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I've been a member of the site for a while now, but haven't posted anything, but now I could really use some advice. I am majoring in Tuba performance at my university and my applied lessons instructor says that it's time to take the plunge and buy my own CC tuba. Now, just a bit of my history with horns: I have only owned one horn before now and that is a student 3/4 BBb King 1135w. That being said, I eventually switched to school owned 4 piston valve horns from 8th grade to sophomore year of high school, and then went onto a Yamaha YBB-641 (rotary valves for those who don't know) to finish off high school, and now play a university owned Miraphone 186-4U. Anyways, I've been searching for a while before now because I knew this would come up at some point, and suddenly, we realized a family friend has been trying to sell his CC tuba for a while now. It's a Lacquer B&S 4197 CC and it here are the specs:

Approx. 12-15 years old, but looks basically new
4 piston, 1 rotary
Extremely well taken care of. Owned by 2 music majors
Had the corks/felt pads in the pistons replaced 4 years ago
Has been in a gig bag in air conditioned home
Was originally made for a student who studied under Daniel Perantoni at Indiana University. Original cost was $12,500
Comes with a custom hard case and a gig bag
Starting price for me is $6500

My first question is if anyone knows anything I should know about this horn other than what I've listed/if it is a horn that you would recommend. My main focus when playing is orchestral/symphonic playing, but I still would like it to be versatile in jazz and small ensembles. As you can see from my history, I've been playing completely rotary for a while, and I will say I do love them a lot, but also realize that even Alan Baer's CC tuba has piston valves, so there are pros and cons for both systems. My second question, as I haven't really bought a tuba on my own before (my first horn was in 6th grade and my parents got it for me), is if there are any specific questions I should ask. Obviously, I'm going to play it before I buy it, but I feel like there are more things I should be looking for that I couldn't just know by looking at the horn and playing it. Thanks so much for the guidance, as I'm still just getting my start in the outside world as a tuba player! Also, if some pictures would help, I can get them.

TL;DR: what do you guys think of the B&S 4197 CC Tuba and would you recommend it?

A reason that you might not have found anything is that model number doesn't give everyone a clear idea. If I'm correct that mond correspond to the PT20P.

Here are some topics worth perusing.
https://www.google.ca/search?q=pt20p+si ... 52&bih=915" target="_blank

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Some (rhetorical)questions for you:
1. Have you tried the horn?
2. Do you like it?
3. Can you afford it?
4. What does your instructor think of this horn?

From the info you post it seems like a fair price for a solid horn. If this one is good, then you should end up with a fine horn.

Thanks for letting me know! Sorry for the confusion, you're right it is a PT-20p CC tuba

That model would be an outstanding horn for the needs you are describing. Compare as many horns as you can before you buy, it's like getting shoes, the horn should feel comfortable to you.

Probably can't go wrong with this deal. However, since you have a bit of a limited experience with CC tubas, it would probably behoove you to get a professional playtest opinion of the instrument.

Definitely a nice tuba, but for $6,500 you have a LOT of options.

It sounds like this tuba was well cared for, and that several other people have been successful with it -- that's good, but don't let that influence your decision too much. You have to play a tuba that matches the sound you have in your head, that you're trying to reproduce. Otherwise, you'll just be fighting the tuba and trying to make it sound like something it's not. I did that for too many years myself, it's not *terrible*, but it is certainly *better* when you get the tuba to work with you.

That said, it's not always possible to try many things before you buy, and sometimes you just have to buy it, try it, and then decide. I've always thought that a play test is just enough to decide if you're going to BUY the tuba. I think you need about a month to decide if you're going to KEEP the tuba. There's nothing wrong with owning a tuba for a few months and then selling it. Just make sure you buy it at a price that you won't lose money.

If you do buy this, get the corks/pads replaced and get the valves aligned. 4 years is a long time, especially if it's being played every day by a music major.