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I have to say, I love playing the bassoon. I just learned this semester...I may pick it up as my secondary...that's how much fun it is.

If you want to play the tuba for the hell of it, then get whichever one you like. If you plan on playing in large ensembles, get a contrabass. That's kinda the rule of thumb.

If you're pursuing being an amateur tuba player, then do whatever you like! Wish I could be in that position....

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Try and play some instruments and see which ones speak to you. You might want to look into something like a Yamaha 822 F tuba, it's almost a crossover between F and CC. Good luck!

I'd say a nice 3+1 Eflat. They can be had cheaper then the Meinl Westons and are debatably the most versatile style of tuba. This is all assuming you haven't developed a preference for the key of your tuba.

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Harg wrote:I am used to really random weird fingerings and can read tenor cleff and know musically what I should sound like. quite frankly, Bflat tuba almost dissapoints me with the absence of strange fingerings.

Put an ad in the "For Sale" section reading the following:

"WTB - Older Alexander CC Tuba. The weirder the intonation the better."

You'll get all the strange fingerings you can handle.

Plus, many folks here agree that the old Alexes have great tone, which you state you could use some help with.

Win win!

(with tongue planted firmly in cheek)
J

Do you already own your own bassoon? A good one will cost you more that your sister's piano. Have you thought of this?

fenne1ca wrote:If you have to pick only between F and C, I think C is a better choice. Especially if tuba is not your main instrument, a 4/4 CC is the best choice because it can be used in any setting effectively, whereas an F will not be powerful enough for large ensembles. Thor is kind of a beast, and tends to be a bit overpowering, so I'd recommend going with something a bit smaller and more manageable. 4/4 Gnagey, Miraphone 184 or 186, Conn 56J or 52J. Maybe a Miraphone 1291 or 1292 if you want something just a BIT bigger than the typical 4/4.

The thing about top-of-line professional level "monster" horns are that they are really for pros and very advanced players--not for people who just started playing. I would suggest you get a nice used CC and see how it goes. Keep all your options open--if you decide to be a music major in college and want to play tuba as your main instrument, by this time you will be ready for a "step-up" horn. If you just want to play tuba for fun, not a problem and you haven't spent a ton of money for it.
Good Luck!

Harg wrote:Ok, so next year I will be graduating and I am planning on purchasing a tuba.
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I'm pretty much complaining to my parents to get me an instrument...

I'm confused...are you buying the tuba or your parents? It seems to me that would make a huge difference on what sort of tuba one might plan for. While I would highly endorse gouging your parents for the best possible tuba you can imagine (after all, you have the "sibling rivalry/fairness" angle to use), I would also highly recommend NOT using scholarships/loans/personal savings for college to buy an instrument "for fun."

Harg wrote:I plan on double majoring in Math and Music education...

I can't believe the thread has gotten this far without a comment on this. Where is the booming voice of experience???

Good luck with the Czardas. That's got to be tough on a Bb tuba, and you're going to need more range than you advertised for the cadenzas.

Todd S. Malicoate wrote:

Harg wrote:I plan on double majoring in Math and Music education...

I can't believe the thread has gotten this far without a comment on this. Where is the booming voice of experience???

What's wrong with that?

To the OP: A Fox 601 (the current hot bassoon for pro-wannabe college kids who can't afford a Heckel) is more than $15K.

But more importantly: If you are weak on tone, why are you wasting your time with the Czardas? That's a technique showpiece. If tone is your weakness, work on tone. For most people, tone problems are the result of poor air movement and a weak embouchure, with poor air movement making the embouchure problem worse. Test your skill against something slow that must be played with beautiful tone. Nobody on a college faculty will be impressed with finger wiggling if the tone is no good, and that's true both on tuba and bassoon.

Personally, I would recommend using a school horn and spending the money on lessons. If you must own a horn, buy something like a used Miraphone 186 and use it for two or three years. At the end of that time, the Miraphone will be worth just what you paid for it (assuming you took excellent care of it) and you'll be able to get your money back out of it to buy the instrument you really need going into the future. Consider it free rent with a really large security deposit. Until you have a decent tone, NO tuba will "speak to you".

And quit comparing yourself to your sister. Fair parents support each child according to their needs, not their desires. They actually owe you nothing once you are old enough to be on your own.

Rick "the arithmetic of that should be easy for a prospective math major" Denney