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I am looking to buy a 3/4 BBb tuba and my local music store has a new Jupiter 780L 3/4 BB-flat Tuba for sale. I plan to go try it out on Saturday, but I am wondering if anyone has ever played this model? If so, how is the intonation, valve response and tone quality? I know that a 3/4 won't have the sound of a full size tuba, but because of health reasons, I need a small tuba. I have played the Yamaha YBB 621 and a Tuba Exchange 690-L and was not pleased with the intonation. I am hoping the Jupiter would be a good horn. Thanks.

Sy Brandon

I used to own one of these. Great little horns. I really enjoyed mine as it was what I considered the "perfect teaching" horn: physically small, reliable intonation (no weird notes to remember), and had a nice dark sound (at least with my mouthpiece). I thought the valves, especially after I did some work with cleaning them as it was used, we're quite good and never made me feel like I was wanting something better. If pushed, the horn can get brassy and get that kind of "brokenness" to its sound as I tend to find with a lot of smaller horns, but I felt it held up better than most.

I have a 378 (1978'ish) vintage according to Jupiter. It was given to me when I started back playing in 2010. Good little tuba, always plays in tune. Mine is dented, has some red dot, a couple of broken braces, but it still plays.

Thanks folks for your comments. After reading your comments and doing more research, I decided to order a Mack tuba instead of driving 100 miles to Phoenix to try the Jupiter. Mark - thanks for the suggestion. I'll post again after the horn arrives and I try it.

58mark wrote:I played it, and honestly, I liked the mack brass one better.

http://www.mackbrass.com/MACK-TU520L__BBb_Tuba.php" target="_blank" target="_blank

How were the valves on this one Mark?

58mark wrote:very fast! It felt to me like a rotor version of a old YBB-103 (with 4 valves of course)

A band director I know bought several for his school. As far as I know he's happy with them. I'll ask him for an evaluation and see what he says

Hey, thanks. I know someone in the market right now for a tuba of this size. I appreciate the info!

I can't comment on the Mack Brass, but I like the Jupiter 780 a lot. To me it's their best tuba. It's about the size of the Josef Lidl 3/4 BBb. The Jupiter is a bit heavier, and its projection is quite good. The Lidl is a lighter instrument, and has a more velvety sound with less projection. I like them both. The Jupiter low range is meaty, and it doesn't feel too resistant for a smaller tuba.

As an aside, the Lidl tubas have been out of production while the company moved and set up a new factory. They have now reopened and all instruments are in production again. I plan to order a few.

-F
/not the bass trumpet though
//someone stole the bell mandrel
///LULZ