What is your instrument history?

[grayax]

Elementary/Junior High
1990-94
King 601W Trumpet (mine)

High School
1994-1999
9th Grade - King 601SP Trumpet (mine)
10th Grade - Yamaha YEP-321S Euphonium
11th-12th Grade - some 3 valve Bach tuba (for first summer)
- King 2350SP Sousaphone
- Cerveny 681Tuba
- Olds Ambassador A-20 Trombone with F attachment (Jazz Band)
- Peavy T-40 bass (Pep band)
(I also played various percussion as needed)

College
1999-2004
- Holton French Horn (I was asked to play for one quarter)
- Yamaha YBB-321 (until it slipped off my lap and broke the leadpipe)
- St. Petersburg 201N
- King 1241
- Conn 20K
‐ Yamaha YEP-321
- King 2280SP (mine)
- Martin Magna Bass Trombone (mine, but since sold)
- Reynolds Contempora TO-01 Bass Trombone
- 4-, 5-, and 6-string bass (all mine)

Others
- Bach 50B2 (I think. I snapped the bracket for the F trigger off in my first rehearsal with it in grad school. I got the Reynolds back after that).
- Bach 50T (used in 1999 for my former high school's musical that I played in)
- 1936 Pan American Eb (this was a birthday or Christmas present during my undergrad years. It still sounds and plays great).
- 1962-3 King 1241 with recording bell (got Sept. 2019. It plays. Not well, but it plays)
- 1967 Reynolds Contempora TO-01 Bass Trombone (not to be confused with the one I played in college at Ohio State)
- Shechter 7-string guitar
- Conn 50H (got to play around with it for a summer in high school. Awful horn)
- Valve Trombone (same summer as above. Even worse horn. I don't remember the manufacturer.)

Still looking for the money to get a decent concert tuba.

[bort]

Repost with additions and new commentary:

Elementary/Middle School
Bundy trumpet. I played trumpet fro 4th to 9th grade. I watched Tubby the Tuba in 4th grade, and wanted to play tuba, but there was no option in elementary school to play tuba. I could have switched in middle school, but my parents had bought me a trumpet, and I was afraid to tell them that I didn't want the shiny thing they spent their hard-earned money on for me.

High School

• 9th/10th Grade -- Realized trumpet was no fun, and bailed on it. Used some sort of 3 valve BBb -- Olds 99? The 3rd valve stem was busted off, so I had to hold it in place and "be real careful". Poor school, no repair budget. A miracle I stuck with it, but I thought playing tuba was cool.
• 11th/12th grade -- Yamaha 105 (marching) and 201 (band). I hated them both. The 201 needed a new 3rd valve guide, but again, there was ZERO repair budget, so I had to "be real careful" to keep the valve from spinning and being unaligned.
• Also, 2 different Conn trombones that the school owned. (Again...) zero repair budget, so I had to play the one with the messed up slide in 1st position or the messed up slide in 4th position and just deal with it by pulling/pushing harder and making the slide work. Again, a terrible way to learn to play.

College

• Olds 99 (the first tuba I owned)
• B&S/Sanders PT-3 (school owned, nice tuba that played much bigger than it looked. Had a dent in the leadpipe; bet it would have been even better w/o that dent)
• Conn 20K ("game day" horn)
• Conn ?? Naked Lady (practice horn, old, ugly, and much better than the 20K!)

After college

• VMI 4-valve CC -- basically an MW-30 -- solid tuba, could have easily just kept this forever and been fine!
• Miraphone 1291 CC -- w/1292 leadpipe; I used this tuba a TON, it was really nice. Eventually just preferred a different sound
• Cerveny 653 -- only F tuba I've owned... it was like a toy, SO easy to play, VERY light, and FUN. But... I had zero use for a tuba of this size
• Marzan CC -- great sounding tuba, lousy ergonomics. Only tuba that caused me physical pain, so I sold it
• Miraphone 188 -- best tuba I ever owned. Selling this was my stupidest tuba decision ever. I thought I wanted something larger... I'll buy it back in a second if I ever get the chance
• Rudolf Meinl 4/4 CC -- an excellent tuba, I just found myself wanting something bigger. It also seemed to require a lot more practice than I had time for. Kind of another stupid sale, I could have easily been happy with this long-term.
• VMI Neptune -- probably the prettiest tuba I've owned, just gorgeous. Didn't fit in my car, so I had to sell it. Would have liked to use it more, but probably was just way too big.
• Willson 3050RZ -- LOVED the sound; ergonomics were horrible, Willson just didn't seem to get "rotary" quite right. I put more $ into this tuba than any other, and eventually had to give up on it. I probably could have spent more and gotten it where I needed it to be... but it was just too much time, money, and effort. I loved the sound!
• B&S PT-7P -- Easy to play, great intonation, great sound. Not really my sound, though.
• B&S PT-6 -- older, handmade, 5v rotary. Amazing tuba! Never really felt comfortable with it though. Sold to get $ to buy a house.
• B&S GR-41 -- solid 4/4 CC 4p/1r tuba. Super easy to play, nice sound. Really high quality everything... just not an exciting tuba for me. Absolutely nothing wrong with it!
• Alexander 163 CC -- I'm in love. For the first time since my Miraphone 188, I feel completely settled and comfortable on my tuba. This will be my last addition to this list for a VERY long time. (Unless of course, my old 188 should by some snowball's chance end up back in my hands).

[bort]

I mean let's be real, I know how long I keep tubas for, typically....

(And also, let's be real... me selling a tuba only affects me. Me replacing the family car... I think my wife's going to want to be a part of that one! )

[Birdo]

I’m really bad at remembering models. Anything with an * still gets played in public performances/concerts. Anything with a ^ gets played pretty often in the house, but not out of it.

Elementary School
-Gemeinhardt student flute (rental)
-Aulos soprano recorder
-Yamaha student flute
-Unbranded maple fife

High School
-Gemeinhardt piccolo*
-King trombone (school)
-Yamaha intermediate flute*
(I owe a lot to my flute years but at this point I realized I didn’t like a role of the flute in the bigger picture. I was beginning to really appreciate the more supportive roles. On the other hand, I was in the more advanced ensemble with most of my friends and I wasn’t willing to start over. I’d save it for when I’d come back to this activity as an adult.)

College
-Yamaha acoustic guitar
(Minored in general music for fun and did the instrument requirements on flute.)

Post-College Hiatus
-Ibanez electric bass
Jupiter trombone
-Ibanez Mikro bass^
-Luna tenor ukulele^
-A G and low D irish flute^ (Played in public once years ago)
-Tin whistle^
-A handful of ocarinas^

Post-Hiatus
-YEP-201 euph (rental)
-Wessex Dolce*
-Wessex double horn^
-King 2134 (loaner)
-Mack 210*

[Rick Denney]

Quote from the deeps of time (with annotations)--instruments still owned shown in bold; 2020 edits shown in italics:

7-9 Grade: King fiberglass sousaphone.
9-12 Grade: different King fiberglass sousaphone.
Last four months of 12th grade: Miraphone 186 borrowed by band director from local college.
Freshman year: Besson 3-valve borrowed from college.
Didn't play tuba again until eight years later.
Adult re-beginner (1984): Besson Stratford (aspired to be a turd, and the horn was bad, too). GONE, traded for valve trombone, which was traded for Musica F tuba.
1985: Sanders/Cerveny 1314U BBb. GONE, part of trade for Miraphone.
1989: Musica F tuba. GONE, part of trade for Miraphone.
1990: Yamaha 621F. This was the instrument I used in 1992 to play every weekend at Fiesta Texas--my one and only real pro gig. Also used for Heritage Brass and I still use it in small ensembles.
1992: Miraphone 186 BBb, then a Vespro BBb while the Miraphone was being overhauled, and then sold to a church in '94. Traded the Sanders and the Musica for the Miraphone--a good trade. GONE. Part of trade for Hirsbrunner.
2000: York Master BBb, a partial step to a more American-sounding tuba. GONE. Traded in part for Eastman.
2003: Conn 20J, whetted BAT appetite, but had unmanageable intonation. GONE.
2003: Holton BB345, better in tune than any of Bloke's and still that sound. Still have it, and will always still have it unless owning it is the alternative to eating.
2005: B&S Symphonie, 5 valves, what I use when I need a large-ensemble F. GONE to fund the purchase of six-valve B&S.
2005: Conn 14K Sousaphone, hanging on wall, but completely playable and kept that way. Some day, I might even have a need to play it.
2007: Martin TB31 upright-bell fiberglass tuba. The only thing I've confirmed in the week I've owned it is that I WILL be using it. For something.

Continuing since the original post from 2007:

2009: B&S "Symphonie," (Symphonie bore and valves, not so marked, from ca. 1990.) 6 valves, still my main quintet axe.
2015: Hirsbrunner HBS-193. This has to be one of the great Bb kaiser tubas. Bore is a tad small for a kaiser (some say), but it's still big. Very efficient, though, and punches into dead school auditoriums with no stage shell. My current large-ensemble instrument.
2020: Eastman EBB-534. Round, playable, nimble. My current small-ensemble contrabass.

Rick "update update" Denney

[KingBassTrombone]

Keeping in mind that I'm a collector, I'll only list the horns that get/got significant play time. My primary instrument has always been trombone.

High school (I didn't start music until 9th grade):
- Yamaha YSL-354 trombone
- Elkhart Cavalier trombone (First collection horn and I somehow successfully used it for two concert seasons)
- King 5B trombone (my first F-attachment horn, was my "main axe" as my collection started to grow)
- King 3BF trombone (school's, for jazz only)
-Conn New Wonder baritone (4v front action, built 1922, used it in a community ensemble)

College (current):
- King 5B (same one from high school, my go-to horn when I'm not called to play bass)
- King 2341 (old style)
- Conn 20J (current primary lap tuba)
- Schiller American Heritage clone of Yamaha F-attachment trombone (used for marching band only)
- Olds Superstar V-25 bass trombone
- Benge 290 bass trombone (current "main axe")

[MN_TimTuba]

Well, looking at the lists of some of you, I don't know whether I'm - 1) lazy or 2) easily satisfied.
Here's my listing of tubas owned -
1977 to 1988 - Yamaha YBB321; loved the sound, though I thought the upright valves were awkward, sold her during tight times to buy Christmas gifts. Was a good move, as it forced me to put my family first, and also opened the door to the next horn, a complete upgrade in every way.
1990 to Present - Holton BBb 345. It has 'my' sound (it's how I want to sound when I play tuba), and every other tuba I play, I compare to this one.

As a school band director there were always school horns to play, and I enjoyed the Olds 99 the most out of all the odds and ends my school had purchased before my time there. I purchased (for the school) from Vince Simonetti a wonderful silver YBB-621, and while the kids liked the small size I fell in love with that one as a performer; that horn is on my short bucket list for one day in the future, maybe a retirement gift to me when I get there.

Both the Yamaha and the Holton have worked well for me in solos, community bands, church music, dixie bands, community orchestras, anything.
Of course, as a kid I started on school owned horns - first a Reynolds 3 valve bell-front, later Conn 20J, Besson BBb 4 valve, and Couesnon BBb, as well as an assortment of sousaphones by Yamaha, King, and Conn. I very much liked the 20J for it's sound and for the short action valves.
Non-tuba instruments I currently own would include - an old Olds tenor trombone that I got in 1969, a beautiful early 60's 3-color Olds "Special" Bb Trumpet with the nicest valves I've ever played in my life, a very old Conn C Melody Saxophone in original case, a 6-string Yamaha acoustic guitar, a 6-string Fender cut-away acoustic/electric, my dad's 1963 Gibson ES-335 Cherry, my matching Epiphone Cherry Rivoli bass (we played the 335 and the Rivoli together in a band for almost 20 years), a no-name 11-string guitar pawn shop recent purchase, a mandolin, a beautiful ukulele (gift from my kids), various ocarinas, harmonicas, a Bundy flute, and my most recent purchase being a Jin Bao Bb rotary German Baryton 4-valve, purchased for the express purpose of church solos. The Baryton loses all intonation and playability below low G, but the general male vocal range has a beautiful singing quality that the congregation loves, and the rose brass is gorgeous to look at for those non-musicians in the crowd. A couple of Jew's harps and a red plastic nose flute round out the roster.

Final note - I've somehow managed to squeeze the Holton into every car we've owned, including a tiny Corolla. The gig bag makes it easy to even stand her upright in the passenger seat and wrap the seat belt around to hold her in place. I couldn't imagine trying that in the old Holton wooden case.

[8vb]

Olds 4v BBb (school) --> Zeiss 4v BBb (personal) --> Miraphone 186 4v CC (school) --> MW 2155 (personal) --> Miraphone 188 (personal) --> Conn 52J (personal) --> Eastman 632CC (personal)

Should've stopped with the 188, TBQH.

[bort]

Should've stopped with the 188, TBQH.

That happened to me, too. Weird thing is, I haven't bought another one yet. Maybe I just dream of trying to get my old one back someday...

Tell us about that special 188!

[ChipTuba]

Elementary
Trumpet

Jr. High
Getzen Capri cornet (which I still have)

High School
King sousaphone
Mirafone BBb rotary

Now:
Amati ABB323 BBb 3/4
Mack Brass TU-200 BBb

I play both depending on the gig & venue

[noncompensatingbard]

Started on a random American baritone with three valves. A few years later, I got a Yamaha YEP-321. Other than the loaner marching baritone in high school; it's all I've really played.

[tbonesullivan]

For the sake of your sanity, I will stick to my brass instruments. I suffer from Guitar Acquisition Syndrome, and keeping track of that would probably fill another thread. I honestly have forgotten half the guitars I have owned.

Elementary School:
Bundy Trombone (rented)
Yamaha YSL-354 Bb Tenor Trombone (Gave away)

High School
King 2103 3B Bb Tenor Trombone
Bach 42CO Bb/F Tenor Trombone (Traded in)

College:
Bach 42T Bb/F Tenor Trombone

I was fine with that for a while but then I got THE BUG for horns
Yamaha YSL-640 Bb/F Tenor Trombone
Yamaha YBL-613R II Bb/F/Eb or Bb/F/D Dependent Bass Trombone
Benge 190F Bb/F Tenor Trombone (traded in)
Kanstul 1570CR Bb/F Tenor Trombone
Kanstul 1588CR Bb/F Tenor Trombone
Bach LT39 Alto Trombone

Things were then calm for a while, but then I decided to stop hoarding guitars, and got into euphonium and later tuba
Sterling / Perantucci 1065GHS 3+1 Compensating Euphonium
Yamaha YBB-631 BBb 3+1 Compensating Tuba
Boosey & Hawkes Imperial 3+1 Eb Compensating Tuba

Eventually, if my tuba playing gets better, I might trade in the Eb for something more modern with a 17 inch bell, but only if it plays better than the B&H, and it plays pretty good.

[deputysgttuba]

Conn Director Trombone 1969-71 (mine, not rented).
Started BBb sousaphone in 1970 on old Conn sousaphones
School owned Olds 4 valve and Yamaha YBB 201 in high school.
Bought a Mahillion F tuba in 1976 and kept it until 1983-ish.
Used various BBb Mirafone 186 horns through college.
Bought a Reynolds Contempora 4 valve BBb in ‘84 and played it until ‘96 when I changed to CC.
1996-2013 - Bohm & Meinl “Symphonic” 4V rotary CC.
2009-present - B&S PT-20P
Guitars:
1975-present-Sears solid body electric guitar
1975- present - Tel-star bass guitar.
Both of these are wall hangers in my music room.
2007-present -Huss & Dalton CM cutaway acoustic guitar that hasn’t been played much since my fiddler son left home several years ago..

[Jerryleejr]

Elementary
Rental trumpet possibly a Yamaha
7/8th grade upgraded to silver Yamaha trumpet
Got switched to tuba
8-11th grade king franken tuba pieced together from couple different models with detachable bell...
12th grade YBB 641

Adulting along the way...
Peavy electric Bass Sold
King 2341 sold
Miraphone 289 sold
Adam’s F5 Flugel sold
King Eroica French horn Sold
5 string frettless Bass
Kanstul 991 custom trumpet
Yamaha 897Z Jazz trombone for sale
Baritone Banjo
Willson 3400 compact (on order)

JJ

[PeteDenton]

Having made a few recent changes to my fleet, this is the list:


1981 - 1983 Boosey & Hawkes Imperial 3v Eb (Compensating) 15" bell
1983 - 1985 Boosey & Haweks Imperial 4v Eb (3+1 Compensating) 15" bell
1985 - 1991 Bessson 981 Sovereign EEb
1987 - present Miraphone 188 CC 5v
1989 - 1993 Miraphone 190 BBb 5v
1991 - 1994 Miraphone 180 F 5v
1993 - present Conn 24J BBb
1994 - 1996 Yamaha YCB 621 CC
2017 - present Mack Brass F Travel Tuba
2018 - 2020 Wessex Excelsior BBb (3+1 Compensating)
2018 - present Miraphone 481 Elektra F
2019 - present Besson 982 Sovereign EEb
2019 - present Boosey & Hawkes Imperial Bb Euphonium
2019 - present Wessex Excelsior BBb prototype
2019 - present Miraphone 496 Hagen BBb
2020 - present Courtois 182 BBb
2020 - present Wessex CB90P F Cimbasso
2020 - present Miraphone 383 Starlight Eb

Almost certainly more varied than your average UK tuba player...

[TUbajohn20J]

Middle school: school owned horns
Conn 10J
Conn 12J
Conn 4J
Conn 5K
Conn 22K for marching

High school: school owned horns
Besson Sovereign 3 valve compensating BBb
Yamaha 641 BBb
Conn 32K for marching.

Personal horns over the years:
Conn 10J (sold)
Conn 20J (stolen)
Conn 26J
Conn 22K sousa
Conn 40K sousa (sold)
Willson 3100 (sold)

Current horns:
Conn 26J recording bass
Conn 22K sousa

[willias203]

I like to think mines a bit interesting

Elementary: saxophone
6th grade: bari sax and conn baritone
7th grade: bari sax and Boosey 3/4 Bb
8th grade: mirafone 186 dent farm but i loved it
9-11 grade: my band director army band mira 187 Bb
Senior: my first personally owned tuba- conn 3j 3/4 cc

College:
Freshman: traded conn for a b&s pt6p cc
Sophomore: semester 1 pt6p and a willson 3200s f
Sophomore: semester 2 pt6p and meinl weston 2182 f


My conn was a good little tuba but only had 4 valves and my college helped me get my pt6p. The willson was also great but didn’t have the character of sound I was looking for. My current 2182 has a good comprise with the low register and a beautiful sound. I think I’m set for life, maybe a Eb or Bb in the future.

[Leland]

Trombones: Olds something (gone); King 2B (sold); Conn big bore 9" bell F attach (college-owned); black PBone (own now).

Euphs: Yamaha 321 (college-owned); Kanstul 2-valve G euph bugle (taxpayer-owned).

Tubas: Fiberglass sousa (borrowed for a few months); Yamaha 321 BBb (borrowed a few months); King sousa (school-owned); Karl Zeiss Master Modelle (owned, now sold); DEG 4/4 Magnum 2v G contra (corps-owned); VMI 3302 5v BBb (own now); DEG 4/4 Magnum 3v G contra (corps-owned); King K20 2v G contra (owned, given away); Kanstul 3v Contra Grande G contra (borrowed one season); Kanstul 2V G contras (three, taxpayer-owned).

[vespa50sp]

Elementary - 1973
School Owned Conn Fiberglass Sousa for at home Practice
School Owned Courtois 3 valve for playing at school

Middle School - 1974-75
School Owned Courtois 3 valve
Olds Trombone for Jazz Band

High School 1975-79
School Owned Courtois 3 valve
School Owned Beat up Conn 20k for Marching

College 1980-85
School Owned Yamaha 321
School Owned 3 valve Bell Front Besson

Adult Gone
Community Band Owned King 2341 old
Besson 700 4 valve uncompensated
Eb Helicon
Conn 12j Tuba

Adult Current
28k Eb Conn Sousa
Yamaha student trombone (my kid left it at home)
Besson 3 valve Baritone (my other kid left it at home)
Eb LaSete (Cerveny) Tuba
1935 Alexander Oval Baritone
Cerveny 683 Tuba
Cortez Guitar (made in Japan, inherited from my brother)

[tclements]

As I have owned SO many tubas, I'll stick with MAIN horns:
MW Bill Bell Model 5 valve CC
Mirafone 186-5U CC, Mirafone 184-5U CC, Mirafone 183-4U Eb
after I sold my 186, Mirafone 188-5U
Hirsbrunner HB2P CC, Mirafone 180-5U F
Rudy Meinl 5/4 CC, Mirafone 181-6U F
Hirsbrunner HB 50 CC, Mirafone 181-6U, Yamaha YFB822S F, Dehmal 6 valve F
Gronitz PCK, Gronitz PF125-F (still had the Dehmal)
Nirschl 6/4 CC, Hirsbrunner HB2, Yamaha YFB 822 F, Yamaha YFB 641

Then a number of horns that went in and out: Hirsbrunner HB2, Alexander 173 and 163, B&S F, OLD B&S CC, Gronitz PCM, Gronitz FZ-127, Willson 3050RZ CC, Holton 345 BBb

Currently: MW Baer, MW Tuono, MY Norm Pearson, Mirafone Elektra, Wessex Chicago York, Wessex Prokofiev