I’m kind of curious if you think back, what are your top most FUN to play horns. Since I’m back into playing for the pure enjoyment of it, I feel like what I’m looking for in a horn is somewhat different from years past.
My list is actually not going to be super complete because for two of them the details are olllld memories....and I may very well be forgetting something. That said, I’m positive about #1 and #2.
1. Absence typically makes the heart grow fonder, but in this case it’s my current daily player. My very nice condition vintage 88H had a lot of memories, but hands down my utility Cleveland 605F is the most fun to play of any horn I’ve ever owned. For yeeeears I pined for a single-rotor .562 but it turns out I unknowingly wanted to go the extreme other direction. I also have a nickel tempo bell section for it too, but convincing me to stop with the F section is nearly impossible. Everything about it feels right - especially the physical balance. I have added a weighted tuning slide for when I’m using my Silent Brass on the F section.
2. 1914 Conn 4-valve, front action silver (though silver wash bell sadly) euph. Back in the day I could rip on that thing. My pedal rage on that was literally no different than my middle rage. High range was dialed in too, but I felt like I could have gone another half octave lower had the notes been there. It was perhaps the only thing I ever did that truly impressed my tuba/euph professor (there were some very talented folks my same year that overshadowed me by miles). I don’t even recall which note he asked tentatively if I could hit and my tone was so full his eyes bugged out and then I went at least another 5+ more notes until I ran out of valves. That would be for me the horn that got away. This one I bought from Witchita Brass - and it was Brian Setzers before me.
3. Super, super hazy on this one. I don’t recall where I bought it, when or how I sold it, etc. but for 1-2 years I had a - I think - ~.540 (slightly under .547 as I recall) Huttl straight tenor. And I feel pretty strongly it had a solid nickel bell. In fact if you told me it was possible the entire bell section was solid nickel that sounds about right. It was not the easiest to play - slotting was tricky - but it was a blast. I distinctly recall there was an arrangement the jazz group would end on and I was supposed to knock out your run of the mill Db above the staff but being a young buck back then was usually able to consistently play up an octave on command...but at the end of a long concert, at the end of the final piece, coming only 1-2 bars out of my solo a managed to blow out my lip in two performances in a row - struggling stubbornly to ultimately squeeze out a resounding...high C just below...sigh. lol.
It was me, not the horn - but cannot help but wish you could reach for a .485 for that last solo when you’re exhausted :p So, based purely on fun and enjoyment, what’s your Top 3?
Cheers
