Posted by Steve Inman (long) on February 03, 2004 at 21:41:13:
In Reply to: Eb or F tubas? posted by Chris on February 03, 2004 at 01:03:12:
An adult amateur's opinion, from one who played BBb in HS, and for about 15 years after college (Mira 186), then moved to Eb, then to F and CC, and has now Eb and CC.
I moved to Eb initially as my single-tuba solution. Most of my playing is quintet. Next comes a 15 pc brass choir, 20 pc pit orchestra, community band. In the community band, I'm never the only tuba. My Eb was the Besson 983. A very nice quintet tuba. The extra resistance in the compensating low register made it extra work trying to play extended low range passages in some pit orchestra literature. When I startet playing in a quartet, the sound seemed a bit broad for trying to cover a euph part (as written when possible). So I moved to a small F and added a CC for a bigger sound when needed.
Regarding my experience with F tubas:
If you want an F tuba that plays the whole range of literature with ease, buy the Yamaha 621 (for a small one) or the Yamaha 822 (for a larger one). I have no experience with the new MW 1282(?) F. The Willson F is also in the same league. Otherwise, the low CC and surrounding notes will cause you some level of "difficulty", ranging from a small but manageable shift in your technique, to lots of frustration with no playable note available whatsoever. (I have played a nice Amati 3/4 rotary F tuba and a Yamaha 621 F tuba, each for more than a year.)
If you want an F tuba for "that 'German', rotary F tuba sound", be prepared for some of the above "difficulties". In order for me to have an F that would work really well for quintet, without "difficulties",I decided I needed the Yamaha 822, but didn't have the available funding. I ended up finding the YFB-621 too small to be pleasing to the rest of my quintet, so I've presently left the F tuba world. I may some day switch back to this approach, and also buy a 3/4 or modest 4/4 rotary F for a great upper register horn. In this event, I believe I would need a three-tuba solution, adding a 5/4 CC for a large/full sounding horn.
At present, I'm re-learning Eb, having just purchased a Yamaha YEB-381. The 381 5V Eb (or the 321 4V) has a decent "sized" sound -- noticeably bigger than the YFB-621. It is not troubled with as much low register resistance as the typical compensating Eb tubas (but it's not as open as a big CC either). IMO, it is big enough to be a decent quintet horn (but still on the small end). I purchased this one to work in a quartet or quintet setting, and for a smaller strolling tuba for Christmas carolling. If I stay with Eb as my bass tuba, I may one day add either the Willson 3400 or the Yamaha 632 for a better quintet horn. Either of these horns might also fit my playing needs for everything else I do as well. In this case, I'd have two tubas, both in the same key (Eb). Unless I start playing quintet gigs in churches with big pipe organs, or in a big church orchestra setting, I probably wouldn't need the bigger CC. (But once kids are safely thru college, I suppose it wouldn't hurt to try out the new Miraphone 1291 CC, would it?)
Some random ramblings -- HTH,
Steve Inman
Kokomo, IN