TubaForum.net

I don't see this advertising flaw on this site very often at all, but I do see it on Facebook surprisingly often, and it makes me chuckle:

"I'm selling my blah blah model tuba, because I upgraded to a much better one, but I think this one's plenty good enough for you."

(not quite that obtuse, but you get the point)

Yes, and the opposite approach is much more inviting... "this is way more tuba than I'll ever need" "I could never do this instrument justice" "this needs to go to a pro that can enjoy it" "I'm just not playing enough to justify keeping this" "This horn needs to be played!"

...and my current statement I will use going forward: "at my age - what am I going to do with a TUBA!"

TJ

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Rest assured, any university which has changed their name from "blah blah State" to "University of blah blah" has lowered their academic standards.

This is the best example of model XYZ I have ever played.

Obviously, the young person who I have never heard of before must be an expert tuba-picker-outer.

cjk wrote: ↑Mon Mar 20, 2023 2:00 pm Obviously, the young person who I have never heard of before must be an expert tuba-picker-outer.

Kinda reminds me of how, as a kid, I used to think my opinion meant something because so-and-so was my teacher.

I then read Zen in the Art of Archery by Eugene Herrigel. His dedication page mentions that you shouldn't mention your teacher when trying to sound like an expert, then he bragged about his students. Which I always thought was a really cool workaround.

Then, I was telling a great martial artist about that, and he was like Herrigel...you mean that Nazi?!

Turns out, Herrigel was a Nazi, and may have been sent to Japan by Himmler to study Zen, which he brought back and tried to integrate it into Nazi teachings.

You think you know a guy.

tofu wrote: ↑Sun Mar 19, 2023 8:14 pm "We have continually upgraded the quality of our students since you graduated."

My first thought was that your university needs to rethink the hire of their obviously too-young Alumni PR person. Reminds me of this generation who think history began when they were born.

I think when people “upgrade”, they are upgrading in size or price of the horn. They are definitely not always upgrading in quality. I wonder if a couple big jobs were won on smaller horns if people would say they are “downgrading” their tubas?

Weren't tubas much smaller in the recent past for orchestra jobs, and the "need" of a 6/4 BAT is a relatively modern fad turning trend? John Fletcher played with the LSO on an Eb, which I think was a smallish Eb.

The NStar currently for sale on FB, the guy is looking for something that doesn't have in-line valves because they do not work for him ergonomically. Opposite of me.

BopEuph wrote: ↑Tue Mar 21, 2023 9:13 am Weren't tubas much smaller in the recent past for orchestra jobs, and the "need" of a 6/4 BAT is a relatively modern fad turning trend? John Fletcher played with the LSO on an Eb, which I think was a smallish Eb.

I agree with you that it is definitely a modern trend, once higher-quality CC Yorkophones became commercially available through Herr Hirsbrunner, Herr Nirschl, and others, but John Fletcher was also known to play a 6/4 Holton CC in the orchestra, as well. He played (at least, what I've seen) mostly on a 19" bell B&H Eb. Please correct me if I am wrong.

arpthark wrote: ↑Tue Mar 21, 2023 9:19 am

BopEuph wrote: ↑Tue Mar 21, 2023 9:13 am Weren't tubas much smaller in the recent past for orchestra jobs, and the "need" of a 6/4 BAT is a relatively modern fad turning trend? John Fletcher played with the LSO on an Eb, which I think was a smallish Eb.

I agree with you that it is definitely a modern trend, once higher-quality CC Yorkophones became commercially available through Herr Hirsbrunner, Herr Nirschl, and others, but John Fletcher was also known to play a 6/4 Holton CC in the orchestra, as well. He played (at least, what I've seen) mostly on a 19" bell B&H Eb. Please correct me if I am wrong.

Links below to a John Fletcher tuba lecture, parts 1 and 2. IIRC, he discusses his equipment at some point. Definitely worth setting some time aside for listening to.

About 10 minutes into that first video, and he makes it feel like the scene at the time was bleak. Now, 40 years later, it feels like very little has changed for the better or worse. As in, it hasn't gotten worse, but hasn't gotten better. But it's probably how we always feel--it's not as good as the "good 'ol days" of gigging.

The other thing is, I remember hearing that he used the Eb horn in the orchestra, and now that belief has been set straight by the man himself. This is a very good wealth of info.

E: Almost finished with it, and I feel like there was a cold floating around that everyone caught by the end of the masterclass, because the longer it goes, the more people just keep coughing.

E2: Q: Could you finish that Meistersinger excerpt? A: Trills!

Man, he was hysterical.

Back to the selling tip --- I think maybe some people do tubas the way some people do mouthpieces. With mouthpieces, it's usually the learners, who are under the impression that their technical problems can be alleviated via a different cup. There really isn't a tuba that plays perfectly, and some can afford to keep trying. Others, I think, just get bored and can afford to mess around.

I can afford to mess around, but the range of what I want to mess with is pretty narrow.

In my experience some people seem to "grow out" of horns meaning that their instruments aren't giving them what they're looking for in terms of sound and volume. But I also know of people who get horns that play and sound great, but they just do not enjoy playing it or don't like certain aspects of the horn that others wouldn't mind. If either of these are your reasons then it is hard to explain why you're getting rid of a horn without making it sound like you're bashing the horn. That's why I try not to put why I am selling a horn, unless(like at the moment) its a mater of just wanting to downsize a bit. I love my Neptune, but it just isn't a good fit for what I need at the moment.

When I sold one of my tubas (perhaps that some people were surprised to hear that I was selling), I didn't explain why I was selling it.

I just...sold it. It sold...and I didn't have to continuously bump my ad nor lower my price.

Q: Why are you selling?

A: Because I would like to have the money more than I would like to have this tuba.