Posted by Tony Z. on August 22, 2002 at 08:22:15:
A very lucky thing has happened...a very gracious donor has just donated a Willson BBb tuba to the university where I teach. I played one of these monsters several years ago and it quickly became my personal standard for what I wanted a BBb to sound like. I took the last week to put it through its paces and am ultimately impressed. I am still looking for the perfect MP, but this thing goes from roaring to softly singing in less than a breath. It is heavy to the point of almost being difficult to hold, but the sound is amazing. It is agile and has a fine sounding upper register, keeping its sound together all the way up to f2. I'm going to have my best student play it in concert band and orchestra this year. I know that it remains a cost-prohibitive instrument, but if you've got a big ensemble to play in, this horn is tough to beat. After having played it, I can safely say that I probably wouldn't buy one for myself, though; I don't do enough large group playing. I would still probably lean toward the new King for general playing situations, and my Willson EEb for solo work...BTW this donor is also supposed to be giving us one of those as well next year. If any of you aspiring tubists are looking for a university, email me privately...I have some nice horns to play while you're here!! (Unabashed Plug)
Good day!
TZ