Re: Old Alex vs. New Alex


[ Follow Ups ] [ Post Followup ] [ TubeNet BBS ] [ FAQ ]

Posted by Tim C on January 30, 2003 at 17:19:47:

In Reply to: Old Alex vs. New Alex posted by Tom B. on January 30, 2003 at 12:05:12:

I remember the old Alex CC I played (for 2 days, spent some 3,4 hours with it) had very bad intonation. But it could be the mouthpiece, too, at the time I was using a Deck 3 and the shank was too small for the Alex. Maybe it plays more in tune with a Doug Elliott. I don't know. The new Alex CC have standard leadpipe. I use a regular Bach 18 on my Alex. The intonation on the my Alex is much better. I use 2+3 for middle C and 4 for the B half step below it. I use 1+2 for the E a third above middle C and 2+3 for the Eb. The horn sounds beautiful, it is very light in weight, no exccessive metal on it, it is completely handmade in goldbrass. The response is great and plays very evenly throughout the registers (probably has to do with the long leadpipe), that is, for me, means G above high C to pedal register. I have heard someone else play the C above high C beautifully on this horn, so I know it's capable of that. I just need to practice more.
Low range isn't stuffy, but not as explosive or open as, say, a Willson 3050 either, however, I know again, this horn can sound big and dark in the low register, when you have learned how to blow it. When I bought the tuba, the sound was rather tight, but now after a year, it is much more open and I can already pitcure what a wonderful sound it will produce 5 years later! Sometimes the middle C and B annoys me, if I try to play them with "regular fingering", but if I play these two notes with "Alexander fingering", everything just work beautifully. These are the only 2 bad notes of this tuba.



regards,
Tim




Follow Ups: