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SousyHawk wrote:Hi there - I hope you don't mind a "newbie" dropping in to ask a few questions...

Come on in, the water's fine.

Your strategy seems right for me, for reasons you may not even realize.

Stick with BBb--there are great BBb instruments available for much less than C tuba of similar quality, and why burden yourself with learning new fingerings when even active tuba players can't agree that the result will be better in any important way?

It's also good to pick an instrument with solid value, that is easy to play and that has proven itself in the market. Why care about the market? Because of this: Don't feel like the instrument you buy has to be the one you end up with. This is the most common mistake made by returning adults, but it's just not so.

If you were to buy a used Miraphone 186 in excellent condition for, say, $3000, it would still be worth $3000 four years from now when you have regained your chops, added to your experience, and developed a much more refined notion of what you want. You can sell the Miraphone and get something else. Think of it as a rental with a really large deposit. And take care of the instrument so that you can get your deposit back. If you get all your deposit back, the rental was free. Such a deal!

A used, high-quality instrument fits this strategy better than a new, budget-minded instrument for the same money, even if the new one plays as well.

For me, the 191 requires noticeably more air to make a good sound than does the 186. If you have the air, though, the 191 can make wonderful sounds. I didn't feel like I had the air. Both are excellent and highly versatile instrument that you can use in virtually any application. The only exceptions would be the high solo literature and orchestral music where you want to really move earth. Resolving those exceptions requires more than one instrument, however.

If you do look at new instruments, one that ought to be on your short list is the King 2341 (new style, with the one-piece bell). It's a very different approach than the Miraphone, but it shares the easy of play and good intonation. It comes about as close to following my strategy of free rental as any new instrument.

I would not spend more than the middle $3000's unless the money is of no concern. Save spending more for when that special and rare wonderful instrument becomes available--the one that as a result of your developing experience you know is what you really want. For now, the objective should be a tuba that has a good sound, proven market staying power, and good intonation. You're already on the right track.

Rick "who hopes you'll stick around" Denney

I always thought getting the wife on board was the FIRST step in purchasing a tuba. If you haven't done that, you have even stepped up to bat. I have the absolute best wife a tuba player ever had. Even with this recommendation, she still doesn't understand why I want to own more than one tuba. However, it was her idea for me to purchase my first one(It's the truth!).

[quote="SousyHawk] ...

Is there a good source for 'used' Tubas? My local music store doesn't seem to have much in the way of stock - so my trying and purchasing will involve either a road trip, or a lot of shipping.

(Oh, and getting my wife on board.... )[/quote]

Check the "shops" listing on this site. The ones with the largest inventory of used horns are usually Dillon Music and Baltimore Brass, both of which are trustworthy sources.

SousyHawk wrote:Is there a good source for 'used' Tubas?

Pssst: Go down this list until you see Miraphone 186 BBb...

http://www.baltimorebrass.net/index.php?cat=5#used

Here's the pic:

http://www.baltimorebrass.net/images/in ... ONE186.jpg

It's the perfect blend of good horn and lousy lacquer that makes the price tempting. A little time with Nevr-Dull or Wenol, plus perhaps $20 worth of model-shop linkage parts, might make this instrument look pretty decent. Look before Dave reads this and polishes it himself, heh, heh. Only thing to check would be that the rotors are not worn out. He'll tell you if you ask.

And the one right below it is exactly what I had in mind, even without seeing the picture.

And, yes, the reason you don't see many used 191's is that they have not been on the market for nearly the length of time that 186's have been. Also, 186's were widely used in schools, making them an instrument many bought upon adulthood just because that's what they played in school. 191's don't have that tradition. And I agree with what someone said about the mouthpiece on the 191--if you use a mouthpiece that provides some resistance, it is much easier to play. I tried it with my Doug Elliott 132-2N-T6, which is the epitome of an open-blowing mouthpiece, and that was probably my problem. That mouthpiece works best on horns that provide some of the resistance...like the 186.

Rick "tapping you on the shoulder" Denney