Starting Over

[Merodach]

Hello Everyone,

I used to play Tuba in high school about 15+ years ago and really enjoyed it. I quit playing for a couple reasons, 1) Playing in symphonic band, marching band, and the jazz ensemble all got to be too much as my family's business was having a hard time making ends meet with NAFTA coming into full effect....and 2) I disagreed with the hazing that was happening to other members of my section if they missed a step while marching in a competition or missed a note...etc... So I quit and it's only now that I have decided that something is missing in my life and I think it is playing music.

I played two different tubas in HS, I had a large 4 piston Valve silver King? Looked like a picture of a 1241 that I have seen with a fixed upright bell. Not sure, but the horn was once owned by the Navy and had a very rich resonant tone that was favored by the director while playing in the symphonic band.

The other horn I played in Jazz ensemble was a 4 rotary valve Miraphone which in my memory seems smaller than the pictures of the 186, maybe it was a 184/185?

My question to you all is this: After not playing for so long - what would be a good inexpensive horn to pick up and get back to the basics?

After school I became a professional welder and soldering is second nature to me, I have been considering buying a "fixer-upper" off ebay (like this one http://www.ebay.com/itm/131776608183?_t ... EBIDX%3AIT) is this a terrible idea? Have any of you (without formal brass instrument repair training) attempted to do this with any success? Or is it best left to the professionals?

Thanks in advance!

Regards,
Alan G.

[bububassboner]

Hello and welcome back to tuba!

I'll start with fixing this up. Since you can solder this is really no different. The hard part is making it pretty which really on a horn like this isn't a big deal. Dents? If you've done some metal working you might do an okay job. I find that having the right tools for dent work is pretty important, but for the price if you think you can straighten it out give it a shot. Valves? I'm betting that they will be loose and need repair. Let a pro do that. That's a skill you'll want to study before you do it.

Should you buy it? Do you think you'll play for awhile? I'm pretty big on having at least four valves on a BBb tuba. I'd save up and shop around. Selling that horn later may be challenging so my vote is to keep shopping.

[Donn]

Is the tuba a good one for you? I would leave it up to you - the number of valves you need depends on what you're doing, not everyone wants the same thing. The valve style is old, with those clock springs. Some people have trouble with those things rattling and clanking - you can search around in here and get more on that.

Some of the dents would worry me, like the one at the end of the main tuning slide where Frank helpfully gives you a good close-up. That pinches where it's tight, so you'd want to have a plan for what to do about it. The bell damage is ugly but possibly not a major problem? The nickel kranz around the rim hasn't come loose, from what I can tell, which is nice.

Solder skills will help, but note that it isn't just about laying down a good seal, there's also things like getting a bow off that's soldered in two places (of course) and that might be kind of a stiff fit on top of that, before the solder cools.

And it's a long ways away, if you aren't in Europe. I bought a tuba from this seller and can vouch for him, but it's kind of budget shipping for trans-atlantic, and there are inevitably risks.

Kings like the one you used to play are among the most common old beaters on the market.

[Bob Kolada]

How about this? $1800 Des Prins Bb.


http://www.baltimorebrass.net/picture.p ... ts&id=2304

[Merodach]

Thanks for the advice people, I know there are lots of similar posts by newbies to the forum and it can get old answering the same questions over and over.

Although I am sure of my metalworking skills, the valves are what concerns me on buying a "fixer upper" I'm just going to save up and buy a decent horn from a reputable seller, like the Des Prins that was suggested.

Thanks again!

[Heavy_Metal]

Baltimore Brass would be a great place to try out some tubas. It would be a "day trip" from Newport News, but they're open on Saturdays which might make it easier. Plus, they'll let you set up in one of the little practice rooms for play-testing.

Here's an account of one such play-testing session Mark Chachich and I did recently. Didn't try the DePrins though, it might not have been out on the sales floor yet:

viewtopic.php?f=2&t=71675" target="_blank

[hup_d_dup]

Hello Merodach,

Here's what happens to people who start playing after a long break. There are two possibilities:
1. It wasn't as much fun as you thought and you quit again.
2. You stick with it, but at some point you realize that the horn you have isn't really the horn you now want or need.

Either way, you probably will not be playing the horn you buy just a few years from now.

So . . .

Buy a euphonium!

Much cheaper than a tuba.
Much easier to play than a tuba.
Everthing you learn can easily be applied to the tuba when you switch.
And at some point in the future you may even want to keep the euphonium as a second instrument.

Hup

[Donn]

Sure, but what's the point of playing euphonium?

[windshieldbug]

Sure, but what's the point of playing euphonium?

Confusing people when they ask you what instrument you play

[vespa50sp]

Bloke is right.

Starting at 2k you can get a really nice used tuba, perhaps not full on professional, but nice and it doesn't even have to be a clone or 60 years old. My advice is to spend a little more, skip the repairing unless you really like doing that and be happier longer. http://minneapolis.craigslist.org/ram/m ... 28923.html

OK, full disclosure, it's mine. I've switched to Eb (or was that EEb : ) and my wife is leaning into me about the number of instruments in the house that aren't getting used (that includes a baritone : ). I'm hoping to sell it to some local community band member or HS kid who has lots of wind and looking for a decent looking player.

But there are a lot of pretty good run-of-the-mill workhorse BBb's at this price point if you are patient and not looking for an Alex. King 2341's, not pretty but good playing 186's, Yamaha 321's, various Conn's, etc.

For up to 1k you can find a good 3 valve.. My bandmate is on a Yamaha 201 and I got to work to keep up. A solid horn is just an amplifier for a good player.

[patricklugo]

i have some insight on this topic. in 1998 i decided to quit music school to pursue a business degree. i was a college student at the univeristy of miami and then the arizona state university.
i quit playing because i was developing with issues with attacks. my confidence went down the drain.
fast forward to 2009 i decided to come back to playing. i contact a teacher down in my area. i started to work at it. my first impression was that i would come where i left off.
i was wrong. i had to start all over plus work on bad habits that i had. coming back is a lot harder than starting fresh. at least for me.

in 2016 i could say that i am beginning to have constant success. it is been along road. it is worth it. especially the bad days that you experience in the process.

if you ever in the south florida area, give jay bertolet a call. awesome teacher. he is very honest,and demanding.

[Donn]

It's a little mysterious how the above relates to the context. My hunch is that it was written to another recent thread titled "Relearning how to play" - similar situation, different issue.