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Anyone spent any time with one of these? The model Chris Olka plays and helped design.

I tried a couple examples at the Army Conference in February, I'm personally not a fan. It's too light and thin for its own good, and I found that the sound spreads too easily when you play above a forte. There's a difference between a tuba that's bright and zippy and a tuba that redlines too easily.

I'm curious as to how poorly I've mis-sized the 51 vs. the 825.

I believe the Eastman pancake is wider, but probably by only an inch or so...

Their prices don't seem to be that much different...

There’s also a gr55 with bigger bell

MikeMason wrote: Sat Apr 22, 2023 5:23 pm There’s also a gr55 with bigger bell

Maybe the bigger bell and gold brass - on the German made one - would separate their prices by another $1,000 or so...??

Wait, so the Chinese copy almost at the same price now as the real thing? Wasn't that kind of the whole point of the Chinese One to begin with?

The 825V, to which the OP was referring, has five valves so a direct comparison to the 51 or 55 wouldn't be exact. The 51 has a consistent bore throughout and the 55 is graduated in the fourth. And with the fifth being added after the fourth, full advantage of a graduated valve bore can be achieved.

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bort2.0 wrote: Sat Apr 22, 2023 7:51 pm Wait, so the Chinese copy almost at the same price now as the real thing? Wasn't that kind of the whole point of the Chinese One to begin with?

LOL..
Of course not. That was just a temporary phase to put the manufacturers in other countries out of business.
( but you of course know this, and your question is just rhetorical)

As we've seen, to be more competitive one is cutting out the middlemen. As to those former middlemen, there are still lots of job openings at fast food restaurants. I suspect the other one is still enjoying a tremendous markup above manufacturing cost.

It was just a matter of time before "good for the price" turns into "good at any price" turns into "okay, then let's charge any price."

I guess the party's over.

Unless you're talking about the CCP. Seems like their brainwash is still going strong

Just to keep apples to apples: the Eastman comes with a decent case. The b&s is a copy of a b&f. Yes, I’m a salesman who sells Eastman products. Many other brands too.Almost no pro models. Mostly stuff to schools. They are decent. Considering an 825v for myself.

I liked the 562 a lot too. If I could get 5 valves, probably just stop there.

The issue with most of that stuff - for really picky people - is still (yeah, they work "fine") is valves and slides.
I'd be perfectly happy with the valves and slides on JP stuff, but (though quite a few indeed) don't offer a zillion different models of tubas, and I'm not really looking for anything that they make, although I (personally) like at least three of the things that they make quite a lot, but I like my goofy old stuff - that almost no one owns - a little bit more, at least for what I do.

As I've made obvious, I'm really excited about the one Miraphone instrument I own (and how many of those have they made? two dozen...??) but I'm honestly not interested in personally owning anything else that they make and really nothing that Buffet makes, though - machinery-wise - those makes tend to be pretty nice and - if not perfect - close enough to dial in here at the shop.

bloke "a goof, an 'anti-most-every-trend/craze'... and - if there were quite a few potential tuba consumers like me - the tuba factories would all be out of business"

bloke wrote: Sat Apr 22, 2023 4:39 pm I'm curious as to how poorly I've mis-sized the 51 vs. the 825.

I believe the Eastman pancake is wider, but probably by only an inch or so...

Their prices don't seem to be that much different...

I've always thought these were the Bb brothers to the MW 5450. It wouldn't surprise me even if the outer bows were the same between a 5450/GR51/GR55.

cjk wrote: Mon Apr 24, 2023 7:24 am I've always thought these were the Bb brothers to the MW 5450. It wouldn't surprise me even if the outer bows were the same between a 5450/GR51/GR55.

That seems likely, particularly since the 50 things are offered with two bell diameters, and the 5450 was offered in one bell diameter and later in a larger one.

Back when Buffet was still trying to increase their dealer representation, a couple of reps drove up the road into blokeplace and showed me one of those 50 series B Flats and described it as a really nice tuba to offer to schools. I agreed with them, but there just aren't that many schools around here that pay even what they were asking wholesale for those instruments, and then there were the cases (as all schools require to be included) and the shipping on top of that.

peterbas wrote: Sun Apr 23, 2023 3:34 am Price difference in Germany isn't that small, more than €2000.
Difference between 4V and 5V Eastman is only €300. The silver version is plus €1000.

The GR55 now has the silly price of €11.000.

I'm the proud owner of a 6 year old 5 Valve GR55 factory build by B&S, retail in Europe about € 12.000,- /€ 12.500,- at the moment.

Eastman 825V € 7.785,- (€ 8.679,- RRP)

Hirsbrunner188 wrote: Wed May 03, 2023 12:34 pm
I'm the proud owner of a 6 year old 5 Valve GR55 factory build by B&S , retail in Europe about € 12.000,- /€ 12.500,- at the moment.

Eastman 825V € 7.785,- (€ 8.679,- RRP)

Could you possibly post a picture of that? I'm sure a lot of folks would be interested in seeing it.

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cjk wrote: Wed May 03, 2023 1:55 pm 5 Valve GR55 factory build by B&S

Could you possibly post a picture of that? I'm sure a lot of folks would be interested in seeing it.

As requested.