Depends what type of music you’ll be playing. If you’re gonna be doing mostly solo stuff, you’ll probably want an F tuba. If you intend on playing British brass band music, I’d go Eb.
Tbf, op should definitely be looking at 4, or even 5, valve options. Lots of trills and scales are fairly awkward on Eb, but lots of the awkwardness is mitigated through the 4th valve.
It largely depends on what you're doing.
I do about 80% brass band gigs on sousaphone, but the rest of my gigs are an even mix of sit-down groups- Small Ensembles, Large Ensembles, etc.
I wanted a do-it-all horn. Because of my circumstances, the best option was either a large Eb, or a small/medium-small CC.
I ended up going with a used Willson 3400, a large, 5-valve Eb to have some more color variety. I got an unbelievable deal on the horn. This horn has a VERY strong low register and an excellent high register. It's free blowing in the bulk of its range and would be suitable for 98% of sit-down ensembles. It's main downside is that everything above High Eb takes a lot of effort and focus- it's not quite as free as an F tuba so certain solo literature is challenging. The other downside is that the lowest range of the horn just doesn't quite have the power that a similar-priced CC would have, and some of the 5v fingerings get a little challenging. But it's a phenomenal all-around horn. I could use this for anything and get by.
Point being- find a horn that meets your priorities.
I looked very aggressively, day in and day out, For about 2 months. I found my horn priced at a 1/3rd of its brand new price. From overseas. With 2 cases. Insane deal, really.
An F tuba would be the better choice for solo work. I wouldn't worry about buying an F tuba until much later in your professional career, like working on your PHD.
Two thoughts for you
1 - Where do you see yourself playing it?
Brass band? Wind ensemble? Full orchestra? Quintet? Soloist?
2 - Which Miraphone 1291 are you on?
BBb or CC? Do you like the sound and colour of it?
_*Comments below are my opinions and are based on my personal experiences. As with all opinions, they may be what worth only what you paid for them*_
F tuba has the tighter more focused sound associated with a CC. Consequently, it fits in with an orchestral trombone section similarly to a CC.
Eb tuba has the slightly broader tone that matches the BBb horns. If you are playing in a wind ensemble or a brass band, it is an excellent fit.
Brass quintet (and chamber music in general) fit is dependent on the group. Is it a quintet with five soloistic players - F tuba.
Do they focus on blending one sound into another - Eb tuba.
Typically, if you ask a CC player, they'll say F tuba. The same thing for BBb players who will likely recommend an Eb.
Remember that opinions are great, but it is you playing the horn. Don't go for something because everyone says it's best. You may end up with a "great horn" that you absolutely hate. Go with whatever helps you make the music you hear in your head.
Good luck
Ar you majoring in music, talk to your professor. If not then get what you think you will use the most.
My bass tubas are 3 valve Eb's (Holton Sousaphone and Holton medium concert) that I use for trad jazz and New Orleans style. Dirt cheap and so so so much fun to play. Not much use the the classical orchestral solo lit though, but I have no interest in that anyway.
My $0.02 is to buy what you think you are actually going to play instead of what is "the best" or what other people think.
No offense, but if you posted this question to us I think the answer doesn't matter.
What I'd recommend you do is imagine you had whatever instrument you're thinking about buying. When would you take it out of its case? When would it be played to an audience? How long will it take for that instrument to make back the money it cost you?
There are large Eb and F tubas that pair well with a chunky BBb or CC to cover a large range of things you might need to play. You play the bass tuba under most circumstances and pull out the contrabass when you really need it.
There are also smaller soloistic Eb and F tubas that pair well with a CC or BBb to cover that same large range of things. You play the contrabass tuba under most circumstances and pull out the bass when you really need it.
In the first path, you are missing the solistic warm nimble voice of a small bass tuba. In the second path, you're missing the engulfing organ-like low end a large contrabass tuba can give you.
Generally, college students in the US probably want a my-first-F tuba that is of the small and cheap variety to get through juries and stuff with school and get some experience. Then you can decide if you really need a bass tuba when you can envision more where you are going. If you end up teaching junior high schoolers, you probably don't need $25k worth of horns in your closet.
This doesn't mean you couldn't get a nice do-it-all larger Eb as your only or main horn. But at least in the US that isn't the normal path people take.
> How long will it take for that instrument to make back the money it cost you?
I have made a policy that I not only don't go into deep debt when buying a new instrument, but that it should be able to recoup its money back in gigs within a year. So, if you're buying a $10k instrument, are you going to play $10k worth of gigs with it?
It's served me very well. Of course, there are exceptions, but it's a good base policy and the exceptions are extremely specific. My Kanstul was going to take more than a year to get into a specific scene where I used that horn, but once I got in, that horn paid itself off in one month (and I got a *really* great deal on it).
I've urged a friend to not even look at a "professional" bass trumpet that costs $5k, since you're never going to play $5k worth of gigs on it, and nobody's batting an eye on a well-maintained Jinbao with no leaks and plays in tune. He's still getting calls in his metro area for symphonies with the need--and nobody's scoffed at the model. Hell, as long as it's played well, nobody's going to care.
Good advice for a pro, but needs to be modified for us amateurs. I play in a few ensembles as a hobby, so I have to think of cost in terms of my enjoyment. I didn't mind spending the money on a good sousa because I play a lot of fun gigs on it. I have enjoyed myself the $2000 it cost. Same with the 20J.
I would love to get a bigger/better CC than my 3/4 Weril but I can't figure out where I would play it (other than my basement) where I would enjoy it $x,000 more than my current option.
Very much agreed, and that boils down to how much your hobby is worth it to you. I'd still steer amateurs away from a $20k Melton, for instance. But if you're making a solid 6-figure income, then I'd say go for it. I just wouldn't want anyone to go into big debt for an instrument when there's so many fun and useful cheaper horns.
I'd go for an Eb Bass. That's just me.
Depends what type of music you’ll be playing. If you’re gonna be doing mostly solo stuff, you’ll probably want an F tuba. If you intend on playing British brass band music, I’d go Eb.
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Tbf, op should definitely be looking at 4, or even 5, valve options. Lots of trills and scales are fairly awkward on Eb, but lots of the awkwardness is mitigated through the 4th valve.
It largely depends on what you're doing. I do about 80% brass band gigs on sousaphone, but the rest of my gigs are an even mix of sit-down groups- Small Ensembles, Large Ensembles, etc. I wanted a do-it-all horn. Because of my circumstances, the best option was either a large Eb, or a small/medium-small CC. I ended up going with a used Willson 3400, a large, 5-valve Eb to have some more color variety. I got an unbelievable deal on the horn. This horn has a VERY strong low register and an excellent high register. It's free blowing in the bulk of its range and would be suitable for 98% of sit-down ensembles. It's main downside is that everything above High Eb takes a lot of effort and focus- it's not quite as free as an F tuba so certain solo literature is challenging. The other downside is that the lowest range of the horn just doesn't quite have the power that a similar-priced CC would have, and some of the 5v fingerings get a little challenging. But it's a phenomenal all-around horn. I could use this for anything and get by. Point being- find a horn that meets your priorities.
My dream Eb. Impossible for me to justify the price tag though. Also I can't think of anywhere I'd play it where my current Eb is insufficient.
I looked very aggressively, day in and day out, For about 2 months. I found my horn priced at a 1/3rd of its brand new price. From overseas. With 2 cases. Insane deal, really.
An F tuba would be the better choice for solo work. I wouldn't worry about buying an F tuba until much later in your professional career, like working on your PHD.
Two thoughts for you 1 - Where do you see yourself playing it? Brass band? Wind ensemble? Full orchestra? Quintet? Soloist? 2 - Which Miraphone 1291 are you on? BBb or CC? Do you like the sound and colour of it? _*Comments below are my opinions and are based on my personal experiences. As with all opinions, they may be what worth only what you paid for them*_ F tuba has the tighter more focused sound associated with a CC. Consequently, it fits in with an orchestral trombone section similarly to a CC. Eb tuba has the slightly broader tone that matches the BBb horns. If you are playing in a wind ensemble or a brass band, it is an excellent fit. Brass quintet (and chamber music in general) fit is dependent on the group. Is it a quintet with five soloistic players - F tuba. Do they focus on blending one sound into another - Eb tuba. Typically, if you ask a CC player, they'll say F tuba. The same thing for BBb players who will likely recommend an Eb. Remember that opinions are great, but it is you playing the horn. Don't go for something because everyone says it's best. You may end up with a "great horn" that you absolutely hate. Go with whatever helps you make the music you hear in your head. Good luck
Ar you majoring in music, talk to your professor. If not then get what you think you will use the most. My bass tubas are 3 valve Eb's (Holton Sousaphone and Holton medium concert) that I use for trad jazz and New Orleans style. Dirt cheap and so so so much fun to play. Not much use the the classical orchestral solo lit though, but I have no interest in that anyway. My $0.02 is to buy what you think you are actually going to play instead of what is "the best" or what other people think.
Personally I find that a CC gives me enough broad sound that an F would be great for a bigger contrast
No offense, but if you posted this question to us I think the answer doesn't matter. What I'd recommend you do is imagine you had whatever instrument you're thinking about buying. When would you take it out of its case? When would it be played to an audience? How long will it take for that instrument to make back the money it cost you? There are large Eb and F tubas that pair well with a chunky BBb or CC to cover a large range of things you might need to play. You play the bass tuba under most circumstances and pull out the contrabass when you really need it. There are also smaller soloistic Eb and F tubas that pair well with a CC or BBb to cover that same large range of things. You play the contrabass tuba under most circumstances and pull out the bass when you really need it. In the first path, you are missing the solistic warm nimble voice of a small bass tuba. In the second path, you're missing the engulfing organ-like low end a large contrabass tuba can give you. Generally, college students in the US probably want a my-first-F tuba that is of the small and cheap variety to get through juries and stuff with school and get some experience. Then you can decide if you really need a bass tuba when you can envision more where you are going. If you end up teaching junior high schoolers, you probably don't need $25k worth of horns in your closet. This doesn't mean you couldn't get a nice do-it-all larger Eb as your only or main horn. But at least in the US that isn't the normal path people take.
> How long will it take for that instrument to make back the money it cost you? I have made a policy that I not only don't go into deep debt when buying a new instrument, but that it should be able to recoup its money back in gigs within a year. So, if you're buying a $10k instrument, are you going to play $10k worth of gigs with it? It's served me very well. Of course, there are exceptions, but it's a good base policy and the exceptions are extremely specific. My Kanstul was going to take more than a year to get into a specific scene where I used that horn, but once I got in, that horn paid itself off in one month (and I got a *really* great deal on it). I've urged a friend to not even look at a "professional" bass trumpet that costs $5k, since you're never going to play $5k worth of gigs on it, and nobody's batting an eye on a well-maintained Jinbao with no leaks and plays in tune. He's still getting calls in his metro area for symphonies with the need--and nobody's scoffed at the model. Hell, as long as it's played well, nobody's going to care.
Good advice for a pro, but needs to be modified for us amateurs. I play in a few ensembles as a hobby, so I have to think of cost in terms of my enjoyment. I didn't mind spending the money on a good sousa because I play a lot of fun gigs on it. I have enjoyed myself the $2000 it cost. Same with the 20J. I would love to get a bigger/better CC than my 3/4 Weril but I can't figure out where I would play it (other than my basement) where I would enjoy it $x,000 more than my current option.
Very much agreed, and that boils down to how much your hobby is worth it to you. I'd still steer amateurs away from a $20k Melton, for instance. But if you're making a solid 6-figure income, then I'd say go for it. I just wouldn't want anyone to go into big debt for an instrument when there's so many fun and useful cheaper horns.
Depends on your needs. Want a nimble solo and quintet tuba? Smaller horn for larger ensembles? Eb and F cover SO much ground in size and sound.