TubeNet

Hello All,

I'm a professional bass trombonist and these days so many of my gigs are requiring some tuba especially in musical theatre.
I'm looking to buy an instrument, hopefully around the $1000 mark. Not to big (must be pit friendly).
I'm a VERY inexperienced tuba player, but have enough chops and knowledge to make things work with some practice. I'm not looking to win an orchestral job... just a little bit of doubling!

My main questions are;
3 valve or 4 valve?
Eb, Bb or C? (reading and transposition is not an issue for me)

I have the option to buy a 3 valve Conn 10j. (3/4 size I believe). This is very tempting but I'm very picky with intonation. Does this horn have many shortcomings with pitch? Is it something I can learn to play in tune easily?

Would I be better off discounting 3 valves altogether, even if that means increasing my budget?

If I was able to 'try before I buy' I probably wouldn't need people's opinions, but I'm located in Australia, and since I'm looking at second hand horns online, that will be impossible.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance

PM & email sent.

I always recommend to anyone looking to perform at a professional level to play equipment that professionals play. So I would instantly discount anything with only 3 valves. Buy nice, not twice...

When faced with a similar dilemma (a working bass trombonist in Australia) I went looking for either a medium-sized CC tuba (as I'd played a Mirafone 184CC for a short period at university), or for an Eb (Besson, Boosey and Hawkes et al). In the end, I spent significant money on a used Rudolf Meinl 3/4CC. It was the best horn available at the time, and I preferred the low range and girth of the CC to the Eb's that were around at the time.

That said, being a nation of brass bands, Eb's are plentiful in this country, whereas medium-sized Bb's and CC's are almost non-existent. The CC's that are around are generally big 5/4 or 6/4 CC's bought by orchestral students, and are likely too big for the calls you will receive (pit bands, small orchestra, quintet etc).

I'd check out as many Eb's as you can find. Unlike the US, plenty of pro's in Australia play Eb in many ensembles, so it's a sound that players are used to hearing.

You might struggle to find a good example within your price range, however. I've seen Eb's with 15 inch bells sell for $1500 or so on eBay, but I suspect they would need some work.

Contact as many pro's as you can and let them know you are in the market. Most music/repair places will normally have an Eb or two kicking around for sale, and brass bands and their players are often turning over equipment.

Andrew

A bass trombone friend of mine doubles on a Meinl-Weston 11, and tells me it does everything you have specified.

As a professional trombone player who has no difficulty finding the right pitch, you will be immediately frustrated with a 3 valve instrument. Every 3 valve instrument I have played from trumpet down to tuba is sharp on some or all notes of the lower register, with some notes being almost unusably sharp on some instruments. Using slides this is easily correctable on a trumpet, but more difficult or, depending on the position of the slides, impossible on a tuba. I have a three valve euphonium that is beginning to drive me crazy for just this reason. I am simply going to have to replace it … and so will you if you get a 3 valve tuba.

Hup

Thank you for all your replies and advice.

I have found and purchased a Yamaha Eb tuba YEB-381