For years my mantra has been that I wouldn't spring for a professional quality tuba to take to community band and such. Then last Spring I nearly did it, but ended up recommitting to the thought that it didn't make sense for me.
Well, yesterday all that resolve went over the cliff. I'm getting this 2145: http://www.louisvillemusicco.com/meinl- ... 135376.cfm I played it last summer and loved it. Assumed it would sell pretty quickly. But yesterday I saw it was still available and that was that.
Norm had a picture of it in his shop when they first got it in, but I don't know what he did. I don't believe he did any custom work or major repairs. I first saw it on his Facebook, and expressed idle curiosity. Then when I was up there for something else I played it, again pretty much just to have something to do while I waited. But it got my attention and I never completely put it out of my mind.
Had one for a year as my only tuba.worked great.f tuba rep with a small mouthpiece worked reasonably well.was a bit lean for the biggest orchestra works,but nobody complained.i would love to have one(or a wisemann clone) in the stable again one day.
Pensacola Symphony
Troy University-adjunct tuba instructor
Yamaha yfb621 with 16’’ bell,with blokepiece symphony
Eastman 6/4 with blokepiece symphony/profundo
bort wrote:Looks like the small bell version -- is this also the small valves, or the MW big valves?
I hate to say I don't know, but I don't know. I fell in love with the way it responded and sounded, and never looked into the statistics in any detail.
The notion of amateurs not deserving professional quality instruments misses the point, I think. Pros must justify the costs of their tools with respect to earning power, but amateurs get their return on investment in enjoyment. Great tubas are, generally, more fun to play than non-great tubas. Amateurs can appreciate, even if they can't fully explore, those differences.
Many who are professionally trained end up being amateurs, but bring their professional concepts justifying the cost of their tools with respect to earning power. But it truly is liberating to be mentally able to buy whatever tuba we want without regard to earning power (since amateurs have little of that anyway). And when amateurs buy such instruments, they keep the market alive for instruments like that, which is also good for professionals. That's true even for the secondary market.
I have also learned (the hard way) that when a tuba speaks to me, I listen. I may have to pass it up, but I still consider it carefully. Life is too short to spend it regretting having passed up, just out of some sense of guilt (and not because we can't afford it), an instrument that keeps popping into our heads as we play something lesser.
Congratulations on your new tuba, and don't allow yourself to feel guilty about buying it.
I fell in love with the way it responded and sounded, and never looked into the statistics in any detail.
