Need Advice


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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.







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