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there is probably another post but it is probably outdated.

i am looking for a good piston 4 valve CC tuba to use in college. hoping y'all could help by telling me good brands/ models.

I own a Miraphone 1292cc, they are great! Depends also on how much you wanna spend. The miraphone costs around 10k now I believe

TCtubaKingConn00 wrote:there is probably another post but it is probably outdated.

i am looking for a good piston 4 valve CC tuba to use in college. hoping y'all could help by telling me good brands/ models.

I have a Marzan four-piston CC that would fill the bill nicely. It's a 5/4 horn built by Bohm & Meinl in the early 70's. 19" bell with York-ish flare and main branches.

I wouldn't worry so much about whether a horn has rotary or pistons, some rotary horns are real bow-wows and so are some piston horns. If you can't stand the thought of a rotary valve instrument ignore the following paragraph.

If you want a good all around horn check out finding a used Miraphone 186. 186's are fairly consistent in that about half of them seem to play decently, so please try (and have an experienced CC player try) before you buy. YMMV You can probably find a nice one for $3500 give or take 5 or six hundred.

Also used Conn 2j's are great horns and they are piston valved. The downside on these is that they don't usually have a 5th valve, however they are a bit cheaper and if you look around can get one for $2,500 give or take. Check out this link on the Conn's viewtopic.php?f=2&t=27842&st=0&sk=t&sd=a

These are just two kinds of horns that I happen to like, there's plenty more out there.

Here is the right answer to your question. This involves a few steps.

#1 - First and foremost, figure out your budget. You can't even entertain the idea of purchasing an expensive CC without knowing what you are capable of paying. Once you have determined your budget, it is much easier to narrow the field of horns so you can get something good that you can afford.

#2 - Don't rush to buy. This is an important purchase. Take your time. Once you narrow down what you are looking for in an instrument, start trying a few out. ALWAYS TRY BEFORE YOU BUY. Just because a particular make or model has a good reputation doesn't prevent one from playing better than another. The manufacturing process doesn't produce identical horns. This is very important to remember.

#3 - Consult your private teacher and/or college Tuba instructor. These people are important in helping you make this decision and are usually very willing to help. The folks here on TubeNet are good people and most of the advice is sound but your instructors know how you play and have a better understanding of what you might like in a horn. We can only operate on what you tell us, which at this point isn't much.

I hope this helps. If you can let us now what your budget is like, this can help in making a decision. I am assuming you aren't going to shell out 35,000 for a new Yamaha YCB-826.

In my personal opinion, I think a nice affordable CC that would probably fit your needs (and possibly your budget) would be a nice used Conn 5XJ. This would include models 52J, 54J and 56J. If I am remembering this correctly, the difference between the models is the bell flare size. This is a 5 valve CC horn that is a good value for the money. It is an average size horn. Not too big for quintets and not too small for orchestra.

Check out Sam Gnagey's 4/4 CC tubas. Lots of stuff on the board about them. I own one myself. They may not "look" impressive, but they can play the pants off of many instruments twice their price. They are made from cannibalized parts of other tubas, and go for $6000. After 3 years of playing one, I still have no doubt they are worth every penny.

BRSousa wrote:In my personal opinion, I think a nice affordable CC that would probably fit your needs (and possibly your budget) would be a nice used Conn 5XJ. This would include models 52J, 54J and 56J. If I am remembering this correctly, the difference between the models is the bell flare size. This is a 5 valve CC horn that is a good value for the money. It is an average size horn. Not too big for quintets and not too small for orchestra.

Admittedly I've only played one (a 56J specifically) but it's so bad that I have not ever even tried to play another; I have heard of similar problems from others though.
Over hyper 2nd partial C, sharp 4th partial, flat 5th partial (alternate fingerings upon alternate fingerings!!), awkward valve angle (the 2341 is much more comfortable for me, and quite a nicer horn overall), low Ab to Fish kinda sucks,...
The sound is kinda clear for being a smallish too-fat horn, that above low C is cool (by itself), and the low low Db is interesting but overall I think it's a "blehh" horn at best. Put the 18" bell on a 2341 if you want a leaner sound, use the valve set on a project horn, and ditch the rest.

I haven't played the Kanstul C and Bb; the front valve Eb is a nice horn.

TCtubaKingConn00 wrote:i am looking for a good piston 4 valve CC tuba to use in college. hoping y'all could help by telling me good brands/ models.

The photographer at my brass choir's concert this past Sunday informed me that he is selling his 50-year-old Miraphone 186 4-valve (probably rotary) CC tuba. I have not seen it. I believe that he is willing to accept $2000 for it.

If you're interested, I'll get the contact info for you.

when i hear the question, what is a good c tuba, i go through several stages. 1. were assuming a large contrabass horn. 2. for whatever reason, a large bb, which imo is the best, most logical choice for a large contrabass tuba for several reasons, has been passed by for a c. 3. 129whatever, perhaps a 291 if youre a rotary person. i havent spent a lot of time on that particular horn but the rest of the family is exceptional.

Bob Kolada wrote: Admittedly I've only played one (a 56J specifically) but it's so bad that I have not ever even tried to play another; I have heard of similar problems from others though.
Over hyper 2nd partial C, sharp 4th partial, flat 5th partial (alternate fingerings upon alternate fingerings!!), awkward valve angle (the 2341 is much more comfortable for me, and quite a nicer horn overall), low Ab to Fish kinda sucks,...
The sound is kinda clear for being a smallish too-fat horn, that above low C is cool (by itself), and the low low Db is interesting but overall I think it's a "blehh" horn at best. Put the 18" bell on a 2341 if you want a leaner sound, use the valve set on a project horn, and ditch the rest.

I had a good experience with one and could get a good sound out of one without alot of trouble with intonation. Certainly not more than I would expect out of any other horn in a similar price range. Your experiences may vary. This is why I suggest trying many horns before you buy one.

the piston thing is just a preference i just love pistons i could make due with rotary

Steve Marcus wrote:

TCtubaKingConn00 wrote:i am looking for a good piston 4 valve CC tuba to use in college. hoping y'all could help by telling me good brands/ models.

The photographer at my brass choir's concert this past Sunday informed me that he is selling his 50-year-old Miraphone 186 4-valve (probably rotary) CC tuba. I have not seen it. I believe that he is willing to accept $2000 for it.

If you're interested, I'll get the contact info for you.

Buy this!! It'll last you another 50 years!

I repeat...

BRSousa wrote:
#3 - Consult your private teacher and/or college Tuba instructor. These people are important in helping you make this decision and are usually very willing to help. The folks here on TubeNet are good people and most of the advice is sound but your instructors know how you play and have a better understanding of what you might like in a horn. We can only operate on what you tell us, which at this point isn't much.

I am in high school. Have no private instructor. And I have a new director who doesn't really know me.

If I were you...I'd go for Mr. Schultz's offer. While I've never personally done business with him, Marzans are fantastic instruments!

I'd honestly suggest that you don't sweat it yet. Get into college with whatever you have available, take some lessons, get a good idea of what you're looking for, then look for it. Right now, you might just end up with something that you blew a lot of money on, realized you didn't really want after all, and then have a hard time selling it. Once you're surrounded by other tuba people and musicians, you'll have an easier time knowing what a good tuba is, and you'll have better connections for finding good horns. For now, just keep practicing.

ginnboonmiller wrote:I'd honestly suggest that you don't sweat it yet. Get into college with whatever you have available, take some lessons, get a good idea of what you're looking for, then look for it. Right now, you might just end up with something that you blew a lot of money on, realized you didn't really want after all, and then have a hard time selling it. Once you're surrounded by other tuba people and musicians, you'll have an easier time knowing what a good tuba is, and you'll have better connections for finding good horns. For now, just keep practicing.

Totally agree--I would suggest you wait until at least the end of your freshman year before making such a large investment--so if you want to change your major, you will not be stuck trying to sell (and, most likely, taking a big loss on) a tuba. When you get to school, your private instructor will be better able to help you select a horn if you decide to continue as a music major.

JJ