You might want to try a Josef Lidl 684. I love mine and the low range is tasty.

Mercer & Barker is also very good.
I myself use a Mercer & Barker MB2-H.

I have a Besson New Standard that I sometimes use.
It's taking a trumpet-shank mouthpiece, but slightly larger (I use a 19 mm, while my trumpet mouthpieces are 16.9/17 mm) and deeper (flugelhorn-style).

In my local symphony where I'm principal trombone, the tuba player has a Miraphone Petruschka. Easiest tuba to blend with I have played along as a trombone player. A Yamaha F was there when I was principal trumpet, it was good as well.
Every time I played along with a CC or BBb it was harder ...

I will tell you that most trombone players actually prefer playing with F tubas, of course, when played well. The sonority is closer to theirs, and (when some contrabass tuba players tend to sound a little fuzzy and puffy) a good F player's pitches are easier for them to interpret.


In my local ...

I have a BBb Moldau and it's a beauty.
Beautiful, well in-tune, a joy to play.

gocsick wrote: Wed Jul 01, 2026 11:44 am I use the neotech holster harness with the Conn 20J and it works just fine. I never tried the normal harness with straps because I would afraid of the same problem.

Was thinking about it as well.
It's not strapped to the horn, right ?
Just slide into it?

When I ordered by Lidl 684, I took the Neotech tuba harness (regular size) with it.
However, the bottom bow of the tuba is too big for the harness straps

What are my options there?
Anyone tried the Rudolf Schwarz Tuba X-Strap or the Air Cell Tuba Strap ?

Just came back from rehearsal.
That horn is a joy to play!!!
Hardly any effort needed to sound like a huge carpet for the rest lf the band.
You need forte ? Here it is.
You need piano ? Of course, and it even stay very clean and defined.
Got some slightly technical/melodious things to do (I play the ...

It eventually arrived yesterday! :tuba:

It's a very nice horn, just tooted 10 minutes on it and already liked it.

But ... the gigbag is not very protective and it arrived with a slightly bent rim edge... It's not much damage, but a pity for a brand new horn. No idea at which point between the ...

Aaaaaan, I have just been asked to attend an audition to enter the conservatory, both on trombone and tuba (there is an opening in each class).
It's on Tuesday, I have 6 days to prepare

It eventually arrived yesterday! :tuba:

It's a very nice horn, just tooted 10 minutes on it and already liked it.

But ... the gigbag is not very protective and it arrived with a slightly bent rim edge... It's not much damage, but a pity for a brand new horn. No idea at which point between the ...

That's probably a stupid question, but can't it be played opened with false tones ?
I do it on my 3v Eb and it's very fine.

Yamaha YCB-621 I think

Just passed an order for a Josef Lidl 684-4M
Should be there by end of next week.

Ok, not going for the used 781, I prefer a return policy on a new instrument.
And thinking about it, I will probably go for a new Cerveny 681 instead of the Lidl 684. The 681 should be "easier" to play and less diffuse.
Why ? Because my current Eb is small, but not "seriously too small" and I think ...

The more I think about it, the more I consider the 781.

Apart from the price (which would need to go down), what do you think of the match 781 vs 684 ?

Yeah, and I'm too much in love with the 684 right now...
The only advantage of the 781 is that I have the money right now, the 684 needs more savings.
But I don't want tl regret my choice