Posted: Thu Apr 15, 2004 3:53 pm
Congratulations! I took a 25 year hiatus from tuba, like you, playing bass for the money. I stopped playing bass when it became no fun at all, and for 15 years played nothing at all-big mistake! I started tuba again almost 2 years ago and am having an absolute ball. I borrowed a tuba for the first year and bought my second-hand Mirafone 186 a year ago and have not looked back. Good for you to decide to do it again! Just be patient----you will have lost a lot of ground, and may never get back to where you were. As to a horn: I don't know who to recommend in the UK where you might go to try out tubas; that,however, is what you must do---try out as many as possible until you find your match. There is no brand or model that works for everyone, but you will know when you have found the right one and hopefull it will be in your price range! Best of luck.