ussglassman

Why dont we just forget any sort of tradition or regulation, and just let corps perform as long as they want to, whatever they want to, WITH whatever they want to.....People never understand that the limitations of drum corps are what made it special. I dont like running starts. I think it is great hype for the audience and members of a corps on the field to hear "You may take the field, for competition!" And I think that it was wrong to take that away.

I could see how it would be easy to dislike a horn such as the Dynasty 4/4 when you played such a higher quality horn in such a high-caliber hornline. I marched a GG version of the 5/4 in Mandarins in 03, and I thought the horn was a complete dog. It had a great sound when standing still in the warmup arc, but on the move it just sucked too much air and energy out of me. I never had the opportunity to march the Dynasty 4/4 on the field, or I may have a different opinion of it. I use it as a concert tuba, and although it seems out of place, the director loves the sound quality of it, and it blows away the other concert tubas in my band in volume and clarity. It isnt quite the horn I started off with though. It tuned horribly flat and was off balance, making it feel uncomfortable to hold and play. So, after doing some intense pondering, I took a torch and sawzall to the leadpipe, removing the ferrule and taking off exactly 2 inches. I tourqued the ferrule down on the newly cut pipe, and the slightly larger tubing diameter to this day has not let it go, with no welding at all. The horn immediately tuned a clear consistent BBb (instead of a sharp A natural), and the extra 2 inches towards the valves makes the horn balance really well. A couple notes were a bit off at first, but I have been able to learn to tune them up, and I seriously wouldnt want to play any other tuba now, concert or marching. I am planning to have the thumb ring replaced to the opposite side of the leadpipe, so my hand can extend fully to reach the valves, rather than having to contort my hand downward to have a comfortable position.....that and a case.... So I am a bit saddened to see this tuba model fade into history, but I'm proud to have one of my own. I have never played a new King or Yamaha before, and despite the better sound quality, there is just no beating that 4th valve:-)

As much as I love Dynasty low brass, I dont think Dynasty tubas have enough "bottom" for the sound Phantom typically works to achieve. The current model Dynasty tuba has a very clear sound that stays intact while playing runs and complicated rhythms. They work great for maintaining even balance in challenging music, but do not have a very dominating sound over the rest of the line, which worked well for BD's jazz and modern style of music. Phantom plays music that needs a solid bottom end, that you hear just as much as you feel. They tend to arrange to be bottom heavy, and while they do have challenging rhythms in the tuba part, they need an oversized horn that can project a large sound over the rest of the line, rather than the clear, more compact sound a Dynasty tuba could produce. In other words, the 6/4 Jupiters they are using now are really the perfect tuba for them. As far as everything else in the hornline.....? I think the King tubas are big enough to produce a solid foundation, while being small enough to sound clean on fast jazz runs. Hopefully with the 12-man line BD is marching now, you'll be able to hear some more bass sound......from the tubas.......

So, will BDB and BDC use all King products as well? Thats a lot of surplus used equipment that will turn black and blue once BD moves on....I hope they do something positive with it

I play on the 4/4 4v marching tuba, and it is the best tuba I have ever played, period. I know BD people had complained of the tuba, but since I have one of my own, I was able to modify some of the things that made it difficult to use. I wonder who else will use Dynasty horns? The Dynasty 4/4 did seem a bit small for BD, but the only small thing about it was the 19" bell, which was 2" smaller than everyone else's. I think Dynasty intentionally made the bell smaller to distinguish it from their 5/4 tuba, which was also a decent horn, but too heavy and bulky, imo, for marching.

Hello. I am selling a new Conn Helleberg Mouthpiece. I ordered it and played it once, but did not care for it personally. I am asking $50 for it, plus case and brush in original packaging. Please PM if interested

So is Jeff Fiedler "officially" the corps director? Or is he still working under the "ceo" guise?

Anything from Maynard would be fine with me:-)

I would be interested in buying one thats XL that has printing on the front and back, one of the bolder printed ones. Do you have any of those still that you'd be willing to sell? (I was born in '83 and got to see Maynard live before he passed, so that shirt will hang among my other "collectible" T-shirts)

I disagree with having people participate in junior corps after 21. Once they age out, they can march senior corps. Raising the age will only hurt senior corps, and make modern drum corps even more "professional" than it already is...but without the pay that these older people would deserve. 21 is the age where people need to get out in the world and make a life of their own.

I won the 83 world tour shirt. I had a couple questions. Is there anything printed on the back? and how big is it really, compared to todays sizes? Also, was this shirt actually worn by a band member on Manynard's tour, or just a souvenir? Thanks!

Definitely. But, some people just aren't aware of what might work best for them, which is why this forum exists. The Helleberg is an extremely popular mouthpiece. I have played a helleberg 7-B and I absoloutely hated it. How is it similar to the standard helleberg? Does anyone know anything about Dillon mouthpieces? I have been playing a Dillon PS-01, and I was wondering if anyone had an opinion about it. Thanks

When bugles play together, they are literally in their own world. The sound they play only corresponds to other G bugles. However, if you are trying to integrate them with Bb horns, or use them in a marching/concert band setting, you are in for a world of challenges. It is possible to transpose parts to be played in a band, but because they are so much different (ex. concert Bb is 2 and 3) it rarely occurs. You pretty much have to take a tuner to your bugle and see what comes out the other end and just write down the fingerings, or re-write all of your parts so you can blend in a band situation. With so many G bugles floating around out there unused, especially contrabasses, I'm surprised more people arent using them in bands and transposing, or learning how to play with "new" fingerings. BTW, I would say it is virtually impossible for a 2 valved or piston-rotor bugle to play in a concert or marching band setting. You need the complete use of the chromatic scale to be able to play whatever notes you will transpose to, and 2 valved horns could only play most of the higher range, with a few unfortunate exceptions....

Are you guys staying with Dynasty? Or switching to another brand?

What about the Conn Hellebergs? I just purchased one at the recommendation of nearly every tuba player I know, but I have never played one. What are they like?

Looks a bit too much like Mandarins 2002-2005 uniforms.....

I saw Renegades this last weekend, and I have to say, that second biggest shock for DCA is quite a reality. :-)

You sir...are the man....

disgusting.....looks creepy, sounds creepy, LETS DO IT!!!!......

I've been keeping this up all season. This is an average score, based on all of the corps scores, divided by the number of shows they performed. This is more of an "overall season" championship lineup, rather than just the "last show." Virtually meaningless, but interesting nonetheless. Have Fun! BD 89.81 (1) Cavaliers 87.91 (2) HNCadets 87.50 (3) CCrown 86.90 (4) SCV 86.42 (5) Bluecoats 85.48 (6) Phantom 84.46 (7) BlueStars 81.95 (8) BCrusaders 81.93 (9) BlueKnights 80.95 (10) Glassmen 78.54 (11) Troopers 77.63 (12) Academy 77.24 (13) MScouts 76.31 (14) Colts 76.19 (15) Xmen 75.87 (16) Spirit 75.17 (17) Jersey Surf 73.45 (18) PCrest 73.06 (19) Mandarins 71.80 (20) Pioneer 69.48 (21) Scades 69.09 (22)

Crown improved 1.45 over last night. BD improved 0.45 over last night. If Crown keeps their rehearsal pace up, AND improves scores in visual and percussion, they will take the Blue Devils for the championship.....

You know what I thought was disgusting about last night's Quarterfinals performance? I was watching 3 different corps, and the contrabass sound was just overwhelming.....then I noticed the contrabasses, tubas, whatever you want to call them, WERE SITTING ON THE GROUND while the players relaxed, danced, played with props, etc. I honestly could not decipher the sound of the tubas against the synthesizers. When I marched drum corps, I had to hyperventilate to help my contra section fill a stadium with sound, and we did! Now the corps have grown so large that they march 16 tubas!!!!! So, why is it that with each tuba costing, lets say, $5000 each...thats $80,000 worth of tubas, does a $1000 synthesizer make more sound, and have more featured moments than the tubas....or the rest of the hornline for that matter? I can honestly say that I WAS NOT ENTERTAINED by any group last night. The music was so abstract, so overwhelming with chaos and maniacal madness that the actual concepts were only enjoyed by the overpaid design teams, sipping Starbucks on the front sideline as their students ran around making fools of themselves. Santa Clara Vanguard was the only corps that had a legitimate performance, in my opinion. But, the music they played was about as burnt out as Stars and Stripes Forever at a 4th of July parade, and the whole "restraint" system they were displaying was only restraining my enjoyment of their countless hours of hard work. Then they do a huge push at the end....ok? Sooooo, what about the rest of the show? I was disappointed by the switch to Bb horns. I was disappointed by the expansion to 150 people. I was saddened by the addition of electronics, amplification, and synthesizers. But what sealed the nail in the coffin for me being proud of modern drum corps is all of these concepts, coming together to create something blasphemous...a frankenstein of every idea someone thought would be nice for drum corps to have, but couldnt because of imposed restrictions at the time. I can't say that I will walk away from drum corps forever, because I am an avid supporter of senior corps, and local upstarts geared towards helping disadvantaged youth in their communities. But, I can honestly say that my time, money, and energy for mainstream junior drum and bugle corps will be diverted elsewhere from now on.

So, why is it that if Dynasty is the worst horn manufacturer, that they win high brass nearly every year? Also, what are the opinions of the Dynasty 875 4/4 tuba?

If corps could be scored based on entertainment value, BD would fall hard......no offense to hard-core fans and the members themselves, I just think their show is rediculous...

Why dont you be a real drum corps and buy used G horns? I'm sure there are lots of people out there sitting on them because its just not worth the effort to get new drum corps to buy them. But, they are excellent horns, and they will work well for as many years as you need them to. You won't get anything for them when you go to upgrade, but by then you shouldnt need to worry about it. Ask around the senior corps, I know SF Renegades have quite a few for sale.