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WTB: 4-valve BBb tuba

Posted: Wed Sep 07, 2016 6:35 pm
by RandyL
Here's a copy of a post I just put up over on the Dave Werden site.

I'm a so-so euphoniumist beginning to take tuba lessons to see whether I can make myself more versatile in my church's music program. In other words, I'm not a candidate to buy an expensive tuba. I play a Mack Brass euphonium and have been satisfied with it, so I'm thinking about looking that way for a tuba. But I'm also interested in the possibility of a used instrument in a more time-honored brand, in the sub-$2000 range, which would likely hold its value better in the event that tuba doesn't work out for me. I realize, of course, that any such horn at that price point is going to show its age. I'd be open to either piston or rotary valves, as long as the horn has at least 4.

I'm a little smaller than average size, and I drive a small car, so I'm probably not interested in a 5/4 or 6/4 horn, or even an especially tall 4/4 that might not fit into the trunk. I don't think I want to go as small as a 3/4 horn, but a horn with a bore much larger than about .780 may be too much for me.

I'm currently on a decent rental tuba for $50 per semester, so I don't feel rushed to buy. The better the bargain, and the less driving to see the horn, the more interested I would be. So if anyone within a few hours of Greenville, SC has a decent BBb horn you'd like to sell at something getting down toward a bargain price, please let me know by private message.

Randy

Re: WTB: 4-valve BBb tuba

Posted: Thu Sep 08, 2016 9:41 am
by iiipopes
If you are in SC, it might not be that long of a drive to go see Tuba Exchange in NC.

Re: WTB: 4-valve BBb tuba

Posted: Thu Sep 08, 2016 9:50 am
by RandyL
Thanks for the reply. I visited TE last August to drop off a couple of euphoniums I consigned to them. Really enjoyed seeing the Simonetti collection. Great place to see and play lots of tubas, but not necessarily such a great place to find a bargain. Time may come when I'll pay the premium for the convenience of being able to choose from such a wide selection. But I'm not yet sufficiently committed to the instrument to do that. Unless they do deals that I'm not aware of, there's no way would I be able to quickly resell an instrument purchased from them without losing a good many hundreds of dollars.

Randy

Re: WTB: 4-valve BBb tuba

Posted: Thu Sep 15, 2016 4:45 pm
by RandyL
I've entered a tentative agreement to buy a horn (1974 Amati ABB-481). It may take a few weeks for everything to shake out; the deal is contingent on the seller's winning the bidding on a tuba currently listed on eBay and finding that horn acceptable to him. So I'm out of the market at least for the moment. I'll post again when I know the final outcome of this tentative deal.

Re: WTB: 4-valve BBb tuba

Posted: Tue Sep 20, 2016 8:20 am
by RandyL
The tentative deal looks unlikely to materialize at this point. So I'm back in the hunt for a tuba as I initially described.

Re: WTB: 4-valve BBb tuba

Posted: Sun Sep 25, 2016 8:43 pm
by RandyL
I have purchased a Conn 5J and am no longer in the hunt for a tuba.

Randy