Posted by Rick Denney on May 25, 2001 at 18:49:18:
In Reply to: Cerveny 601 vs Yamaha 641 posted by Nate P on May 25, 2001 at 16:42:47:
No expert me. But I refuse to let that stop me from blabbing an opinion.
The two horns you mention are on different planets. The Yamaha, despite its big bore, is a 4/4 rotary tuba of average capabilities. Yes, some love them, but the ones I've played have been a little unresponsive and hard to play with a good sound. Yamaha hits and misses--the C rotary (661) seemed a wonderful instrument, and everyone knows how I feel about my small F.
The Cerveny 601 is an earth-mover by comparison. I played a 701 (same horn with red brass) at Dillon's recently, and it could bury a Yamaha at fifty paces. But I could not play softly on the instrument. I'm sure it was me, but I didn't have the problem on other horns. But it played loudly with supreme majesty and that German sense of COMMAND. Not necessarily warm, but powerful.
The new King had an inside-out feel to me, as if you had to do all the work to make it project. The old King was similar, but the new one is more responsive it gives you a more connected feel to the instrument. This will be sacreligious to some, but I preferred the humble Jupiter 582 to either King.
The VMI was a good horn, but it lacked the depth of sound of larger horns (such as my York Master). It seems to me that the VMI could use a good set of 5/4 outer branches.
I have to say that I didn't like any of the above as well as either my Miraphone 186 or my York Master. Is it just because of what I'm used to? Probably.
Before I made any decision, however, I'd want to play the Miraphone 191, and maybe the Alexander that Dale mentioned, too.
Rick "who can make any tuba sound bad" Denney