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Seeing as tomorrow is a federal holiday and Uncle Sam has graciously given me the day off, I have an appointment tomorrow at Dillon to try out some CC tubas.

Really interested in the Eastman 832 and 632 4/4 CCs but I'd like to try out the Kalison DS they have in stock, too.

Despite living a few hours away from them for the past five years, this'll be my first time going, so I'm pretty excited.

Enjoy! I’ve made that drive several times.

@Matt Walters works there and is a great guy to deal with.

Despite being very busy the other day Matt was nice enough to give me a call and set up the appointment and walk me through a few things. I almost made the drive this past spring, but found another tuba more local to me and cancelled, so I owe them this one!

Had a blast today! 3 hours down and 4 hours back (dang NYC rush hour traffic...)

Got to briefly play the Buescher jumbo sousaphone (30" bell). I am 5'6", but this thing is still massive.


Spent some serious time with the Eastman 632 and 832 4/4 CCs. Ended up buying the demo model 832 (my son's llama for scale):


Matt was amazingly generous and nice, a true class act. The shop was very interesting with all the historic displays. I wish I could've played everything!

Congratulations on the new tuba!

Thanks Matt. @tubanh84 was right when he said I could've bought this tuba blind, but I am glad I made the trip down to confirm his suspicions.

I did spy the 3+1 Martin that is the sibling to @bort2.0's Martin, but didn't get a chance to play on it. There was a gentleman with an appointment after me playing that satin silver King 2341 and a Miraphone 1291 Bb who was going to town on some nice jazz licks, but I'm unsure if he's on this board. If so, you sounded great!

632 vs 832:

Playing the 632 and the 832 in their little practice rooms made it hard to gauge the sound precisely, but I will say that the 832 felt a little more secure/open and easier to push in the low range. I really enjoyed the sound and response of the 632 and ergonomically I preferred it (slide layout and fifth valve thumb trigger mechanism were better on the 632), but intonation-wise, the 632 that I was playing had a pesky 3rd partial B and Bb that I couldn't quite lip up in tune. The 832 favored a slightly low Bb as well, but that was the only (only!) intonation quirk on this horn that was readily fixable by a push on 1.

I am used to typical CC intonation quirks -- pull 1 for F, push 1 for D in the staff, maybe favor 12 and 23 for E and Eb in the staff -- but this tuba has none of those characteristics: as I said, just a slight push on 1 for Bb, which is a little unusual, but I will take that trade off!

I'm excited to put the 832 through the paces during rehearsal this week. Now to find a gig bag for it instead of lugging around the 500 pound hard case...

Congratulations!

Getting a new tuba is an exciting day.. trust me, I've been there a bunch of times. No problem about not trying the Martin, was just a little bit curious about it. Mine is sitting right next to me and getting plenty of use. I hope that one will have the same fate with someone else.

arpthark wrote: ↑Mon Oct 10, 2022 7:33 pm Had a blast today! 3 hours down and 4 hours back (dang NYC rush hour traffic...)

Got to briefly play the Buescher jumbo sousaphone (30" bell). I am 5'6", but this thing is still massive.

Ah, you're in the trombone room! I've spent some time there. You can get lost in all those instruments.

I almost got lost in the Buescher bell!

Those Eastmans are excellent horns. I'm looking at the other demos wishing I had 5k to spare. . .
Congrats!

So glad that it worked out!

That 832 was CRAZY good. Closest thing to plug and play I've put on my face. For me, it was good with my Mike Finn H, but the Olka CB1 I'd brought absolutely lit it up.

And that sousa was comically big. Lord. Glad you were able to get a picture of it posted.

tubanh84 wrote: ↑Tue Oct 11, 2022 11:20 am So glad that it worked out!

That 832 was CRAZY good. Closest thing to plug and play I've put on my face. For me, it was good with my Mike Finn H, but the Olka CB1 I'd brought absolutely lit it up.

And that sousa was comically big. Lord. Glad you were able to get a picture of it posted.

Thanks! It reminds me a lot of your/my old Gnagey (we did have that exchange in a UConn practice room back in 2017 or so, right?), but I think the trade off in the lower range will be nice -- a slightly less-sweet/heirloomy sound, but more power down below.

My York-ish American style tuba experience is limited to my old B&S PT-20P (4197) and that old Gnagey. I had always thought of myself as a German tuba kind of guy -- I've had 186s, Rudis, VMI, Cervenys and Alexes until recently. But a good tuba is a good tuba!

arpthark wrote: ↑Tue Oct 11, 2022 11:33 am

tubanh84 wrote: ↑Tue Oct 11, 2022 11:20 am So glad that it worked out!

That 832 was CRAZY good. Closest thing to plug and play I've put on my face. For me, it was good with my Mike Finn H, but the Olka CB1 I'd brought absolutely lit it up.

And that sousa was comically big. Lord. Glad you were able to get a picture of it posted.

Thanks! It reminds me a lot of your/my old Gnagey (we did have that exchange in a UConn practice room back in 2017 or so, right?), but I think the trade off in the lower range will be nice -- a slightly less-sweet/heirloomy sound, but more power down below.

My York-ish American style tuba experience is limited to my old B&S PT-20P (4197) and that old Gnagey. I had always thought of myself as a German tuba kind of guy -- I've had 186s, Rudis, VMI, Cervenys and Alexes until recently. But a good tuba is a good tuba!

We absolutely did! Still have it. I'm mostly playing the 184 now, but I can't bring myself to let the Gnagey go. It got me through a lot of concerts. The 832 definitely has more power in the low register and more high overtones in the sound all around.

Funny story about the Gnagey - I played it in the New Philharmonia Orchestra in Newton, MA, which I'd couch as a Very Good community orchestra. Showed up to the first rehearsal. Lots of former music majors who went into other fields (mostly doctors, lawyers, and professors. I swear it would set the record for most advanced degrees in an orchestra not related to music) and one of the trombone players commented that it was a "pretty small tuba, isn't it?" He didn't mention it being small after we'd played the rehearsal :)

When the 832 has taken over all your playing and you're willing to let the 184 go, heheh, let me know.

bort2.0 wrote: ↑Tue Oct 11, 2022 9:37 am Congratulations!

Getting a new tuba is an exciting day.. trust me, I've been there a bunch of times. No problem about not trying the Martin, was just a little bit curious about it. Mine is sitting right next to me and getting plenty of use. I hope that one will have the same fate with someone else.

How many times it been new tuba day for bort / bort2.0?

Must be a big number.

cjk wrote: ↑Wed Oct 12, 2022 2:29 pm

bort2.0 wrote: ↑Tue Oct 11, 2022 9:37 am Congratulations!

Getting a new tuba is an exciting day.. trust me, I've been there a bunch of times. No problem about not trying the Martin, was just a little bit curious about it. Mine is sitting right next to me and getting plenty of use. I hope that one will have the same fate with someone else.

How many times it been new tuba day for bort / bort2.0?

Must be a big number.

It's one less than it'll be next time.

bort2.0 wrote: ↑Wed Oct 12, 2022 3:04 pm

cjk wrote: ↑Wed Oct 12, 2022 2:29 pm

bort2.0 wrote: ↑Tue Oct 11, 2022 9:37 am Congratulations!

Getting a new tuba is an exciting day.. trust me, I've been there a bunch of times. No problem about not trying the Martin, was just a little bit curious about it. Mine is sitting right next to me and getting plenty of use. I hope that one will have the same fate with someone else.

How many times it been new tuba day for bort / bort2.0?

Must be a big number.

It's one less than it'll be next time.

Yeah, I don't think I can count that high either. Need to keep a spreadsheet to keep track.

cjk wrote: ↑Wed Oct 12, 2022 3:18 pm

bort2.0 wrote: ↑Wed Oct 12, 2022 3:04 pm

cjk wrote: ↑Wed Oct 12, 2022 2:29 pm

How many times it been new tuba day for bort / bort2.0?

Must be a big number.

It's one less than it'll be next time.

Yeah, I don't think I can count that high either. Need to keep a spreadsheet to keep track.

It's something like16 or 17