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bloke wrote: Thu Jul 10, 2025 9:52 pm Two English style baritones (or two rotary ones that feature bugles just as slim), a euphonium on 3rd, and a bass tuba on the fourth part.

This, in my head, sounds more like an orchestral trombone section than a traditional tuba quartet, and would be interesting to hear. I don't know if the 4th part needs to be a bass tuba, a smaller contrabass would seem to work as well.

Some of the TE quartets my group has played, have a pretty good oom pah in the contrabass part. It clearly works better on a CC or BBb just in terms of the type of tone. But that is my preference and may not be everybody's. One reason I have put time into the BBb is so that I can be the contra player at times in the quartet.

kingrob76 wrote: Sat Jul 12, 2025 9:54 am

bloke wrote: Thu Jul 10, 2025 9:52 pm Two English style baritones (or two rotary ones that feature bugles just as slim), a euphonium on 3rd, and a bass tuba on the fourth part.

This, in my head, sounds more like an orchestral trombone section than a traditional tuba quartet, and would be interesting to hear. I don't know if the 4th part needs to be a bass tuba, a smaller contrabass would seem to work as well.

Actually the small contrabass tuba might be a better choice for the fourth part... Particularly considering that there are quite a few ledger lines in a lot of those parts.

The overall sound would lean towards that of a low brass section in an orchestra, but wouldn't completely arrive. Particularly with the size inflation of the modern compensating baritones, their bells are larger and fatter than most any bass trombone, and they would be on the first and second parts, and not on the third part.

I'm basing this on experience, because we gave it a shot the other day and it was a really nice sound, and yes it was a small contrabass tuba (as you suggest) on the 4th part, and I was covering the third parts with a euphonium with a very large (regular trombone mouthpiece length) contrabass trombone mouthpiece. (I own two euphoniums. One is about the smallest one there is - which is a Yamaha 32, and the other one is about the largest that there is - which is the sort of rare Meinl-Weston. I used the huge instrument, which offers a good strong low C, B natural, and such below the staff - so I didn't have any trouble when the third part descended into that range.)
It still sounded like a tuba quartet, but it was just easier to listen to (OK: "in my opinion") and easier to sonically interpret - without all that excessive "richness" in the resonance...as if turning down the bass on one's car's sound system.

even if someone Didn't have access to an alto horn, Just an English Baritone makes a nice top part in a tuba ensemble.

1 english Baritone
2 Euph
3 euph
4 Bass tuba

I think the ideal sound would be four Wessex Leviathans with Holton "Revelation 52" mouthpieces. I think such a gathering of gear would accurately display the commercial viability of such an ensemble…

the elephant wrote: Sat Jul 12, 2025 12:36 pm I think the ideal sound would be four Wessex Leviathans with Holton "Revelation 52" mouthpieces. I think such a gathering of gear would accurately display the commercial viability of such an ensemble…

Gonna need a bigger boat!

the elephant wrote: Sat Jul 12, 2025 12:36 pm I think the ideal sound would be four Wessex Leviathans with Holton "Revelation 52" mouthpieces. I think such a gathering of gear would accurately display the commercial viability of such an ensemble…

Ray Grim has it figured out:
You can't sell it without lederhosen... Yeah, and maybe also a tourist mecca like the San Antonio River... That sort of helps too.

@LeMark

If you want me to get you an E flat slide the next time I buy stuff from Miraphone, let me know.

Either you can send me some remarkably accurate measurements, or you can mail me your F slide for me to measure. I think the former would be advisable.

I'll be fair with you:
If he charges me $85 for the slide, I'll only charge you $8,500.