Posted by joseph on November 02, 2000 at 15:50:28:
In Reply to: Mel Culbertson Apollo F tuba? Or others? posted by Andrew on November 02, 2000 at 09:02:42:
If I were you I would take a look at the many good Ebs on the market first. Do you think that Fs are that much better up high? I'm genuinely curious. I would think that the Willson Eb would be a good match for your purposes. I would also be very tempted by the Besson 983 and the Nirschl. I'm not much of an Eb player so I will with hold my poorly formed opinions.
In terms of Fs.. based on the type of playing you do I would lean toward either the PT-15, MW45SLP, MW45, or Yamaha 822. The Yamaha probably has the 'studio-quality' sound while the PT-15 has the most exciting tonal color. The MWs are somewhere in between and may be your best compromise. All have good intonation, exceptional low registers, and should be able to handle the symphonic stuff.
good luck!
joseph