Posted by Jay Bertolet on August 02, 2003 at 16:38:12:
In Reply to: Kurath CC? posted by Tim C on July 30, 2003 at 22:36:50:
I had one of these horns down here for a trial about 11-12 years ago. Back then, they were very expensive but less so than a Yorkbrunner. At that time, I was searching for a good 6/4 tuba that I could actually afford. I ended up sending the Kurath back but only after actually using it in the orchestra. It put out more sound than the conductor would tolerate. Also, I had some trouble playing it softer and lighter. Further, there were some significant intonation challenges. Bottom line, the horn just didn't add up for me at that time.
I'm not familiar with the one ww&bw is selling so I can't comment directly on that. I can tell you what sort of things to look for. Expect the horn to weigh a lot. It was made with a very heavy gauge of metal and it had a reputation for destroying the handles on gig bags over time. I didn't try a plethora of mouthpieces on it but, using the ones I had, quick response was an issue. The low range was about the best of any horn I've ever played. The upper range, not so good. Great construction but very heavy. Pistons were very nice. The valve slide layout was a little awkward and exacerbated the intonation problems. It is a very tall horn, with a very tall top bow, and a very open wrap. This made the slides hard to get to in some cases. Played by itself, the horn sounds wonderful on certain things. When I put it into the orchestra, the sound carried more than anyone was comfortable with.
These are just my impressions from more than a decade ago. As with any tuba, you should try one yourself and see if it fits you. Maybe the best advice I can offer is that it is a horn that you can look at with confidence. I went as far as to have one shipped here for trial. I don't do that with many horns.
My opinion for what it's worth...