To my old, failing ears, the best one was whichever tuba he was playing at any given time.

The tubas all sound slightly different but you played them all well! Here are my thoughts on each one Nirschl: Has a defined, rich sound that slots very well, dark sound. Articulations are more like little pops instead of a “T” sound. Most consistent intonation from what I heard. Wessex: Upper overtones are very strong, has a buoyant sound, seems to slot the easiest, and also cuts in the low range more than the other tubas YamaYork: A mix of heavy core with just the right amount of overtones, meaty low register. Has the classic york sound with a singing quality to it. Very very consistent sound, although it may become uneven if you push the sound too hard EBC836: Warmer, more compact sound, has the body of a york sound, but lacks as much resonance as the other horns. Sounds the most even tonally Hirsbrunner: Sounds a little thin and tubby, but projects and rings like crazy. Articulations have more of a “T” sound than the other tubas All in all, my personal favorites are 3/4 with 1 being right behind that

The low registers of 2, 4, and 5 were great and they ended up being my favorite ones.

Great playing! Almost immediately I thought the sound of 5 was much more present, pleasing, and consistent. Having played all these at different times, I was very surprised it was a Hirsbrunner.

Outstanding playing! Bravo!!!

I think my favorite one was the Eastman. It sounds very presents, but at the same time not too fluffy.

To me, it was no contest #5. Then 3, 1, 2, and 4. As a Wessex owner, I like the sound I get from my 20" bell york style tuba. I wish that was in the comparison. Great playing!!

You play them all very well. I liked the Hirsbrunner best followed by the Yamaha.

From what I heard, I ENJOYED the sound and response from 5 the most, but the intonation seemed trivial compared to each of the other horns (especially that G!!). I think 4 probably was most consistently my favorite horn, next to 5. For me, it's between the sound of 5 (there's a real pop and presence to that sound) and the consistency of registers/intonation/sound of 4!

You sound great on all of them.

Great video. They all sounds very close, which reflects the player rather than the instrument. There is likely as much variation in sound between tubas from the same manufacturer, than between the tubas from different manufacturers.

For what it's worth, I'm not a fan of the modern tendency toward " blatty" low notes. I've been out of the loop for many years, but my template for how the York tuba should sound is my recollection of the way Arnold Jacobs sounded on the Chicago York tuba(s). That template is a lively sound in all registers, full of harmonics, always vocalistic, and beautiful above all. I remember him playing single notes that were so compelling in sound quality and vitality that my ear was immediately drawn to them in spite of whatever else was happening in the rest of the orchestra.

Great video!

Amazing performances, the best were 3 and 5… 3 is my favorite clearly

Ottima iniziativa! Bravo Alberto!

Muito obrigado mestre por esse vídeo! Excelente trabalho!!!

Number 5 by a long shot. 3 in second, then 4, 2, and then 1. I was pretty surprised (and disappointed) 1 was a Nirshl as I've heard great things about them (and they're so expensive!). But Hirsbrunners are where its at, so that didn't shock me quite as much. Good on the Eastman though, holding its own.

Excelente sua técnica de respiração e ele consegue manter a mesma qualidade de SOM na Família das Tubas!!👏👏👏👏👏

4th and 5th tubas are the best sounding at least on my headphones.

Great playing! Personally, there's just something about how the Yamayork spoke the lows, it had this intense focus and presence to the tone that I can't really find words to describe. If I were to put it another way, I find it easier to imagine a trombone section balancing to that sound, if that makes any sense. It also had such a dark sound that was so different from the others. It's almost like the other 4 were variations on the same general "velvet fog" sound while the Yamayork was built to be more organ-like. I, and many others, I'm sure, would love to see you do this with other horns like the Gronitz, MW 2165, or the Baer? I know you can't just actualize these $20-30,000 tubas out of thin air, but it'd be really sweet if you could make it happen. Cheers!

i love the tuba 2 and 4

Of the traditional York designs I preferred 1 and 4. But I really like #2, with the smaller bell.

You sound awesome!! I think I’m going to have to go with number 4 in my opinion. I think you also forgot the Adams York copy as well...

I like #5 the mostest!

HA! I nailed all five! Do I win a prize? Okay, so as of this date (11/11/2023), there is a Yamayork at Dillon Music that I am about to drive out to play-test. I will likely just get one of the three Eastman EBC836 tubas they have in stock (two demos and one new, all lacquered) but I *really* want that Yamayork. Thanks very much for posting this excellent video.

This clip shows that no matter which Tuba you have a good player would make all of them sound good. And that was demonstrated in this video.

#1 & #4 did it for me! To my ears #4 was slightly clearer in both sound and pitch, but both are very close! I'd rank them 4,1,2,3,5. Great playing and thank you for sharing!

While I personally find the Hirsbrunner the hardest to play, if you’ve got lungs like this guy, #5 all the way! It sounds the most like a tuba, not a bass trombone. Either way, this is a great video resource for those considering their first 6/4 CC. Find the right sound you’re looking for. They all play well. Think about what you’re looking for in your ensemble sound.

for me 4 is the best, the timbre is very charming!

I like the #4 the most, followed by #2.

Há muito tempo queria ver essa comparação entre as tubas

4/5 Can't decide 3 1 2 by a long shot

2165 solos ez Def my favorite out of all of the york designs I've played. Though slightly different than a york it captures the essence

#4 Eastman 👍👍👍👍👍 #5 Hirsbrunner 👍👍👍👍 #1 #2 #3 👍👍

I don't know that I'd pick it overall, but #2 made the hall ring more than the others. A couple others barely created a response in the room. Compare the low E's in Fountains. The hall barely reverberates after the release for 2 or 3 of them. But it rang for #2. As a conductor, #2 would get a callback. I'd want to hear it with the trombone section. It doesn't matter what a tuba sounds like if it can't project it more than 3 feet.

very nice playing and very interesting - thank you for sharing

What was the second excerpt he played?

I prefer the tuba Number 4 of course, i playing now the tuba B&S GR 41 C

Looks like I'm the odd man out. The Wessex (#2) is for me. To my ears the notes played had a "cleaner" finish, clearer intonation and timbre.

What was the second etude you played? Great clarity!

which of these tubas has the most responsive 5th valve, valves and tuning slides.

What was the second excerpt played?

4 for me, I think its Gronitz PCK

They did not all sound identical, but the differences in sound are too small to be a determining factor in any choice I would make. You are making the sound, not the horn. If you choose whichever of these feels to best to you, you will do a respectable job with it. The choice may be different for every player. All of these are capable of doing a good job for you.

The Wessex played on this video is the TC694 Chicago-Presence and not the TC695 Chicago-York. So it is not a direct comparison, as the TC694 has 18” bell deliberately to make a more compact sound. For comparison the TC695 should have been played

My preference order: 1,5,3,2,4 I suspect that #5 is a tricky horn to play but that you have spent a great deal of time on it. Do you put more hours in on the Hirbrunner or a different horn?

#1 - If you want to win a job, the Nirschl is the one. Wessex is clear but is only about 85% of the core. Yamaha is excellent in low register but tonal inconsistency drove my ears nuts -- and it would get major dings from ww's/strings on a commitee. Eastman -- dull. Yorkbrunner sounds great by gets tubby.

To me they all sounded the same but nice playing bro👍

Of all the tubas played I liked the Eastman and the Hirsbrunner the most. The Eastman has a super even sound and the Hirsbrunner has the darkest sound.

It was pretty close, as they were all pretty good, but to me, #3 had the best sound in the very low range, as the low frequency was obviously low frequency, whereas the others on the same notes sounded like a higher frequency being played in a stuttering manner. I.E., the upper overtones came through stronger than the actual note in the other tubas. So, #3.

2 e 5 veramente paurose :-)

I would say that the Wessex Chicago « présence » with the smaller bell would have more clarity and precision. :-) I’d love to know tuba you play Alberto!

I am an amateur tuba player. Could you tell me the names of these songs?

DAmn, BUT I LIKE THEM BIG BOYS!!!!

Which one didn’t you play? There are 6 tubas🧐

In fact, the best sound is from the Hirsbrunner.

Chiaramente tutti strumenti meravigliosi,ma hirsbrunner e wessex hanno qualcosa in più...

1-4 were all close; they all sound great. I wasn't a huge fan of 5. Great playing!

For me a Hirsbrunner is a best ,lirical song e intonation best

5

1

Tuba number three seemed easier to overblow. 1 & 4 were tied sound wise. I would give a slight preference towards the fourth tuba though.

Hirsbrunner has a big big sound

2

La Hisbrunner es la mejor

34521 #3 has the best, most rounded sound and intonation. #4 is a close rival. #5 hast the biggest sound and #1 I would definitely not choose from these 5.

1, 3, and 5 all are solid, I liked one more than the others on each of the clips so there was no clear winner, but if I had to pick an order I'd go 5, 3, 1. Didn't care at all for 2 or 4.

Put some shoes on bro 😅

What was the first excerpt played?