eb is pretty easy to play, and the learning curve (if there is one at all) is quite small. IMHO, of course.