Seeking info Mack tu355

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bone-a-phone
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Seeking info Mack tu355

Post by bone-a-phone »

Hi, y'all,
I'm a new Tubenet member, a trombone player, if you'll forgive that. Looking to start doubling on tuba for various reasons. So I'm a tuba virgin as it were. I'm seeking information, but in parallel I'm also trying to get some practical experience by visiting a couple of dealers.

Anyway, I'm looking for info on the Mack tu355. I haven't been able to find any references to it aside from the Mack site. Maybe that should tell me something, but as a doubler, I'm looking for something small, Bb, one freaking spit valve, and something I can pick up and just play, but has a biggish, non-blatty sound.

Short of that, I've also been looking at the Mack tu210.

Honestly, I think if I could have anything, I'd have a Miraphone 186. I hear great things about them. Tubas are such a hassle. So many different things (someone described it as the Mos Eisley Cantina :D ) and so hard to ship. To find the right trombone, I've had to go through dozens of horns. Don't want (can't afford) to do that for tuba. Plus, you can get an average used trombone for $600, and a new one for $2500.

The trombone world has the same prejudices about chinese tubas as you all seem to have here, but I own a couple Wessex instruments (one tbone one euph), and they are definitely not the worst instruments I've seen.

So, if you have some input on the 355 or something new about the 210 (I've done the prerequisite searches), or a Mira 186 raw brass, in nice shape for $2k in the mid-atlantic, I'd like to hear about it.
Three Valves
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Re: Seeking info Mack tu355

Post by Three Valves »

I went shopping specifically for (went there and played) the Mack tu355.

Nice, but I just couldn't avoid the blatts beyond mf.

I played the 210 while I was there, went back a few weeks later and bought it.

I like small tubas but...

There is no replacement for displacement!! :tuba:
I am committed to the advancement of civil rights, minus the Marxist intimidation and thuggery of BLM.
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