Posted: Wed Nov 16, 2005 1:53 am
check out the King 2341. I have heard great things about it and the ones I have played I loved. I would definately look into one for myself if I ever want a BBb to have around.
JB
JB
I'm a sometimes gigging hobbyist who has taught in public schools. If I were buying tubas for a school, before looking at new instruments, I'd seek out reconditioned or overhauled older, American instruments. They're often a good value, and it is amazing (to me, anyway) what instrument repair people can do.
There are some really nice older instruments out there with good, thick brass. When cleaning and working on instruments in the "send for repair pile" I found that almost all of the brass on the well-abused, older King and Conn instruments was in better shape than our two or three-year-old imported instruments.
I haven't played the new King 1241 (although have heard nothing but good things about them), but the old style 1241 King can be a really nice, sturdy instrument. They can be found on the cheap, and often play as well as instruments costing much more.
My all time favorite for high school students is the Conn 2xj with the bell-front bell, but it isn't trendy. They're too heavy and oddly shapen to throw very far for and they can crank out out a lot of sound. They aren't trendy and are probably not what you're looking for.
I have a rotary valved tuba myself, and wouldn't recommend it or anything else that might be expensive to repair for high school students. Even if your tubists are wonderful, not everyone in the school will be. I remember walking into the band room as a high school student and seeing a certain percussionist practicing his 5 stroke roll on my brand new tuba.