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@@calfaouri Thanks for playing along! You can take your time and work on it as much or as little as you like. These videos were meant to be a guide to get someone started. On your own, you can play along with any type of music that you like. It can be entertaining for yourself and learning at the same time. I haven’t played the satin 186 in a while. I need to get it out and work with it a little bit. Keep up your good work!

@@harleyzeth Sounds like wisdom to me. Vehicles go down in value, whereas good instruments tend to hold their value or even go up in value over time. Just make sure to have a vehicle that can haul all those tubas around!

@@buffalobillh If I ever get rich(fingers crossed) my financial advisor is going to think I'm insane because I'm going to own tuba reserves instead of gold reserves. I'll be like "Are you suggesting I should gold plate all my tubas?"

@@harleyzeth 🤣 I like it!

@@calfaouri Good to hear from you! It was a thrill, for sure. The cherry on top (or should I say the bottom? ) is at the end when the Bb basses are playing that pedal C with the organ and the Eb soprano on top. Goose bumps galore!

@@buffalobillh Neat! I know you have worked hard to develop a very usable low-end to be able to solidly apply low Cs like that. With my 4 valve 186 and the experience I have so far, I couldn’t reliably pull that off. I don’t know how much it would help to have the larger 496 with a fifth valve, but trust I’ll find out for myself eventually. You’d said you weren’t getting in much playing this summer, so I was happy to see evidence that there’s been some at least. I’m continuing to play with my two bands, including the German band. Been listening to lots of Blasmusik and in particular have gravitated to what I can find by Obermüller Muiskanten. The unconscious mastery these guys display is just a marvel to me, and the way they do it seems particularly sweet to my ear. ruclips.net/video/tZ76mmHLVlE/видео.html ruclips.net/video/nymBoL7QRTY/видео.html Been watching lots of videos from Woodstock der Blasmusik, and am amazed at the enthusiasm the culture over there has for such traditional music. I mean, to live somewhere that a scene like this is possible: ruclips.net/video/CM_NCIN_01U/видео.html Also been moving into working on some “screamers” in the Sousa band. Playing fast hasn’t been a strong suit, so this stuff is definitely challenging. ruclips.net/video/-elkiWzW5Cg/видео.html Anyway, good to stay busy with this stuff. Hope you will be finding more time and opportunities to use and enjoy the fantastic talent and abilities you’ve developed. I’ll never catch up to you, but I’m so glad I dusted off what I’ve got and am trying. The weekly lessons with the premier tubist from the major regional symphony is definitely helping. Best wishes, Bill!

@@barryguerrero6480 Hey, Barry… are you commenting on the right video? Because if Karajan conducted Moonlight in Vermont, I gotta hear that recording! Btw, do you still have the Neptune?

@@buffalobillh Nah, I guess it changed videos before I had a chance to finish typing. It was a 'live' Mahler 6 with Karajan and the B.P.O. from Paris. Now that I'm here, I'm very much enjoying "Moonlight in Vermont". It's a great melody.

@@barryguerrero6480 Gotcha. Either way, it’s good to hear from you.

@@barryguerrero6480 I’ll check out the Mahler also. Thanks!

@@kvnyegvmp Understood. Everyone has what they like and what works. If yours is C and Bb, that’s great. Just keep playing!

Play one and you'll understand

@@harleyzeth The first time I played one, I immediately understood the appeal of the Eb. 👍🏼

@@buffalobillh It's like the perfect low brass instrument to me. It's a tuba made to sing.

@@harleyzeth Agreed. Very versatile- you can do just about everything on it, including sing. And maybe it isn’t for everyone, but I’m definitely a fan.

@@empireentertainmentevents1353 I hope it was helpful.

@@DrDreMFoemper Thanks for sharing your impressions of the tuba. I hope you will let me know how you like the tuba after you have played it for a while. I really enjoy mine!

@@chrisoakmountain2387 Thank you for the kind words. I do own BBb, CC, Eb, and F tubas, and I would be excited to play any of them with one of your local groups. I love different styles, and I would like to play stylistically correct as much as possible. But I agree that adapting to the style would likely work itself out.

I agree. It makes a great sound. Or at least as good as I can sound on it.

Yes. It is a well built instrument!

At the time of purchase, it was under $500 US for the leadpipe. Local repairman charged less than 100 to install it. Current price is £340 (pipe and receiver). Today’s exchange rate puts the cost near $430 US.

Thank you for your quick response.

@@rolandogalang2800 I hope that helps.

@@buffalobillh yes thank you

The Packer is definitely the easiest to play and the most in tune. If you’re looking for a British style Eb tuba, that would be my suggestion. If you were looking for an Eb tuba that was not compensating, the Miraphone Norwegian Star is one of the best ones that I’ve tried. Five front action rotary valves with excellent intonation.

It’s a Sellmansberger Imperial with a #2 rim. Produced by Houser Mouthpieces.

Does your tuba play better now in every aspect?

@@buffalobillh Yes, I didn't experience any loss, the change only resulted in more comfort, as the original position of the leadpipe is very high, even for people bigger than me it was uncomfortable. The next change I would like to make is to change the 4th key, increase its caliber and position it in a more comfortable place.

@@juninhotubista I may add the Mike Johnson 4th valve conversion later this year. If you do something similar, I would like to know how it works for you.

@@buffalobillh Cool, as soon as I can do it I'll post a video showing how it turned out and what my experience was. However, I've already seen two people who made the change and apparently the sound was just as good and apparently much more comfortable.

@@juninhotubista Thanks. I’m looking forward to seeing your video!

They have been out of print for a while. I’ll have to see if the bandleader might have some.

@@buffalobillh If you can check with the band leader that would be great! I am very interested in the band's recordings. Thank you in advance!

@@skandle80 I’ll see what I can do.

@@skandle80 Still searching and working on it!

Thank you! I appreciate it!

Thank you! Check my other videos for the occasional solo.

Danke!

When we have a Westerns-themed concert. 👍🏼

Thanks!

Thanks! I’d like to have another go at it with a warm horn, but it was lots of fun, and the audience liked it.

Yes. The Packer Eb. I was playing Bb on the rest of the concert. Came to the front where the Eb was waiting. Nothing like playing a solo on a cold horn! And it is a British-style brass band (no woodwinds). It is a real treat!

I believe the band parts were a rental, but I’m not sure, as this was almost 40 years ago. The solo and piano accompaniment are available on the internet.

“Girl with the Flaxen Hair” by Debussy. A classic!

You can definitely play it on euphonium. Just play it an octave higher than written, although it would be pretty easy as written.. 👍🏼 On tuba, it’s a bit more challenging. But certainly it’s a fun challenge.

Merci.

@@buffalobillh Ou est ce que l'on peut écouter ta musique ?

@@teomage978 J'ai joué du tuba et de la basse dans plusieurs groupes. Vous pouvez retrouver une partie de la musique sur ma chaîne. d'autres peuvent être trouvés sur RUclips et iTunes. Ce ne sont que quelques-uns d'entre eux: Billy Mata and the Texas Tradition Doig Boggs and the Cowboy Jazz Band The Travelers The Houston Brass Band

I’ll have to post a photo of our section wearing custom shirts that say, “Welcome to Browntown! Home of the Brown Note.”

Like I said: GOLD! Haha!!!

@@TheMusicofDrewFennell Check your “Mentions” section.

@GLC-1979 That is an outstanding back row style description. BTF!

Thanks!

Can you make the long version would like to hear that sound spectacular.

@@stretchedout6600 As soon as I have a recording of the full song, I’ll post it.

That is definitely a fun piece to play.

My understanding is that they are made in China. If I was going to buy a 6/4 CC, there are other models that I would look at first.

👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼

@@buffalobillh thank you so much for that lovely and thoughtful reply. It’s quite heartening to know that you have a very long history in playing and have put in a tremendous amount of work to be able to showcase such fluid, controlled and polished playing now. It helps me to rationalize the very wide gulf between your skills and mine, and gives me perspective to help bridge the low points when I feel like I’m just never going to ‘get it’. I spent the weekend with an old friend who is a professional trumpet player, and we spent a number of hours together, playing through a number of the marches I need to work up for the Sousa band I am joining. It was a humbling experience in some ways, but it also made me realize how far I have come in a short time. The lung capacity and natural breath control habits I had well tuned in my 20s feels like the biggest aspect I am missing now, but as I played through a few solo pieces that I had worked on in university, while I was with him, I realized that I am playing them much better now than I was in university. It occurred to me that the difference is that back then I played in excellent concert bands and took quality lessons continuously for many years, but it was just one slice of my young life. I did not have a tuba at home and rarely did any real practicing. Since late September, though, when I got my little Miraphone 184 and started to dig in after some 35 years away from playing, I have been practicing pretty much every night for at least an hour if not 90 minutes or even two hours or more. Other than work, it’s been pretty much my main focus. Plainly, putting in the time does yield results. From that standpoint, I am excited for the future and what strides I could make in just the next six months. To the degree that I remember it, I do have an excellent foundation of great instruction that I received back then that I can call on now. I have all of the great exercise books, and a fair bit of material to work on. I have started to reach out to try to figure out how to re-engage with someone for some lessons again. I presently feel so overwhelmed by all the music that I need to learn for the new band in such a short time that I am struggling to create a good practice plan for myself. I work a bit on scales, but tend to spend most of my time just plowing through and wood shedding on the marches I need to learn. I know I need to get smarter about how I apportion the time I put in so that I can maximize results. I recently got Daniel Ridder’s Tuba-Total book, and plan to try to work through it - in addition to Roschut, Arbans, Blazevich, Wm Bell, Tyrell, Rubank and all the other materials my university professor set me up with. I guess I need to cut myself a little slack and just take the time, knowing its going to take time, and try not to flip out when the place I feel I need to get to with my playing feels so very far away.

@@calfaouri Super! It sounds like you’re on track to get there. As you well know, time and effort are your friends. If you keep practicing like that, you’ll reach your goals without any trouble.

Yes, it is.

Thanks!

Unfortunately, it’s not the best quality. It was recorded live in 1987 on inexpensive equipment. Not anything like we have today.

Danke!

Congratulations on your purchase! I hope the video was useful.

I have to agree that these are great tubas, and it helps that they aren’t terribly expensive.

@@buffalobillhI thought it was a euphonium for a bit

@@Euphonium_boi Gotcha. I do have a Packer euphonium, and it is an excellent euphonium, however, I’m not enough of a euphonium player to do it justice on video (or anywhere else).

@@buffalobillh I could say the same for a trombone I have. Blessing F trigger, 8.5 in bell. Model and serial number is scratched off though, I got it used

@@Euphonium_boi I used to double occasionally on trombone and bass bone 😳 - I can relate. I sure wouldn’t do it in public today!

The 496 came with two tuning slides. I naturally play low and pretty open (I guess I have a big mouth 🤣), so I use the short slide. The other slide (440) is generous and should work just fine in stateside ensembles.

It is a 186 CC built in 1969. Sheet brass. Very resonant. The refinish was done by Joe Sellmansberger at Mid-South Music. The satin finish hides evidence of old war wounds. The sound is incredibly vibrant and rich, the response is superb, and the intonation is pretty much pointless-and-shoot. Unfortunately, I haven’t had the gigs to play it recently (because of my job), but I’m hoping that changes soon.

Definitely a favorite. Yes, I am on the right with the 496. If you listen through headphones, you’ll hear the Eb in the left earpiece, Mike’s vintage Meinl Weston 5/4 BBb in the middle, and the 496 on the right. All the low octave stuff in the first movement is exclusively on the 496.

@calfaouri I have been playing blasmusik for years, but because of changes in my job, I’ve had very few gigs in the last year and a half. It has also been difficult to make RUclips content. But I’m still playing as much as I can. Stay tuned, and I will try to have some new stuff soon. When I first tried the 496, I was thrilled with how it played and responded. It definitely had a WOW factor. Unfortunately, the 495 did not have any wow factor. It played fine, as you would expect from Miraphone, but for me, there was nothing special or outstanding about it. It did not “reach out and shake hands with me.” Apparently, a lot of other folks had similar experiences. The 496 and 497 live up to the hype and were highly impressive, but not the 495. I’d much rather have a vintage 186 for a 4/4 BBb. I haven’t tried the 494 3/4 BBb, but I am told it has that same wow factor and is an excellent player with a big sound. Hopefully, I will get to try one next month and report my findings.

@@buffalobillh Bill - thanks so much for your insight. Sorry to hear work has been keeping you from as much gigging and posting as you’d like, it sounds all too familiar. I do hope you get hold of a 494 and can post about it; that was the one I was interested in at first, but started thinking I should go bigger, thus my curiosity about the 495. But about the only review of it I could find was on TubaForum when Don simply called it a “stinker”! What in the world did that mean, I wondered? I am recently back to playing after 35-ish years away, and picked up a (well) used Miraphone 184 BBb 2/4. It was sold sight-unseen as a 3/4. Its been great to get me back in the game, but it’s awfully small and has issues; my local tech advises not to sink any more money into it. So, been considering options for a new horn. i’m really impressed and liking how Daniel Ridder plays and sounds on his Hagen 497. ruclips.net/video/3ORUSrEc1Rk/видео.htmlsi=RBlLJfnTcSx37SvV I reached out to him, and he also told me the 495 wasn’t special, but could recommend the 496 100%. You were the only player I could think of who had much content with it. I played 186s and 187s in high school and college, and don’t have the wind I had then. I’ve never tried a horn larger than those 4/4 instruments, and am super curious about trying a 5/4 to see if I’d be able to do a 496 justice. Do you find it fairly easy to fill?

@@calfaouri I think the 496 is easy to play. The response is immediate, and it has a deceptively deep sound. Those Miraphone valves are exceptional. Physically, it’s a big horn, but it doesn’t play like a big horn. I understand that some folks think large bore horns tend to be air hogs, but I don’t feel that way. I think that’s more about the player’s efficiency more than anything else. I don’t feel that I have to work hard with the 496, but if I want to stomp the gas pedal, the horn really goes to work. The 496 will be quite a change in size from a 184, but if you don’t try to work too hard, the 496 can be played easily. Just relax, buzz the notes into the mouthpiece and let the horn do the work. Or so it seems to me. I think the 496 is definitely worth trying to find out for yourself if the 496 will work for you.

@@buffalobillhthat’s very encouraging and exciting to hear! Thank you so much for engaging, its very helpful to hear impressions from someone with years of experience with the horn. Did you order your 496 with the ‘loose’ first slide? I’m wondering how necessary that is. Do you find you need to adjust for its intonation much? I see yours has the 5th valve, which on the Hagens I believe is dependent on the 4th valve. How crucial do you find it? From what I’ve read, adding the valve really affects how it handles - the weight and balance - so I keep hoping that I don’t really need it. But to me, tuba is all about low register, so maybe adding one is a must to cleanly access those really low notes.

@@calfaouri I bought the 496 without having any work done on it prior to shipping. My slides moved, but I had to lap them to get them smooth. The first slide really needs more lapping, but I only need it to move on a couple notes: C in the staff needs a push (I can also play it 4th valve with good response) and a slight pull for Eb in the staff. I don’t need to pull it in the low range because I have a fifth valve, and the fourth valve slide is easier to access. I also vented my valves myself, but I could have asked that to be done prior to shipping. The fifth valve is independent, and I am really glad I opted for it, as I do lots of low range playing in brass band when playing Bb bass. The intonation with it is spot-on. If you aren’t spending much time in the pedal range (or playing pedal C or B very often), the fifth valve may not be worth it for you. Just pull the 4, 3, and maybe 1 slide to make it work. And it will certainly work. I didn’t experience any significant difference between the four valve and five valve models. There might be some actual difference, but it certainly wasn’t enough to deter me from getting the benefit and convenience of the fifth valve. I think it’s really up to each player to decide what they need and what works for them. If you could try them side by side, that would be huge. For me, it’s not too top-heavy. I also play it on a stand. It’s a tall horn to start with, so an extra pound or two is not going to be a make-or-break factor for me. Your experience might prove to be different. Trying is believing.

Three of us in the brass band have bought from John, and we are all happy customers. I hope you have a good experience also! Which model are you getting?

Thanks! The Miraphone is easy to play.

Thanks for sharing your experience! I may have it done later this year.