Posted by 2165 wins! on June 09, 1999 at 19:24:14:
In Reply to: Largest Tuba posted by Larry on June 08, 1999 at 20:05:33:
Based upon internal volume of the branches, the Meinl Weston 2165 wins. If there is a second 50cm bell mandrel used by Nirschel or Hirsbrunner, it may be a different taper, but it appears to be basically the same size as the one used by Meinl Weston and the VMI products (PT7 or VMI 4098, the Culbertson or 5098) What is striking about the Meinl Weston 2165 and why I say it wins, is that it stays larger at the small side of the bottom bow. So of course that means that the 1st branch is also larger at that point. Since horns vary so much in height, it is the internal volume of the branches that most tubists refer to when they think one horn is "larger" than the other. Otherwise the question would be which tuba is "tallest", "widest", or "thickest"? The only confusing issue would be a broad bell flair. But most people describe horns as large or small, with a large or small bell flair.