I am considering downsizing

[MaryAnn]

Probably nobody will pay any attention to this, but....when I was about 40 I was starting to have very painful joints. I found a book that said to give up the nightshade family of foods. I did, and it took a while for whatever chemical it is to get out of my system, but i have had zero joint pain since and am now 68. I can very occasionally eat a potato or something, but if I overdo it bingo my joints hurt again. Anybody willing to go outside of conventional medicine might find this info useful. That's all....if interested, look up what nightshades are.

[bigtubby]

Another suggestion would be an older Amati. My Amati Kraslice is around an .800 bore, but is extremely light and pretty tightly wrapped. It is the best of a full sized horn and a 3/4 weight. As a band director, I always thought Amati instruments were pretty much junk because of what they brought to the US market in the 80s and 90s. This tuba, with the older oval paddles, is not junk - in fact, far from it.

Agreed. I bought this Amati (Cerveny ABB-481, bottom) about five years ago, sold it a few years later and have kicked myself ever since. It was far superior to the early 2000s Cerveny 681 it was posing with. The Cerveny brought far more cash but I honestly don't miss it.

[Coffeescar]

Finding a 4 valved BBb 3/4 size horn is going to be tough. Wessex has the stumpy, which might fit your need. They also have the travel tubas, but they have sound limitations which you may not be happy with. If you went to Eb or F, you would have better luck finding something that is smaller and lighter.

Wessex has their Mini Jazz tuba which is their travel BBb horn with a larger recording bell. I've been playing mine for the last three weeks at a local Fish Fry as a part of a brass sextet, and am very happy with the sound it puts out. Granted it may not be up to being the lone tuba in an orchestra setting, but it's a surprisingly loud horn for its size.

I am having a few issues when playing in the upper register especially between the open D and F, but as I'm only ~4 months into playing again after a 10 year break I'm willing to admit that it's likely user error rather than a problem with the horn.

[Three Valves]

Wessex has their Mini Jazz tuba which is their travel BBb horn with a larger recording bell.

I am having a few issues when playing in the upper register especially between the open D and F, but as I'm only ~4 months into playing again after a 10 year break I'm willing to admit that it's likely user error rather than a problem with the horn.

1. I played one at the Ft Myer Tuba Conference and just thought it was the neatest thing!!

2. Back in my non-music-major-band days the high E was about the highest written note we played. After three years of getting back into it, I have only recently begun to hit the hi-F with any consistency and authority. The G, A and B above that I still bring down an octave.

[Sousaswag]

For the gig bag issue, go Altieri. I've used mine for about the last 6 months regularly with no protection on the pistons and nothing has gotten bent. If you're very concerned about protection, they send a piston protector thing with it that you just strap over the pistons and it will protect them. I've never used it.