Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: No decent New F tubas on the market (me out-of-step? too picky?)


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Posted by Rob Perelli-Minetti on April 16, 1999 at 07:44:35:

In Reply to: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: No decent New F tubas on the market (me out-of-step? too picky?) posted by Joe Selllmansberger on April 15, 1999 at 21:40:00:

"There are more entries on this BBS about those "passable" Russian tubas that anything else. What does that say about our commitment, as a group, to the perfection of our craft and to the perfection of our equipment?"

Joe, I agree with much of what you said in your post, but I think the quoted sentences above are perhaps unfair. This BBS caters to a wide range of players, from relative newbie students to old amateurs who love the tubs (such as myself) to serious professional players. There exists a wide variation in horn quality and price largely because there exists a wide variety of needs and budgets.

It seems to me that the interest in the St. Petersburg horns results from a perceived lack of what might be described as 'advanced student' or 'entry-level professional' horns which can be acquired for $3500 (with a case) or less. I think this is a valid niche market, just as the 'serious professional money is essentially no object' horn is a valid (and critically important) niche market.

The St. Petersburg in particular is a response to a search for a European style (large bore, rotary valve) horn at a reasonable price, by players who 'grew up' on BBb miraphones and in many cases have never played a 'professional' American tuba such as a King 2341 or its predecessors or a Conn 24/25/26J or a (4valve) York Master, let alone some of the really great custom made horns from King, Conn, York or Holton. [Bessons have a characteristic sound (I could still identify it blind after 20 years of not playing), which you either like or don't like, and are in a category by themselves IMHO]

I'm only an amatuer now and was a serious student in the '60's, so my concept of BBb sound was formed hearing those horns and my opinions are probably pretty suspect to today's professionals and hotshot students. But, except for some good Alexander BBb's I've heard and one I played and a Kruspe I heard once, to my ear a good American-design BBb from the list in the previous paragraph is a much better sounding horn than any of the European horns. The American BBb's seem to have far fewer intonation problems and require a lot less slide pulling than the European horns.

I think many players now looking at St. Petes and inexpensive miraphone BBbs would be a whole lot better served with King 2341s, Conn 5Js or similar horns from Holton or Getzen. The American horns all have smaller bores than the typical European tuba, which make them easier to play for the amatuer player and yet they have just as big or bigger a sound than the European horns in equivalent price ranges.

As others have commented, it is truly a tragedy that the mandrels for York, Conn, King and Holton's great tubas of the pre WWII period.

It is encouraging that several American manufacturers have been active in horn design in the past few years, especially Getzen and Holton. Now UMI has a new CC which will soon be coming out as a King. I played it at the brass conference in New York last weekend and was much impressed. It seemed to play well in all registers and combined (to my ear at least) the big centered CC sound people look for with both traditional King 'sweetness' and typical old American tuba 'guts' (a euphemism). Good enough to make me want to switch.




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