Posted by poster boy on September 29, 2001 at 21:41:56:
In Reply to: Now what to do? (WW&BW trip results) posted by Steve Inman on September 29, 2001 at 20:00:54:
I've laid off of "contrabass" for large expanses of time, and YEP, contrabass tuba playing can "catch up" with you...fuzzy, difficult, HARD WORK (harder than one remembers it being).
For quite a few years, I played a bad-paying (but good players) church orchestra job EVERY week (two services) JUST so I would drag out the big Holton and keep those "contrabass chops" working. It was one of those churches that does the Nashville stuff. The place was the size and shape of a basketball arena and the brass was not mic'ed, so I could "cut loose" (sometimes).
All of your observations are valid. I would question the purchase of a small BBb (although small C.B. tubas are FUN.) Since you REALLY seem to like the mechanics of rotary valves, I'd revisit the MW25, but then again, I'd try to spend some time with a "new style" piston King, although its very different from a MW25.
I hate to comment on CC tubas, as this opens up comments on your post to about 50 more kinds of tubas...too much to think about and too much to consider.