Which tuba is better?

[The Big Ben]

Tell us what kind of playing you expect to do and where you are in your development as a tuba player. If you are just starting out, you might want to have a different horn than if you were experienced. If you are planning on playing "oom-pa-pa" in the town band, you may want a different horn than if you were looking to play quar/quintets on Sunday mornings at your church. From what Taylor's are selling, they have horns which would do OK for either situation.

As you might expect, there will be a difference between a overhauled horn where you have $2K invested all in and a horn that was overhauled for $4k for the labor alone. I have seen horns econo-overhauled by Taylor and they looked good and the owner was happy with the result.

[Uncle Buck]

Assuming this post isn't a "troll", go to eBay, find the Sonora tuba (which was made in East Germany) with 4 rotary valves, and "BuyItNow" for $1850 + shipping.

I don't see a "Buy it Now" on that item. And it isn't as shiny as the ones linked above.

[Dan Schultz]

HI, i am looking to buy a tuba even if its used i am looking at this web site called.. http://www.1800usaband.com" target="_blank" target="_blank
And i want to know which one is better but i still need it to be in my price range which my maximum is 2000 dollars.

1. http://www.1800usaband.com/htmls/itemen ... tryid=8262" target="_blank" target="_blank
2. http://www.1800usaband.com/htmls/itemen ... ryid=10541" target="_blank" target="_blank
3. http://www.1800usaband.com/htmls/itemen ... tryid=4846" target="_blank" target="_blank
4. http://www.1800usaband.com/htmls/itemen ... ryid=11247" target="_blank" target="_blank
5. http://www.1800usaband.com/htmls/itemen ... tryid=8956" target="_blank" target="_blank
6. http://www.1800usaband.com/htmls/itemvi ... temid=3713" target="_blank" target="_blank

Which one of these is the best?

I think all of those horns listed would be equally bad choices for use as an only horn. And... they are priced a bit too high to 'dump' easily if something better comes along... and it will.

[jeopardymaster]

These may be nice horns, and your guys are no doubt legit, but they're still in business to make a buck. I agree with Dan and the others that you can probably do better. For instance, I doubt whether that little Olds you linked to plays any better than the one Dillon is advertising at half the price. If you're on such a tight budget, why pay extra for a bit of gloss nobody can hear?

[Uncle Buck]

(this whole thing stinks to high heaven)

That's probably a little too strong. The prices aren't laughable, just a little too high to be able to comfortably re-sell if the horn doesn't work out.

Also, a $300 trade-in for a BBb tuba, where the only standard is "complete and playable" and the company will have to do repair and cosmetic work and bear the full risk of being able to re-sell it, doesn't seem unreasonable to me.

[Chadtuba]

Oh snap... They offer trade in credits.....

Basic Trade-In Requirements:

Your instrument trade should be complete and playable.

If your instrument is missing parts or not playable, please contact us at 1-800-872-2263 and we will provide you with an adjusted trade allowance.
Instrument Trade Values:
Bb Tuba $300
Sousaphones $300

Too bad I can't trade my CC tuba for that $300 credit..... I doubt a Bell model Meinl-Weston is worth more than $300 anyway.....

RC
(this whole thing stinks to high heaven)

To be completely fair to Taylor Music they are geared towards the school system. Not saying I would purchase/trade tubas, but on the smaller instrument side of things I have done a lot of business with them over the last few years and have been very happy with their prices vs.quality (purchased mostly refurbished horns), trade value for my junk instruments, and their excellent customer service.

The instruments purchased are used for my beginner bands and were of a good quality, but inexpensive enough that it didn't hurt too bad the first time a flute slipped off of a 5th graders lap She was just about heartbroken but it only popped a spring that I was easily able to pop back on. Even if I would have had to take it in to the shop it still wouldn't have hurt too much, but glad I didn't have to find out.

I also purchased a number new marching snare drums. I took bids for the school from a number of places and Taylor came in under everybody else (including shipping) for the Pearl FFX, which is a nice lightweight snare for a non-competitive marching band.

[andrew the tuba player]

If i had two thousand dollars to spend on a horn i'd probably keep looking. most of the horns on the list where small three bangers and the bigger ones where recording horns. Now, there's nothing wrong with a conn 20j but, the band directors usually don't favor recording bells. If i did have to choose an only horn from the list I'd probably go with the 10j. It's a little bigger so it's intonation may be more workable. But, once again I'd keep looking. Hey, i found my former miraphone 186 5uc on the bay for 2000. So, there's horns out there you just have to wait for them (i know it sucks. I've been there two. But trust me. The wait is worth it). And, if at all possible play the horn before you buy. That's the best test.

[WakinAZ]

Assuming this post isn't a "troll", go to eBay, find the Sonora tuba (which was made in East Germany) with 4 rotary valves, and "BuyItNow" for $1850 + shipping. Ed Strege has re-re-re-re-re-re-re-listed that B&S-made tuba so many times that (in my own mind) I consider it to be a "BuyItNow". Someone else listed an identical tuba a few months ago with a lower start bid, and it sold for $2200.

I looked into buying that horn, and if you look closely there are some seriously ugly dents in the medium and small tubing. For all the time Ed spends listing that horn, he could have pulled it apart and made it look better. I don't put much stock in the wiz-dum of the eBay crowd, but they might have this one right.

Eric "who isn't into looks, within limits" L.

[imperialbari]

There are two Besson bell front BBb tubas listed. My opinion that British bell front tubas are uglier than any other tuba designs due to their top bows sitting higher than the bell knees is not the main point of this posting, but I certainly don't like misrepresentations.

http://www.1800usaband.com/htmls/itemen ... tryid=8956

is claimed to bee a 3 valve compensator (which potentially is better in tune than a non-compensator). However this photo shows a Besson BBb tuba with a long third slide, which only is seen on 3 valve non-compensators and on 4 valve compensators from Besson:


Like in this photo which is the one found in the presentation of the instrument on top of the list;


There may have been some mix-up or recycling of photos, but in dealing used instruments it is bad style if photos do not display the actual instrument.

Klaus

[Dan Schultz]

Assuming this post isn't a "troll", go to eBay, find the Sonora tuba (which was made in East Germany) with 4 rotary valves, and "BuyItNow" for $1850 + shipping. Ed Strege has re-re-re-re-re-re-re-listed that B&S-made tuba so many times that (in my own mind) I consider it to be a "BuyItNow". Someone else listed an identical tuba a few months ago with a lower start bid, and it sold for $2200.

I looked into buying that horn, and if you look closely there are some seriously ugly dents in the medium and small tubing. For all the time Ed spends listing that horn, he could have pulled it apart and made it look better. I don't put much stock in the wiz-dum of the eBay crowd, but they might have this one right.

Eric "who isn't into looks, within limits" L.

That auction listing never ceases to puzzle me. First off... Ed should know better than to list it as a Ceveny-built horn when it's obvious that it's a B & S stencil. Secondly... he never modifies the starting bid price even though the listing has been up probably a dozen times in the last two years.

I'm wondering if the listing just keeps reappearing for advertisement purposes.

[Tubaing]

I never noticed the upwards-angled leadpipe and valve block above the receiver on those Bessons before. I wonder if the player gets any "backwash".

[imperialbari]

I never noticed the upwards-angled leadpipe and valve block above the receiver on those Bessons before. I wonder if the player gets any "backwash".

If held upright in a sitting concert situation: Certainly!

But then the bell and its limited options for a rotation to the right do not invite to an upright playing position if music shall be read and a conductor be seen.

You can see from the position of the carrying rings that this instrument is intended for a fairly horizontal marching position. The 3 and 4 valve compensating versions share the bell and the large branches with the non-compensator illustrated as long as we talk about the pre-1978/79 models named B&H Imperial or Besson New Standard. At least my circa-1970 4 valve New Standard has the same placement of the rings. The tubas used in the European military bands that I know about all use bell-up tubas for marching. Maybe a few French bands use domestically made sousaphones.

Military display shows, tattoos, used to be popular TV-stuff over here. The favourite in Danish TV was the transmission from the picturesque Edinburgh tattoo. The parade uniforms of the British WAC band were bland on a B&W TV screen these many years ago. However the ladies played at a level fully on par with their male colleagues (there were no mixed bands back then), and one lady certainly caught my eyes. The shortest lady of them all played the BBb tuba (one Eb and one BBb in each standard regimental band of about 33 players). She had to carry that huge 4 valve comper fully horizontal to be able to move legs. The female band used the same length of steps as any army unit (but for the now defunct Light Infantry bands which marched at 140 with shorter paces). And that short BBb lady kept her place in all movements. I didn't envy her and the overall impression was less than elegant. I have seen another band with 2 Eb basses because the male players refused to march a BBb.

As a contrast the Drill Band of the Norwegian King. That 75 piece band is drafted with all new players each year in the early winter. Drill exercise and memorizing of the repertory goes on until spring. I saw the band live around 1980 and found it very good. The marching by these young players is excellent.

They march 6 players abreast. 6 trombones in the front row. 3 Eb and 3 BBb tubas in the 2nd. Due to narrow streets in some inner cities they can march very closely ranked, almost rubbing shoulders. They also use that close marching in tattoos. The tuba players have to carry their instruments in a very vertical position, which must be terribly demanding on their arms, and their playing doesn't suffer. But then they are young and the Eb tubas have leadpipes angled slightly downwards (Besson 982). The leadpipes of the BBb basses (Besson 994/992) are perpendicular to the bell.

Klaus