superdave - Posted - 12/19/2012:  13:38:06

I see Elderly has them in stock with pictures up on their web site. Pretty cool.

Thanks, Dave

jbalch - Posted - 12/19/2012:  13:56:02

Awesome!  Perhaps this is the new production model that Bart mentioned ... with a Bill Rickard tone ring.   The listing says on order expected delivery unknown.

elderly.com/new_instruments/na...PHONE.htm

mikehalloran - Posted - 12/19/2012:  14:02:17

Waitaminute... wasn't he talking of retiring a few months ago?

Well, for all of those who have yet to experience what Bart can do with a Tubaphone, this is good news, indeed!

Ho C Ying - Posted - 12/19/2012:  17:38:16

Nice!

superdave - Posted - 12/20/2012:  02:41:58

There are in fact in stock right now. Not sure how many but who knows when Bart might build more. Nice Christmas present for sure.

Thanks, Dave

jbalch - Posted - 12/20/2012:  14:40:50

I'm glad to see Bart offer this model again.  Here is the recent thread where he responded to questions about older tubaphones and his supply of new rings from Bill Rickard:

banjohangout.org/topic/250433

I was never a huge tubaphone fan personally.  But a few weeks ago, I set-up and played a Reiter tubaphone for another BHO member and was very impressed.  With a mahogany neck and bracket-shoe construction, that banjo had a lot of the same characteristics that I like in my Bacophone-plus.  Subsequently I bought a 1995 Reiter tubaphone (with bracket band) on ebaY.  It is a powerful banjo.

jmoathout - Posted - 12/20/2012:  16:31:38

I have Bart's #2305 Tubaphone with the John Balch calf skin head. I have to say, it's my favorite, even a little ahead of the Bacophone-Plus (Galax-Plus). It's all in the ear of the beholder. I'm finding that I enjoy the sounds with my hearing aids OFF, rather than ON, as they seem to be generating some frequencies not really present. Anybody else seen this?

RWJones1970 - Posted - 12/20/2012:  16:52:00

I was just playing Christmas tunes on my Reiter Regent and enjoying the tone so much. How does Bart's Tubaphone model compare in tone to the Regent that I have?

jmoathout - Posted - 12/20/2012:  17:25:07

The Regent, as I recall, is a maple neck with a Whyte Laydie tone ring . Pretty much the same as his  Whyte Laydie, but with fewer inlays.   The Tubaphone has a mahogany neck,and, of course the Tubaphone ring.  My opinion is the Tubaphone is richer and fuller and less bright.  I like it very much.  Others may prefer the brighter tone.  My Tubaphone has a calf skin head, a la John Balch, that adds to the richness. 

jbalch - Posted - 12/21/2012:  04:17:13

quote:

---

Originally posted by jmoathout

I have Bart's #2305 Tubaphone with the John Balch calf skin head. I have to say, it's my favorite, even a little ahead of the Bacophone-Plus (Galax-Plus). It's all in the ear of the beholder. ...

---

 Yep - that is the one. #2305 - made in 2003.  This is a great sounding tubaphone. That banjo prompted me to take another look at the tubaphone model.

My previous experience with tubaphone banjos was with a few converted Vega tenors and one Wildwood that I had for a while.  All of those banjos were maple necks.  The Wildwood had both a bracket band, and a thick heavy block rim.  I had one 11 13/16" style M (converted by Dan Knowles) that was a KILLER banjo - should have kept it.  But the others that I owned all sounded too bright with too much sustain for my personal taste.

I personally prefer a Reiter tubaphone with a mahogany neck and medium or thick natural hide head. That construction and set-up sounds warm, rich and smooth. A good tubaphone can be a very powerful and dynamic instrument.

Edited by - jbalch on 12/21/2012 04:22:13

superdave - Posted - 12/21/2012:  07:23:00

I have to agree John having owned both a Reiter W.L. and now his tubaphone. I believe mine might have been the first Rickard/Reiter tubaphone built. It has a very throaty sound especially played over the neck. Mine was built without a scoop but I will be having Bart modify that just because of the enhanced tone when played over that position. I forgot to mentioned how this banjo really came into it's own when I installed one of John Balch's goat skin heads. It not only looks great, it sounds equally as good. Check out my homepage pics. to see.

Thanks, Dave

Edited by - superdave on 12/21/2012 07:25:04