I'm sure I'm going to upset some people here

[thedancingsousa]

Am I the only person who doesn't like the firebird? I've been on the f tuba hunt for a couple months now and always see people gushing about them. I grew up surrounded by and playing on miraphone having gone to Tennessee Tech with Morris, and the firebird was never it for me.

I tried the school one when learning f tuba, and I didn't like it. I tried the demo firebirds at every conference and didn't like them. I tried the firebird at my grad school and didn't like it. Yet, looking for an f tuba, every single thread is dominated by recommendations for it.

For many years I had a 45S from Meinl Weston and much preferred its tone color to the firebird. Not only that, I liked how much more I could fill it up with air. I remember directly comparing them once in a lesson with one of the undergrads that was working on Strauss at the time. He was trying to mimic my sound, for better or (more likely) worse. It just wasn't happening. I asked to borrow the firebird for a minute and gave it a crack. Turns out I couldn't sound like me either with that thing.

The tuning wasn't ever a deal breaker, in the sense I never got to checking it because I already didn't like the horn to start with. Just something about the tone color I produce on a firebird never sat well with me. Obviously that's a *me* problem, and they're incredibly well made horns, but I would've expected a few other people to have this same reaction. Maybe it's a me problem *and* I'm a lonely idiot for having it.

Anywho, there's my rant.

[Tubeast]

It´s all right... Don´t feel bad.

As with any horn on the market, You´re in good and well informed company if you completely reject a certain horn.
The same is true if You support the completely opposing opinion.

As to sound potential:
Firebird bore increases from 19.5 to 21.5 mm. That´s a lot.
Melton 46S increases from 18.5 to 21.5 mm and, owning one myself, strikes me as being a HUGE F-tuba with less clarity in sound than I care about.

Which is the very reason I own ANOTHER F-tuba that is less likely to be mistaken for my BBb, and people I trust musically comment I sound much better on the ADAMS rather than the MELTON.

[arpthark]

The 281 is enamoring because it has an accessible contrabass tuba-feeling low C.

I’ve tried them out many times, but always returned to something with a bit more color in the sound. It’s been several years since I’ve played one now, so my opinion may have changed, but they’re easy to play.

[bloke]

If I didn't have the specific make and model of F tuba that I have - and one of this specific make and model that's as good as the one I have, I don't believe I'd have an F tuba.

Almost all of them are a mess...

... but a whole bunch of those that were designed and marketed in recent years are a mess not only because F tubas are really difficult to build that aren't a mess, but also because consumers expect them to do things that they shouldn't be expecting F tubas to do.

Some people are going to agree with me here, but be careful when you agree with me, because I likely view yours to fit in the categories that are outlined above.

[catgrowlB]

It's perfectly OK to not like certain models, or even brands of tubas -- even if popular. I'm personally not a fan of Miraphone 186 CC or BBb tubas....I find the sound to be too lean/too tubby at the same time. I much prefer other equivalent makes of tubas, even models that others don't like or find too 'vanilla', and that's OK because I like *my* sound/playing on them. Go for whatever works best for you, and fits your sound concept.

I think everyone hears things a little differently, and we all have our own natural 'EQ' settings and prefer certain models and brands. It's also good to get others with good ears you trust listen to you, if you can. And also record yourself or seek out recordings you are on and listen to see if you like what you hear and go from there

[russiantuba]

When I had a rotor F, I thought it was a great horn.

After learning how to play F tuba, I thought it was pretty good. A bit bright, but very centered.

Now, I am not a super fan. I tried the Elektra 481 before this, and picking up the Firebird, it was a letdown. The Elektra is that good

[bloke]

The type of sound a tuba makes depends on how purely someone's lips vibrate and the shape of the tuba, but - to everyone but tuba players - they all sound about the same... Thirty of them in an elephant room sounds like an elephant room.

A graph can be created with a range of quality of sound from good to bad on one side and a range of in tune to out of tune on the other side.

... not really, but yes really.

[Schlitzz]

I have a Kanstul F contrabass trombone. I’ve always toyed with buying an F tuba. But y’all are scaring me.

[prodigal]

I'm "tolerating" my Piglet, but want bloke's horn. I believe the F tuba (and hopefully my experiences with it) begins and ends with the Symphonie.

Someday when the kids are grown up and I'm liquidating tackle.....

[the elephant]

Anyone who is upset by your not liking a popular tuba model is pretty stupid, if you ask me.

Personally, I hate the PT-6P. I also dislike 99% of 4/4 York/King/Holton tubas with that shape of bell flare. I love to play them, but know from experience that I strongly dislike them in the orchestra.

Do I G.A.S. about what anyone thinks of my personal opinion?

Not at all.

You do you, sir.

[bloke]

Here's an off-the-wall/out-of-left-field response:

Sometimes good trousers are just as important as a good tuba.

Years ago, I traveled south to substitute for someone in a John Williams pops concert, as they were a featured soloist in another concert.

One of the pieces had one of those typical John Williams things whereby you're playing low and then you jump up play one pitch above the staff that's in a brass cluster. I played it great in every rehearsal wearing blue jeans, but - when I put my slippery black dress slacks on for the concert, and tilted my embouchure and or the instrument to play that high pitch - the tuba slipped on the slick fabric trousers and I cracked the attack of the pitch.

I think there were two concerts. Maybe there was a Friday night and a Saturday night. The person for whom I subbed - I'm thinking - couldn't play Friday, but their featured soloist concert was Friday night, so they came to hear me play on Saturday, and heard me crack that pitch.

When I got home, I shopped for a different textured pair of black slacks that still matched my jacket. (These days, I no longer own that instrument, and - the one that I do own - I set on a collapsible bench in front of me that I use to play that instrument.)

[the elephant]

BAHAHAHA!!! I also recall your saying about our conductor, "That man is as jumpy as a cat!"

[bloke]

I'll take your word for it. I've said too many things...

I don't recall him having said "tuba", which is the game that I try to play.

I also don't recall any "We have a guest in the brass section, this week" jazz, and I appreciate it when music directors (as did that one) refrain from that.

Just about the most laid-back guy I've worked under (once or twice a year, typically) is this Steven Byess gent.
He's got quite a pedigree (Cleveland Institute - conducting/violin/piano/bassoon).
Even when (I'm thinking it was Pomp and Circumstance I) the bass trombonist had a faster tempo in his head that he couldn't easily erase (likely, from playing along with a youtube video) and was struggling to get that tempo out of his head, Steven still didn't raise his voice.

[smitwil1]

I agree with Wade--do what you do--and add the oft' repeated axium: Whatever you play on, you're gonna sound like you.

FWIW, I [expletive deleted] LOVE an F tuba that many folks here scorn/hate/ridicule: MY Yammy 822. It is serial number 100103 (i.e., one of the early ones) and doesn't even have the "Custom" (or any) engraving on the bell. The bottom bow doesn't quite fit the bell flair--my suspicion is that parts for it probably came off of an Eb tuba. But...when matched with the right mouthpiece (for me, that made ALL the difference) it ticks all the right buttons and gives ME the flexibility to sound like ME playing on a colorful, light, nimble BASS tuba. Having never played any other, I don't know if I love ALL 822s or just this one, but that's the reality of instruments that aren't made on assembly lines.

I learned F on the old Alexander that we used to have at TTU ('83-'88)--beautiful horn with a horrendous second space C that was both out of tune and out of "tone" with the rest of the instrument when fingered with 4th valve, as I recall. I've played two different B&S Symphonies--the first a newer 5-valved one with "meh" intonation and a lack of 6th valve to provide options beyond slide pulling and a new-old-stock 6-valve one that I had to leave behind at Langley AFB in '93 (damn, I miss that horn). The last one is the only one I'd trade my 822 for. But, I suspect that even if I could somehow magically re-acquire that horn (probably long since been excessed and auctioned off--whoever has it has a gem) I'd still sound like myself on it and even to an experienced listener, would sound indistinguishable from my 822. The sonic grooves are just that deep after so many years.

So, feel free to love/hate whatever you want to. It's nobody's business but your own!

Bill