Posted by Klaus on October 10, 2001 at 14:24:27:
In Reply to: CC vs. F help! posted by art on October 10, 2001 at 13:29:41:
As I interprete the lowest common denominator of board wisdom, your question is posing an unsolvable problem.
There can be carried out endless discussions of CC versus BBb and of F versus Eb as contrabass, respectively bass, tuba preferences.
But both of these discussions are carried out in the two distinctive spheres of bass and of contrabass tubaism.
I have read no validated opinions of F and CC tubas being fully and unconditionally interchangeable tools for the same musical tasks.
Hence my advise will be a two tuba strategy:
F plus CC if you are out of the US orchestral tradition.
F plus BBb if you are out of the German orchestral tradition.
Eb plus CC if are out of the (newer) UK orchestral tradition.
Eb plus BBb if you are out of the British brass band tradition. This being my situation I have opted for a UK Eb and two US BBb’s.
If one should pursue a one tuba strategy, then the choice would be a larger Eb with enough valves to allow for a usable low range. Or a small CC. But such a strategy inherently will carry some not too latent frustrations in its very nature.
Klaus