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I have searched the archives and googled but I haven't gotten an answer that I thought was sufficient. How are cerveny tubas, particularly their CC models compared to other big brand manufacturers and how do they hold up over time, any information will be helpful!!
Thank you all
Dmeacham5

I am talking about the 5 valve CC CCB 686-5IR

That thin brass just isn't cool.

Mine used to dent putting it in the case!

I've owned quite a few Cerveny's and have found the most consistant model to be thr big Bb.They have ranged from Incredible to OK but no real stinkers. The big C's have been Very Good to crappy(no low G) and the Piggys that I tried and owned were all good. As to the thinness of the brass Walter Sear used to say "It's a tuba, not a sled" I never had an issue with dents although I am admittedly pretty anal about my horns. And as you get older the weight becomes more of an issue from carrying it around to it resting on your legs for an hour at a time and I refuse to add to the crap I have to bring to a job by using a stand.If you find a great one you'll never look back as long as you overlook the "flavor of the month club" and their criteria of what you need to play.Just find a place that has alot of them on hand. Walter always had 12 or so of each model but now you might want to go to the factory and pick one.Good luck with it. Ed

PS, I auditioned for Chicago Civic in 75' and Ed Kleinhammer was the judge. After a couple of excerpts he said "Great sound, what kind of horn is that? It was a Kaiser Bb Cerveny. He then asked"Does Jake know about these?" I think it speaks for itself. Ed

I am not sure where several can be found side by side to try out, now that Dillons does not carry them anymore. Many of us, including me, have the older piggies, and really like them a lot. I think that is the 603. The thinner metal is part of why they sound good. I cannot imagine them as school horns, though.

Tom Coffey wrote:I am not sure where several can be found side by side to try out, now that Dillons does not carry them anymore. Many of us, including me, have the older piggies, and really like them a lot. I think that is the 603. The thinner metal is part of why they sound good. I cannot imagine them as school horns, though.

I have owned several Cerveny tubas. My favorite was the big CC 601-5MR. Yes, the Cerveny metal is a bit thinner than many other tubas but reasonable caution in handling will prevent dents and dings in any tuba. (Assigning these horns to a middle-school setting is not "reasonable caution".) I suspect the Cerveny thin metal is purposeful in order to make a certain tone color.

Ace

The first tuba I purchased on my own was a Cerveny 686. It was a great horn and I wish I still had it. I bought it in 1997 and stupidly sold it for cheap to finance a used car three years later. I won honor band auditions and all-state on it. I then purchased a rose brass 681 in 2005. I felt the horn was good for small ensembles, but the sound was lost trying to support an 80 piece band. Now I'm in a quintet and wish I had either Cerveny back, but they are as much as a similarly configured miraphone a was ten years ago