Posted by Kevin Robertson on January 15, 2003 at 06:04:23:
I need some help. Let me describe my situation:
I am a euph player for the Army. Currently, thanks to the vagaries of the Army Band system, I am the tuba player for our brass quintet. My chops, after playing tuba, again, pretty much full time for 6 months, about back to where they were when I was at my best in college (I played more tuba in college than euph, even though euph was my major). I am playing on a Meinl-Weston BBb with the quintet, don't know the model. It has a 25 stamped on the bell under the label. It's a great horn. Took it out of the wrapping from the factory last week. I was using a Conn-Helleberg, but found it was too restrictive in the high range. I'm vacillating between an old Conn 2 I picked up years ago, and a Bach 18. They seem to give me greater control through the range. (I tried a Bach 22, mirafone C2, and C4, as well.(It's what they had in supply.)).
My problem comes in that a large portion of our quintet book has some pretty high stuff. I don't want to wimp out, and take it down an octave. It's my feeling the arranger/composer wrote those pitches there for a reason. But the book is kicking my butt. The first piece that comes to mind is the third movement of the Frackenpohl arrangement of the first Brandenburg Concerto. I�m handling the stuff in the first movement fine, but the third is eating my lunch. The second movement is a cakewalk. (I even tried pulling out my euph for the third movement, but it just doesn�t sound right.)
I�ve talked to my supply/budget Sergeant, and he is up for spending the money on a tuba in a different key for me. (He�s a euph player that has spent a lot of time on tuba, as well) He has even talked about letting me laterally transfer it to my next unit, so I can keep on playing it. I�ve never played anything other than a BBb. However, I am in Korea for the next 6 months (maybe longer if all this stuff with Iraq turns bad), and my wife is the States. Taking the time to acquire some mastery on a new instrument will not be a problem.
I would prefer one horn that I could do all the quintet stuff with. However, I have no problems with just having a supplemental horn to the MW. I�ve been doing some research, a lot of which has been reading this BBS and it�s archives. The Yamaha 822, and the Willson 3200 have caught my eye. (I�m partial to Willson�s. I�ve had my own 2900 euph since �86) Doing some more digging today, though, the Alexander 166 F/CC caught my eye (after reading about double horns on the board). I need some advice on this. Keep in mind that I already have a BBb that I can use anytime I want.
Or should I be looking more in the direction of a mouthpiece instead of a horn? If so, I am open to suggestions.