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So, I am looking to purchase an instrument from http://www.mackbrass.com/" target="_blank and after searching through the site am unsure of what to purchase. firstly im unsure of if I would rather get a C or Bflat tuba, as C is as I know commonly regarded as better for college and above(which I will be entering next year) but I do not know how difficult it will be for me to learn to transpose for c to bflat considering I have some audtions and performances in the near future. As well I do not know if I should purchase a silver brass tuba or regular lacquer tuba. Any and all help is appreciated. Thank you

Welcome to TubeNet, if no one has said this before!

Do you plan to major in music (education, performance etc) at college?

Thank you, and no I plan to likely just play in the band or music minor

As Kiltie said, get a BBb. If you even have to ask the question of BBb or CC, the majority of the time you will be better served with a BBb tuba. I own and play both. BBb is easiest in most community bands. Community bands seem to be the most common playing outlet for us amateurs and college tuba majors.

Okay, I was think bflat would be a better option thanks! Now I just need to decide between silver or regular lacquer

I agree, with your current plan a BBb will work fine. Many professional tubists prefer the CC, at least in the States.

But not all. AFAIK Tony Kniffen of Indianapolis plays BBb, as do many European pros.

And speaking of Mr. Kniffen, I believe this particular instrument is a BBb. Something to think about for the holiday season:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IlBsO7ewjh8" target="_blank" target="_blank

I'd go with lacquer, as it's less expensive and easier to restore if damaged.

I'll go against the grain here -- get a CC. If you're going to college, the last thing you'll want to do is deal with people asking why you play BBb instead of CC, and you will get tired of explaining it. More practically, I've always found CC to make more sense -- why start with 2 flats, when you can start with a clean slate?

Honestly, it really makes very little difference, but if I had to do it again, I would have still switched to CC (even if I fell kind of ***-backwards in to CC -- it was the only tuba the school had for me to borrow!).

What instrument did you play in school?

What did you like or not like about it, i.e., why tuba now?

If you played a transposing treble clef instrument, a CC tuba is only one ledger line difference.

If you played tuba or souzy, it was most likely BBb, and you know the fingerings. How do you feel about learning a completely different set of fingerings if you decide to go with CC?

What is your budget? (with the Mira-Clones coming up in quality, this is not as important a question as it once was)

Buy the one you like. If you have no idea what you like, try to figure out what you could sell the fastest and for the most money when you want something else.

It took me only about a month to learn CC fingerings. And as Bort said, I've come to prefer CC because the fingerings are actually more logical, when you think about it. Granted, if you aren't going to major in music, it really doesn't matter at all which one you play. My guess is that nobody will care, and why bomb auditions because you don't know the fingerings?

As for lacquer vs. silver, I personally don't think it matters for sound. And lacquer is cheaper to buy and maintain.

As others have stated if you are going to major in music most tuba profs think one must play C so to avoid an uphill battle you get a C. But if that's not the case just play everything at Mack and pick a winner in whatever key. I've been a full time pro since 1970 and I play mostly Bb. The only folks that ask about it are other tuba players. The Alexander like clone is a very time tested design with very good pitch and they project like crazy with that tall bell. The Hirsbrunner clone is also excellent and sounds great to you and those around you with the short bell. I like the way laquer feels to my hands but it will wear at contact points. Most of my horns are silver and I polish them maybe twice a year. I don't know if Tom has the King clones but they are also really good horns. Just let your ear be your guide. Good luck. Ed