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With all due respect, knowing some people who have used BBb all the way to their masters doesn't neccessarily it's the thing to do or it applies to another person. It's a safe bet to say that most students in top tuba studios in the US play CC tubas, and there must be reasons for it. Certainly there's nothing wrong with BBb tubas, tubas are tubas and MW 25 are exceptional BBb tubas. It's choosing the right tuba for your needs that should matter. I am not sure you need to make such a big deal out of using a BBb, either. I'm sure you can do just fine playing a BBb in college. Not to mention that many of the etudes and studies are written with BBb tuba (or other brass instruments Bb) in mind. If you want to eventually be able to play in an orchestra, it's a good idea to start CC tuba early in your career. [/quote]

Check with your future tuba teacher before buying anything. I'm sure you will receive lots of advice on both sides of this well known debate, but you must make a decision based upon what you will have to use in your teacher's studio. Some teachers are very specific about what tuba you should be playing. Other teachers are only concerned with you sounding good on whatever you buy.
Make sure you ask him/her before you make a potientially expensive mistake.

winston wrote:I'm considering buying an old Meinl Weston 25 BBb for use in university next year.

Please discuss the concept of using a BBb in University/College.

It depends on your objectives. If you are going into music education, the BBb is fine. If music is your major because you like the subject, but you don't expect to actually make your living in music, then it's really up to you.

But if you have the ambition, talent, and drive to be a peforming pro, then you will need to be able to play tubas in all four keys with a minimum of fuss.

There are people who play BBb in top pro positions in the U.S., but invariably they do so because they found an instrument that allowed them to be the very best on audition day, and on all the audition days that come during schooling. Is that Meinl-Weston 25 such an instrument? Probably not. (There are exceptions. The owner of this forum plays BBb sousaphone for a living, but I haven't heard that he gave up playing CC and F because of it.)

It isn't just the BBb or CC issue, but also the specific instrument. An instrument like a 25 is a good choice, in my view, because it is pretty good at everything. But your future teacher will have opinions, and if you ignore those opinions, you'll be starting out with something extra to prove.

I play BBb as an amateur, and I recommend it to other amateurs. I think there are very fine BBb tubas out there that can match even the best CC tubas in terms of their product. But it is true that one major reason I play BBb is that I'm not interested in the work required to learn to play CC. This is fine for an amateur, but it is inexcusably lazy for somebody who wants to be a pro.

Rick "who thinks it's not about the instrument" Denney

Ask your future teacher first. He might have a strong opinion on the subject. I wouldn't buy anything that you might end up having to replace, or worse, not use after you get to college.

Think about it.

Allen V. Carter
Temple University
Tub Holder

Rick Denney wrote:But if you have the ambition, talent, and drive to be a peforming pro, then you will need to be able to play tubas in all four keys with a minimum of fuss.

Definitely agreed. You can't just abandon BBb, because what if your meals are paid for by playing BBb sousaphone (as has been mentioned)? Ultimately, if you want to earn money solely by playing, you'll need to know them all. Plus, the extra knowledge will certianly help when you've got students to nurture, too.

Rick Denney wrote:Rick "who thinks it's not about the instrument" Denney

Yes -- I think that it's not about the instrument at all. Besides, I feel that if a teacher worries too much about what you're playing on, then they're not listening to your sound with an unbiased ear. If your teacher pushes playing CC, and you sound like a god on BBb, he'll still be thinking, "Now, if you were on a CC instead, you wouldn't sound so bad..."