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April Newsletter
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Selecting a School Tuba
By James Yaques (Band Director Palm Beach Central HS)
I’ve been getting a lot of question lately from fellow directors about which tuba I
recommend for purchase for their band programs. If you’re a High School or a Middle
School needing a full size (4/4) tuba my answer is the Eastman EBB 534 BBb tuba.
http://www.eastmanmusiccompany.com/products/brass/tubas/ebb534/#1
I think the Eastman is the best tuba at the best price on the market. It is a copy of the
King 2341 BBb Tuba, which is the best BBb tuba on the market under $10K. The
Eastman is essentially the same tuba for about $2K less than the King. The Eastman is
Chinese made, but Chinese instruments have come a long way in recent years. There are
several companies who have factories in China that have good oversight and make sure
they are getting a quality product. Both Yamaha and Jupiter make many of their
instruments in China.
How did I stumble upon the Eastman? Over a year ago I purchased the Eastman EBC
632 CC Tuba as my personal tuba. The instrument had just come on the market and was
developed by tuba wiz Matt Walters from Dillon Music. It is based on the famous York
tubas of the early 1900’s. This tuba has gotten rave reviews from professional tuba
players everywhere. Here is a link to a review of the Eastman CC Tuba by Cameron
Gates recently retired tubist from the US Marine Band “The President’s Own.”
New at Music Man:
The 52nd Street
Eastman Alto/Tenor Sax
The 52 street saxophone is a
professional instrument and it comes
un-lacquered for a truly vintage
appearance. It is an exceptionally
responsive horn for all registers
producing a big fat sound with
precise intonation. A larger bell and
rolled style tone holes contribute to
the sound qualities that compare
with vintage horns of the past.
As a band director I wondered if there was a BBb version of this horn for my students.
Sure enough the EBB 534 was available. I had my local music store (Music Man) get one
for a trial. I spent a few weeks with it and had my students play it in band. It did great! A
warm “American Tuba” sound and very solid pitch tendencies. It fits the bill for what I
am looking for in a tuba for my students to play and at a very affordable price.
Pistons vs Rotors/ American Style Tuba vs German Style Tuba
I often hear Band Directors say “I want a rotary valve tuba.” “Rotary valve are
professional tubas.” Well, many professionals play piston valve tubas. If you look at all
the professional orchestras in the US and the Washington, D.C. Military Bands, most of
the tubist play piston valve instruments as their primary contrabass tuba. That doesn’t
mean that pistons are better than rotaries. It’s all about personal preference. Some
players like the feel of rotors, some prefer the feel of pistons. Sound concept also plays a
role. Many rotary valve tubas are based on German designs. Which usually means a tall
bell with a smaller flair. American designed tubas have stocky bodies with large bell
flairs. Do you prefer the sound of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra or the Berlin
Philharmonic? Both are great, but definitely sound different. The German designed rotary
tubas have a more directional (punchy) sound, while the American designed tubas usually
have a broad and enveloping sound. Again, personal preference should determine style of
tuba you choose. If you prefer a German style rotary valve instrument look no further than
a Miraphone 186 BBb tuba. This is a tried and true tuba that has been around for many
years. I hear that Mack Brass and Wessex have good Chinese clones of these instruments
as well. But I have not personally played on them.
Eastman Saxes are endorsed
by: Bob Mintzer
I hope this little article helps you in making a decision when buying a tuba for your band
program. Tubas are usually one of the biggest purchases for your program and you don’t
want buy something you are not happy with. Of course the choices of tubas above are just
my opinion, your mileage may vary.
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The Guitar Wall:
Our most popular beginning Guitar
The Repair Bench
Yamaha 325
This finely-crafted Yamaha acoustic guitar provides great sound and playing
ease. Available by itself or in a complete guitar package (GigMaker Standard).
GIGMAKER STD
Includes an F325 acoustic guitar, gig bag, digital tuner, DVD guitar lessons,
strap, strings, and picks.
In response to last months
issue here are the updated
pictures from our repair shop
of a Yamaha YAS-82ZB and
a Geminhardt 30SB
The Lesson Room:
Teacher Feature
Drummer, Frank Derrick, has led a multifaceted national
and international music career. He is a virtuoso performer,
composer, and educator. In addition to his many theatrical
credits, he has performed with numerous legends including
Eubie Blake, The Duke Ellington Orchestra, The Woody
Herman Orchestra, Benny Carter, Hank Jones, Ann
Hampton Calloway, Keely Smith, and The Louis Armstrong Legacy Band to name
a few. He toured worldwide with Cab Calloway for 10 years and was the
drummer for “The David Letterman Show” on NBC. Currently he is the drummer,
assistant conductor and personnel manager for the Palm Beach Pops and
drummer and conductor for the Bob Hoose Orchestra. He is the respected
author of FOCUS ON TECHNIQUE FOR DRUMMERS, Drum set Editor for
Percussive Notes, and makes guest appearances following the recent release of
his new jazz-chart busting CD, THE BEAT GOES ON on the Jazzed Media label.
Coming up in next month’s
issue:
“Selecting instruments for
your program with
replacement money”
And
A word from Jim LeBon
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