Posted by T. J. Ricer on June 10, 2000 at 21:55:57:
In Reply to: 6/4 tuba: Hirs vs. MW vs. PT-7 vs...etc? posted by Curious...... on June 10, 2000 at 13:36:42:
I own a 6/4 Holton York copy. . . I've tried most of the horns you listed and like this better than any of them, so. . . If you can find a good old big American tuba (York, Holton, or even Conn) check it out some are dogs but others have better charctoristics than any of the new ones. . . It just seems to me that they do everything the new ones do just a little tiny bit better (but that is only if you find a great old one)
That being said my favorite of the list has the be the Nirschl-York copy. . . The Horn plays very easy and with a great sound the intonation is pretty much standard for the big horns, flat open G etc. . . I didn't really care for the 2165's that I have played, they just didn't seem very nimble (in other words, it feels and responds like a big horn whereas the Nirschl and my Holton respond like much smaller horns while maintaining that big horn sound) In my experience the Neptunes are very individual. . . some were difficult to play, but I found one with nearly perfect intonation, try them out before you get one. . . Not much experience with Perantucci or Hirschbrunner but I know plenty of successful people on them
I am quite surprised that no one has mentioned the Willson 6/4 yet. . . That horn has great response, great intonation, good projection, a huge dark sound, and is probably the most well built horn I know. . . If I were going to buy a brand new horn right now this would probably be the one I got, I'd like to try this and the Nirschl side by side at some point, though
Hope some of these thoughts are intellegible enough to help,
T. J. Ricer