I had owned some C instruments (one at a time). I'm not going to discuss why I was disappointed with each of them, because I'll likely receive responses from people who own those models, and that's not why I'm posting.
As far as C instruments are concerned, the first one I bought (AFTER the C moratorium... again, NOT discussing those that I had owned previously) was a Gronitz PCK, and then (selling that one to a full-time professional) a 5450 (which was the last one that I owned). I had also built myself a remarkably nice playing (in every respect) five valve C helicon made of Buescher 4/4 sousaphone and tuba parts which many remember, as well as going through a parade of 6/4 C tubas (which I eventually all found to be tedious).
It's pretty hard (as overly-prolifically as I post here) to miss the fact that I've moved over to B flat instruments in the past few years (boredom? European traditions? resonance? tendency towards easier intonation characteristics?)
The thing is that the F tuba has just sat and sat and sat and sat, as I've been determined to be as comfortable with B-flat (and my two go-to B flat instruments in particular) as I previously was playing C instruments.
Last night I picked up the F tuba and decided to give myself a little test. I played one of the Rochut/Bordogni exercises over in Book III which is in F sharp minor and then F sharp major (one of those few which I still had not checked off).
OK... I got through it, but I had to do a lot o' thinkin':
Oddly, I found myself sight-singing (in my head) the written passages I was reading and playing (long ago burned into my head) fingering patterns (the scales and arpeggios I was hearing in my head from sight-singing) - on the F tuba - rather than actually reading the notes, as - again - the automatic connection a valve combinations to the named pitches (with the F instrument) become rusty, and was substituting another (two-stage) way of reading...
...so I'll return to playing the F instrument, and not ignoring it.
(I actually have pulled the F instrument out for a few quintet engagements, those are always just gigs (not recitals) whereby I haven't had any problem reading those charts and playing the F tuba, but I can tell that my reading ability (given last night's test) has softened.
Finally, that instrument is absolutely a true pleasure to play:
intonation, legato, low air demand yet high level of resonance output (extraordinarily long phrases possible, sort of as with oboe players...with the luxury of being able to choose to ignore chances to breathe), beautiful resonance (as long as I stick my mouth on the mouthpiece in some sort of way).
Trombone sections have always liked this instrument, regardless of whether the particular literature is typically played on a contrabass tuba or not.
...but I need to sustain my ability to - with this instrument - sightread and mash the correct buttons. and without having to resort to some two stage process.
