Posted by Jason on July 12, 2000 at 11:41:43:
In Reply to: F Tuba: American or German? posted by Kurt on July 12, 2000 at 00:30:39:
From my knowledge of F tubas(which may not be much), I gather the the difference in "American" and "German" F tubas is the sound, which is sometimes determined by their construction. For example, SOMETIMES when you hear recordings of players you can tell pretty close as to what kind of horn they're playing on. Usually, and this is a very broad statement, "German" style tubas have a darker sound(Miraphone v. Conn). Nowadays, the differences aren't so great or easily noticed. With improvements in design, any sound is possible.
As many horns as are out there today, it's very difficult to keep it at American v. German. There are so many different things to consider in a tuba sound. What I have said is very, very sketchy and there are lots of people with different thoughts on the matter. It's been said before and I'll say it again, there is no substitute for first-hand experience with tubas. Your own experiences will shape the way you think. Try different horns and see what you think.
Good Luck,
Jason