The problem is that 'we' only look at the price.
'We' don't want to pay the cost of providing a decent income for someone in the US/ Europe to build an instrument.
Same thing for all the other stuff 'we' want to buy as cheap as possible.

I would rather save longer and buy locally made than go quick ...

Oedipoes wrote: Sat Dec 06, 2025 4:49 am Looks B&F/ Amati to me...

https://www.musiktreff.info/instrumente ... rtuba.html

The latest kaiser tuba from Cerveny looks a lot like it: V.F. Červený CBB 697-4

Looks B&F/ Amati to me...

https://www.musiktreff.info/instrumente ... rtuba.html

I played a hydraulic-formed Fafner once. Is that the 195? The 197 is the Bayreuth, right?



197 is the Melton 'Hilgers' kaiser-based-on-B&F stovepipe model.
There is also a 195-PH model which is the Paul Halwax (Wiener Phil) model, which is the handmade Fafner body with a stovepipe bell.
Daniel ...

Just adding my 2 euro-cents to the ones in this list I have played or owned:



Miraphone 'Slant Rotor' 289:


Played the 5 valve model, great tuba!
Selected this tuba over the Adams copy of the Hirsbrunner HBS 492 piston model for a friend



Meinl Weston Fafner 195 and Fasolt 196 ...

Don't know if it was ever posted on this forum, but here you go:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A-au0nVBqjQ

bisontuba wrote: Fri Apr 04, 2025 3:41 pm On the Horn Guys website: fyi..

Tariff wars 2.0 will soon begin, adding 20%+ to the cost of nearly everything we import.
This is not ideal. Consider supplies to be limited, prices subject to change.

Some maths on the tariff "formula" here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j04IAbWCszg

...and knowledgeable Americans have pointed out that tariffs aren't the only issue...it's (yes) the VAT crap as well.
... so how the hell is value added to something simply by taxing it?
True Austrian/Hayekian economics would define that heavily taxing something actually diminishes its demand, and ...

Picture from 2013 ...
From left to right:
- B&F kaiser BBb, still in unrestored condition in this picture, the only one I still own from this picture
- Melton 2145 CC engraved 'Jon Sass', goldbrass bell, great compact tuba but my brains don't work in CC so I sold it again
- Willson 3100 RZ-4 BBb ...

Oh yeah, and I need to finish converting all of the bumpers to neoprene. I've currently only got 2 out of 5 valves done, having addressed the most clanky/dry-rotted cork, but the more I play it, the more the rest of the old cork is getting compressed, too, so that chore will need to be carved out ...

I like my B-flat (and E-flat) tubas either have 5 valves or 4 valves and compensated.
I hardly ever push or pull slides, I find false tones and slide pulling utterly slow for what today's composers write for wind band/ brass band.
I have added 5th valves to 4 valve instruments for this reason, and ...

He's an amazing tuba player!
Do check out his etude books https://vikentios-tuba.com/product-cate ... ude-books/
You can find some example etudes here: https://www.youtube.com/@VikentiosGionanidis/videos

With hollow rotor construction you mean like these that Dan Oberloh made?

http://www.oberloh.com/gallery/rotaryva ... onpage.htm

Nice tuba Bram!
We could do a side-by-side comparison with my kaiser tuba once maybe...

The company Leopold Müller GmbH is the industry reference:
https://www.mueller-lack.com/

Closer North is probably Büchel in Bonn, they offer Lacquering on their website, but I don't know if they do it themselves:
https://buechelmusik.de/unsere-taetigkeiten/

Also Adams in the Netherlands can ...

Slightly off-topic, but this guy's videos are all about Bach's handwriting calligraphy, great stuff!
Some very nice insights in differences between the original compared to copied versions.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2NFFiFLWRF0&t=5s

the elephant wrote: Mon May 06, 2024 8:46 pm
Again, I have lots to think about.

Ciao, y'all.

If all people would think a bit more, the world would be a better place!

You rock Elephant, keep 'em coming

but the tone is richer/thicker on the york.


I play my N Star with fairly large (Bb/CC) mouthpieces, like a Tilz M1 or TheBerlinerTuba's Helleberg copy.
It will never sound as fat as my Besson/ B&H Eb but it does give the Miraphone some nice deeper voice.
Did I mention I LOVE my Norwegian Star ...

I played the big BBb at Klingspor in Freiburg couple of years ago and it's a great instrument, I wouldn't mind owning one as my big tuba!
(Andreas is a nice guy as well!)

I would personally not buy any tuba like this without trying it though...

Es ist offensichtlich, dass die Werkstatt nur Tuben für Amateure und Studenten herstellt, da dort keine Kontrabasstuben in C-Länge aufgeführt sind.

:thumbsup: ... :laugh:


This kaiser is really handsome...


https://www.hsm-brass.de/tuben/b-kaisertuba.jpg


Here's the sound check:

https ...