As someone who recently had to surgically lower my lead pipe by a couple inches, I would have appreciated a straighter one! Also, for someone who "doesn't play tuba," that play test is far better than most that I've seen from people trying to sell their horns. Thank you for demonstrating that this is a viable option if I ever see one in my budget.
How does this do in the low range and what was the worst tuning inconsistency? I had a cheaper Besson 982 copy in my hands the other day. It was decent in the higher range, but the low range was where the badly machined valves began to show leaks. The most off note, unfortunately, was the low Bb, at about 65 cents sharp. The tuba's biggest problem, besides brass that was soft enough to dent with a flick (probably not a JP problem), was those noisy, sticky, badly made valves (also, probably not a JP problem). At least, those issues had better not be present when Packer is asking so much for their horns vs. other importers.
+Henry Dubois From my own person experience, instruments such as the pBone or similar models of trombone, trumpet or tuba are excellent for beginners. They are easy to maintain and do not damage easily. They are also very inexpensive and accessible for people who don't want to drop several hundred dollars on a student or intermediate model horn. The downsides, obviously, are that the tone colour and timbre are far inferior to any well made brass instrument. This is partly resolved by substituting a metal mouthpiece in place of the included plastic one to get a richer sound. Overall they're good for what they're worth. Definitely recommend it over any student model horn, but past that you're better off buying a nice intermediate or professional level instrument.
Mr. Hamilton, I've taken interedt for some time in actuslly building my own musical instruments professionally, and I was wondering if you knew anywhere I could go to learn this.
Is that _really_ an Eb bass? If it is, it's in old military or "Philharmonic" high pitch (A=452hz), because you were playing in Bb at A=440hz, not Ab as I'm used to on my low pitch Eb bass. Your bass's pitch and your fingerings seemed to be for an F tuba Do some Commonwealth brass bands still use the pre-1928 tuning?
Greetings, Trent. I've only been playing bass for a few years, and have just gone over to Eb and in looking for an affordable new instrument, found a website in my country selling a reasonably priced instrument. Found the same (JP077L) in the UK for considerably less. This aroused my suspicion. Seemed a bit too cheap, if you know what i mean, despite apparently glowing reviews on the page. I don't suppose you might know anything about this particular instrument? Or (and bearing in mind i'm only a beginner, and that i'm what you might call an enthusiastic amateur) , can you tell me if JP is a reliable manufacturer? I play in a small ensemble, and frankly, a very expensive instrument (Miraphone, for example) would be wasted on me, and unnecessary. Just now i'm playing a second hand B&H regent Eb...
Hi, JP aren't a manufacturer - they're an importer of Chinese made instruments. JP is a reasonable reseller, from what I've heard though. Another one to try is Wessex Tubas - again, a reseller of Chinese made instruments, but a reputable one.
I've got a Wessex 'Moselle' 3/4 BBb tuba. My first, in fact, and i'm acquainted with Jonathan, Wessex founder/owner. They've got a nice range of Eb tubas, and i've had my eye on a 4 (piston) valve model called the Bombino, but it will take longer to save for, being the thick end of £2000. I was looking for a quicker alternative, (i.e a slightly lower price) and of a similar quality (i'd highly recommend Wessex otherwise. More and more coming into the country). Thanks. Your videos are most entertaing, by the way. Particularly enjoyed the one about the 'cheapest bugle'...
Adrian Rosenlund-Hudson I know you said this a month ago but just in case, I have a John packer French horn and it does the job well. I would really recommend it.
Where does this fit in the larger musical picture? It seems to slot in between euphonium and a standard tuba, which is a niche is a brass band but not so much elsewhere. Would this instrument be useful in another musical setting, say a brass quintet? It just seems to me that for any role where this instrument slots in, euphonium or BBb or CC tuba could take over seamlessly. I guess I'm asking, is there really a *need* to fill the octave between the baritone and the bass with another instrument? As a composer and arranger, I'm just not seeing it. To me it kinda looks and sounds like a big euphonium. If it had four compensating valves, that might be another matter entirely, but then you're probably trying to displace a CC.
+Scott Sakurai The Eb bass fits between the euphonium and Bb bass (tuba) in the brass band. The euphonium is no substitute for the Eb bass as it doesn't have the sonority or depth, even though one can play very low notes on a euphonium, it won't resonate the same way. The Eb bass usually plays either the unison or octave of Bb bass parts, although does play 5ths to create a beautiful effect. 5ths don't work well on two Bb basses because the sound gets too muddy.
+Trent Hamilton I can understand the bit about playing in fifths or possibly even smaller intervals, but I can only think of two pieces where this effect is almost a requirement: "Bydlo" from _Pictures At an Exhibition_ is one. Dense chords are also used in the basses at the beginning of _March to the Scaffold_, but those sound better to me if scattered across instruments of different timbres to help keep them clear of each other. I'm sure there are others, but they're not coming to mind. Aside from that rather unusually bottom-heavy writing, I was taught (and generally follow) the guideline that any interval sounds more cluttered as the pitch gets lower, and that it is best to give the bass line the lowermost octave all to itself.I suppose this doesn't hold up in brass band writing, but I tend to write for as small an ensemble as can practically pull off a desired effect. (For example, my scoring of "Bydlo" is for a brass quintet, plus a solo euphonium.) Thank you for the straightforward answer. It still appears this is a bit of a niche instrument to me. It would be much less so if it had four compensating valves, making it a viable alternative to an F tuba in almost all situations. Even there, I personally would use it at the bottom of the ensemble. I was thinking about the leadpipe problem, and the way it forces you to hold the instrument. Perhaps you could put that lower belt clip to good use, and attach some sort of peg to it that lets you rest the weight on your chair. It also seems to me the optimal solution to the annoying belt clip would be to replace it with one that has a hinge allowing it to be pressed flat when not in use.
Scott Sakurai Hi Scott, there are many pieces where 5ths are used. Remember, the Eb bass is not a typical orchestral instrument - it is used almost exclusively in brass bands. If you were using a quintet or similar sized ensemble then yeah, the Eb bass wouldn't be the go-to instrument. Regarding compensating valves, then yes, Eb basses get manufactured with and without compensating fourth valves. The first three generally aren't compensating by themselves, but the 4th valve mechanism usually alleviates any tuning issues.
+Trent Hamilton Actually, there are people using F tubas in quintets (though they're going to have four valves), and some of those also come with Eb slides, so if someone decided that an Eb tuba was the best instrument for a given piece, I probably wouldn't argue with them. I rarely write tuba parts below the low Eb anyhow (I do call for sustained and very important D's in my Toccata and Fugue transcription, but they're the sort of thing someone could easily build up to), so a compensating F or Eb would be perfectly adequate for my stuff, presuming it sounded big enough. I just can't see why I'd call for two differently-pitched tubas in the same ensemble (euphonium excluded, since it has a different role), that's basically what I meant.
In a small ensemble there perhaps isn't the need for two differently pitched tubas, but in the brass band it works great. There's too much of a gap between what the euphonium and Bb tuba bring to the table.
+Max Lawrence I have no idea sorry. I remember playing a section of music during a CD recording that equated to 12 notes per second. The conductor moaned at having to beat 3 beats per second, and I suggested it was worse for me. I was playing principal euphonium at the time.
Dude. This tuba is a rip off of a besson sovereign 981, which has a straight lead pipe. As designed by John Fletcher he was quite a slight chap. The 982 has a higher lead pipe, it's for more "cuddly" banders and lanky chaps like myself. I prefer the 981 as nothing got butchered. That aside, I can't figure out if you are being entirely sarcastic. Either way, I have enjoyed your review. Hats off
+Hamich Samich They're perfect for rough environments or for learners. I have seen a training academy of primary school age children, 11 trombonists all had plastic trombones and it was great for them.
I’ll never understand why these kind of lead pipes exist just because one short guy who was a good player had it designed for his specific body type. Just bad design.
Glad you are doing better.
Great to see you're back and doing well! Best wishes to your wife, I hope she is getting better as well!
As someone who recently had to surgically lower my lead pipe by a couple inches, I would have appreciated a straighter one! Also, for someone who "doesn't play tuba," that play test is far better than most that I've seen from people trying to sell their horns. Thank you for demonstrating that this is a viable option if I ever see one in my budget.
I love your work and effort you put into your videos Trent Hamilton
Welcome back from the surgery!
I play the BBb tuba, and the concept of an Eb tuba makes my head spin.
Stephen Budders f tuba is even worse
How does this do in the low range and what was the worst tuning inconsistency? I had a cheaper Besson 982 copy in my hands the other day. It was decent in the higher range, but the low range was where the badly machined valves began to show leaks. The most off note, unfortunately, was the low Bb, at about 65 cents sharp. The tuba's biggest problem, besides brass that was soft enough to dent with a flick (probably not a JP problem), was those noisy, sticky, badly made valves (also, probably not a JP problem). At least, those issues had better not be present when Packer is asking so much for their horns vs. other importers.
Your Back ! Hope your feel better :D
he is back and better then ever
The puns
+The monster chief omfg XD
what song did you play when you were demonstrating the musical aspect of the tuba except for the trombone?
What is your opinion of plastic trombones and or plastic tubas???
Plastic starts with p, p is poo. Plastic instruments are shit.
+Sketchophrenia Videos XD so true.
+Henry Dubois From my own person experience, instruments such as the pBone or similar models of trombone, trumpet or tuba are excellent for beginners. They are easy to maintain and do not damage easily. They are also very inexpensive and accessible for people who don't want to drop several hundred dollars on a student or intermediate model horn.
The downsides, obviously, are that the tone colour and timbre are far inferior to any well made brass instrument. This is partly resolved by substituting a metal mouthpiece in place of the included plastic one to get a richer sound.
Overall they're good for what they're worth. Definitely recommend it over any student model horn, but past that you're better off buying a nice intermediate or professional level instrument.
Missed you man keep up the good work!
Have you gotten a chance to try the JP Rath line of trombones (especially the JP332(O) large bore)? If so, what do you think of them
I recommend you to attend the sliderasia music festival in HongKong, Trent!You're wonderful brass player!
Mr. Hamilton, I've taken interedt for some time in actuslly building my own musical instruments professionally, and I was wondering if you knew anywhere I could go to learn this.
Is that _really_ an Eb bass? If it is, it's in old military or "Philharmonic" high pitch (A=452hz), because you were playing in Bb at A=440hz, not Ab as I'm used to on my low pitch Eb bass. Your bass's pitch and your fingerings seemed to be for an F tuba Do some Commonwealth brass bands still use the pre-1928 tuning?
Yes it's really an Eb bass. I was playing the piece with the same fingering that I would use on a Bb instrument.
Can you do a pocket trumpet review?
I love your sarcasm.
That Eb bass is unusually larger than both of mine. It's probably the model
You sounded real nice on that tuba.
Greetings, Trent. I've only been playing bass for a few years, and have just gone over to Eb and in looking for an affordable new instrument, found a website in my country selling a reasonably priced instrument. Found the same (JP077L) in the UK for considerably less. This aroused my suspicion. Seemed a bit too cheap, if you know what i mean, despite apparently glowing reviews on the page. I don't suppose you might know anything about this particular instrument? Or (and bearing in mind i'm only a beginner, and that i'm what you might call an enthusiastic amateur) , can you tell me if JP is a reliable manufacturer? I play in a small ensemble, and frankly, a very expensive instrument (Miraphone, for example) would be wasted on me, and unnecessary. Just now i'm playing a second hand B&H regent Eb...
Hi, JP aren't a manufacturer - they're an importer of Chinese made instruments. JP is a reasonable reseller, from what I've heard though. Another one to try is Wessex Tubas - again, a reseller of Chinese made instruments, but a reputable one.
I've got a Wessex 'Moselle' 3/4 BBb tuba. My first, in fact, and i'm acquainted with Jonathan, Wessex founder/owner. They've got a nice range of Eb tubas, and i've had my eye on a 4 (piston) valve model called the Bombino, but it will take longer to save for, being the thick end of £2000. I was looking for a quicker alternative, (i.e a slightly lower price) and of a similar quality (i'd highly recommend Wessex otherwise. More and more coming into the country). Thanks. Your videos are most entertaing, by the way. Particularly enjoyed the one about the 'cheapest bugle'...
Adrian Rosenlund-Hudson I know you said this a month ago but just in case, I have a John packer French horn and it does the job well. I would really recommend it.
Where does this fit in the larger musical picture? It seems to slot in between euphonium and a standard tuba, which is a niche is a brass band but not so much elsewhere. Would this instrument be useful in another musical setting, say a brass quintet? It just seems to me that for any role where this instrument slots in, euphonium or BBb or CC tuba could take over seamlessly.
I guess I'm asking, is there really a *need* to fill the octave between the baritone and the bass with another instrument? As a composer and arranger, I'm just not seeing it. To me it kinda looks and sounds like a big euphonium. If it had four compensating valves, that might be another matter entirely, but then you're probably trying to displace a CC.
+Scott Sakurai The Eb bass fits between the euphonium and Bb bass (tuba) in the brass band. The euphonium is no substitute for the Eb bass as it doesn't have the sonority or depth, even though one can play very low notes on a euphonium, it won't resonate the same way. The Eb bass usually plays either the unison or octave of Bb bass parts, although does play 5ths to create a beautiful effect. 5ths don't work well on two Bb basses because the sound gets too muddy.
+Trent Hamilton
I can understand the bit about playing in fifths or possibly even smaller intervals, but I can only think of two pieces where this effect is almost a requirement: "Bydlo" from _Pictures At an Exhibition_ is one. Dense chords are also used in the basses at the beginning of _March to the Scaffold_, but those sound better to me if scattered across instruments of different timbres to help keep them clear of each other. I'm sure there are others, but they're not coming to mind. Aside from that rather unusually bottom-heavy writing, I was taught (and generally follow) the guideline that any interval sounds more cluttered as the pitch gets lower, and that it is best to give the bass line the lowermost octave all to itself.I suppose this doesn't hold up in brass band writing, but I tend to write for as small an ensemble as can practically pull off a desired effect. (For example, my scoring of "Bydlo" is for a brass quintet, plus a solo euphonium.)
Thank you for the straightforward answer. It still appears this is a bit of a niche instrument to me. It would be much less so if it had four compensating valves, making it a viable alternative to an F tuba in almost all situations. Even there, I personally would use it at the bottom of the ensemble.
I was thinking about the leadpipe problem, and the way it forces you to hold the instrument. Perhaps you could put that lower belt clip to good use, and attach some sort of peg to it that lets you rest the weight on your chair. It also seems to me the optimal solution to the annoying belt clip would be to replace it with one that has a hinge allowing it to be pressed flat when not in use.
Scott Sakurai Hi Scott, there are many pieces where 5ths are used. Remember, the Eb bass is not a typical orchestral instrument - it is used almost exclusively in brass bands. If you were using a quintet or similar sized ensemble then yeah, the Eb bass wouldn't be the go-to instrument.
Regarding compensating valves, then yes, Eb basses get manufactured with and without compensating fourth valves. The first three generally aren't compensating by themselves, but the 4th valve mechanism usually alleviates any tuning issues.
+Trent Hamilton Actually, there are people using F tubas in quintets (though they're going to have four valves), and some of those also come with Eb slides, so if someone decided that an Eb tuba was the best instrument for a given piece, I probably wouldn't argue with them. I rarely write tuba parts below the low Eb anyhow (I do call for sustained and very important D's in my Toccata and Fugue transcription, but they're the sort of thing someone could easily build up to), so a compensating F or Eb would be perfectly adequate for my stuff, presuming it sounded big enough. I just can't see why I'd call for two differently-pitched tubas in the same ensemble (euphonium excluded, since it has a different role), that's basically what I meant.
In a small ensemble there perhaps isn't the need for two differently pitched tubas, but in the brass band it works great. There's too much of a gap between what the euphonium and Bb tuba bring to the table.
What instrument do you play primarily, I'm assuming it's euphonium or trombone if it's not trumpet or tuba
+Nahtanoj I don't primarily play anything at the moment; I'm a conductor. But I've played everything in the brass band.
+Trent Hamilton What's the best brass band part you've every played which instrument and what piece?
+Max Lawrence I have no idea sorry. I remember playing a section of music during a CD recording that equated to 12 notes per second. The conductor moaned at having to beat 3 beats per second, and I suggested it was worse for me. I was playing principal euphonium at the time.
How big (pounds?) do you think one would have to be to fill up a tuba like that?
Fill? Do you mean the weight? If so about 30 out of case and 50 in case
Do you mean how much air to play if so about as much as any brass instrument
This slaps
Love your videos man.
and can i have a concession fare to Crofton Downs please?
Can you do a video demonstrating your pbone
My Tuba was in a key if Eb but it was so out of tune its fundamental was A D natural.
The Alchemical Treecko my trumpet in a nutshell
D FOR DENDE
yoy should look into the camera lens ... makes it more personable
I play tuba, and I think you play very well. I cannot tongue very well at all
ViolentTomato Sorry, I can tongue decently, but double and triple tonguing fast licks is my Achilles heel
I think this instrument is a student model hence the leadpipe.
Dude. This tuba is a rip off of a besson sovereign 981, which has a straight lead pipe. As designed by John Fletcher he was quite a slight chap. The 982 has a higher lead pipe, it's for more "cuddly" banders and lanky chaps like myself. I prefer the 981 as nothing got butchered.
That aside, I can't figure out if you are being entirely sarcastic. Either way, I have enjoyed your review. Hats off
what are the belt loops for? my tuba has the same loops.
When marching you attach straps to them to aid in holding the tuba.
+Trent Hamilton Thanks! I'll probably just go with a susiphone instead.
Spider man pizza theme earrape
These are a "student grade" instrument. I suspect if you're 4 feet tall and half as wide, your ergonomic complaints would be null and void.
I ❤ BRITISH BRASS BANDS.
RICHARD GORDON he’s not from Britain
0:51 what was that face about? xD
+Psylocke Playz It was to emphasise the sarcasm of what I had just said.
Trent Hamilton Oh ok got ya, Thanks for replying! :D
Hey, I was wondering what's your opinion on plastic trombones ?
+Hamich Samich They're perfect for rough environments or for learners. I have seen a training academy of primary school age children, 11 trombonists all had plastic trombones and it was great for them.
I’ll never understand why these kind of lead pipes exist just because one short guy who was a good player had it designed for his specific body type. Just bad design.
Ax qussmy hwo maich ths is pless