F contrabass trombones vs BBb contrabass

[EdwardTrombone]

I've been looking for a contrabass trombone, and I've seen a lot of arguments for both types of trombones. I've been looking at the miraphone 670 BBb contra and the Wessex f contra, and I'm not sure which one offers more advantages or disadvantages

[Johnstad]

If you are able, play them for yourself and decide.

[Burgerbob]

Honestly, neither one. Contra is a pretty useless double, even if it is very cool.

But if you have to choose... F every day of the week.

I say this as someone that has borrowed a Miraphone long term and owns two good F contras and lives in a place with a lot of contra playing.

[LeTromboniste]

I remember a famous bass trombonist of a major orchestra, who had been in the job for 30 years then (and now 40) telling me the share of contra playing he had done with the orchestra until then still hadn't covered the cost of his contra, and he doubted it ever would.

[MStarke]

I remember a famous bass trombonist of a major orchestra, who had been in the job for 30 years then (and now 40) telling me the share of contra playing he had done with the orchestra until then still hadn't covered the cost of his contra, and he doubted it ever would.

In middle Europe that's different, especially in opera orchestras. If you play lots of Wagner and Strauss operas (plus some symphonic pieces) there is quite some room for contra. (Even if some purists will say it's not correct to play all that on contra...)
But for a freelancer who does not sub with an opera orchestra on a regular basis a contra probably doesn't make sense...

[EdwardSolomon]

F contra, not BB flat. I have owned and played the Miraphone BB flat contra and it doesn't work anything like as well as the F contras I have owned (both Thein). Don't waste your time or money. Buy a decent second-hand F contra from a reputable maker. Stay away from Chinese clones.

[Finetales]

F

[deanmccarty]

I've been looking for a contrabass trombone, and I've seen a lot of arguments for both types of trombones. I've been looking at the miraphone 670 BBb contra and the Wessex f contra, and I'm not sure which one offers more advantages or disadvantages

Short answer - F

Long answer… the Miraphone is sluggish and muddy to play. All of the F contras I have played play like a trombone… the Bb Miraphone plays like the red headed stepchild of a tuba and a trombone… and the step father is a contra-bassoon.

On another note… I pondered getting a contra for MANY years. I almost bought a Kanstul when they first came out. Then, I looked into the Wessex… it is a lot of money for something that doesn’t work well. If you really want a contra, save your money and get a quality instrument. I mainly play Rath horns, but didn’t choose a Rath contra for several reasons… it’s price range was WELL over what I wanted to pay, and it didn’t play any better than the Jürgen Voigt that I chose. I made a few alterations to what I wanted, and got a quality horn that I will be happy with forever. Will I ever make my money back with it? Nope! But it’s a horn I’ve always wanted… just for me.