Posted by Dave on September 02, 1999 at 09:17:08:
In Reply to: Survey for 6/4 CC players posted by anon on September 01, 1999 at 14:03:51:
I wholeheartedly agree with the other posters. I look at it this way...owning a 6/4 tuba is like owning a really nice tuxedo. You know you'll never be underdressed (maybe a little overdressed, but you can always take your jacket off!).
O.K., maybe not a great analogy, but what I mean is if you ever get in a situation where the conductor (or you!) believes you need a bigger sound than your 4/4 horn will let you get away with, you know you've got your 6/4 to give 'em as much as they want. Granted, nothing beats a nice 4/4 for daily use, but if you have the means, a 6/4 is a great horn to have. You will more than likely have to adjust to the inherent intonation problems of a big horn, but the sound produced and the ease to which that sound is produced is worth it.
I recommend, like previous posters, that a 6/4 horn should be an addition to a 4/4 horn. Learn to produce a big sound on a smaller horn. Then as your talent increases, your gigs will become more specialized. At that point it might be time to think about a more specialized horn. And "specialized" is more inclusive than just Pines or Shostakovich 5 or any other bombastic orchestral piece. I'm presently in the middle of a recording project of an archival W.C. Handy cd with a small pre-blues/dixie ensemble. Letting the engineers record samples of several different horns (MW 2155, Mirafone 186, Willson EEb, Conn sousaphone, 6/4 Holton) they unanimously picked the Holton sound. Bear in mind, these guys don't know the difference between a Holton 6/4 and a 3-valve Yamaha convertible . They just know what sounds authentic, and stylistically appropriate. I was glad I was able to give them a choice. In that respect, I'm glad I bought my 6/4!
Dave