Looking for my first F tuba

[keepingrism86]

Hey guys, I'm going into my senior year of college as a tuba performance major and I already have my own CC tuba. I use an Eastman 632 CC tuba, and now I'm looking to get a small tuba. I was wondering if you guys have some suggestions about good first F tubas, I don't have a huge budget and I don't need anything too fancy, probably just 5 valves. Any ideas about good brands or places to find one would be very helpful!

[gtuba22]

Mack brass has a solid F tuba. I know the brand can sometimes have issues but the F tuba is solid and Tom is great. JP also has good F tubas for good prices. I also recommend that you keep looking in the used market. Stuff pops up for good deals. I wish I had a F tuba to sell you but I don’t. Good luck on your search. Hope this helps!

[keepingrism86]

That helps a lot thanks!

[PRO]

Perhaps I can help. Please feel free to call at 908 x 850 x 1636. Thanks. Paul.

[Cyrilee]

I just recently wrote out a few thoughts on someone asking if Schiller was worth it. I'll just copy and paste that here, but disclaimer: I'm not as knowledgeable as 99% of the userbase on here. While I do have my own experiences, many of the opinions are based more on what others have directly told me or what the general consensus is after some searching. For reference, this person's budget was $3,000.

John Packer 379F/379FF: The 379F is a MW 2250 clone while the 379FF is a PT15 clone (maybe I'm mixing that up, make sure to distinguish the model!). Supposedly the 379FF plays just as well or better than the horn it was cloned from. Right now, there are a few floating around from $3,200 to $4,000 from Brewknoh67, darth2ba, and tubacorbin. The latter two are vented, but it ultimately depends on location/shipping/demo-ing. Pretty sure there's one for $3,200 on dillonmusic as well.

BMB horns: I can't name a specific model, but these go from $2,500 to $5,000 so you should be able to find something in your price range. I've heard nice things about these horns as well, and you can find a few floating around on here.

Mack Brass TU540GB: While these might rarer to find on sale used, you certainly can. Or you could buy it new for $3,000. It's a decent PT15 style horn, and this is one where I can say the wonderful customer experience Mack Brass provides makes this alright to try new. Unlike Jim Laabs' music, Mack Brass has a very forgiving return policy, a very nice trial period, and are much more on top of their game with customer support and satisfaction.

Dillon DFB-399: Another Jinbao PT15 clone, but still a good option nonetheless. Goes for about $3,400 new on dillonmusic, while sales occasionally do drop it within the 2 grand price range. Matt Walters and Steve Dillon are pretty reputable and are a pleasure to work with, and the horn itself reportedly sounds and plays impressively for the pricepoint.

Wessex Berg & Linz: I believe a Linz sold for around 3 grand on here not too long ago, while there's still a $2,600 listing for a Berg from ryanbratton. Overall, the general consensus is that these horns are quality for their price, and besides minor problems regarding burr/linkages or factory residue, they play very well and aren't a direct clone of another horn. Or, if you need to have one new, the Berg is around $3,200. If you wait for their Spring sale next year, you could probably save for the more expensive horns as well. Perhaps you'd be able to find a Strauss as well, but I think they replaced that with the Symphony and the Berg...?

Older Models: Sometimes, the cheaper and older models of big Germanic brands show up for around your price range. They're plenty serviceable, and they're another option if you don't mind finish wear or signs of age. The MW46, Miraphone 180, etc. are good horns with the signature Germanic tone and flaws (low register has some issues). There's also a lonely Amati that's been on Baltimore Brass forever that's going for around 1-2 grand, but the issue is that it only has 4 valves and no case is included.

Really, it's a case by case basis, but I can only recommend staying away from the really cheap horns. A lot of shadier retail sites sell Jinbao horns that, quite frankly, are not that great and definitely aren't worth your money. In the same regard, avoid Schiller horns. They use the same stencils, and I have yet to experience a single Schiller horn from quite literally a dozen that isn't 40 cents out of tune with itself and/or so resistant to where you need to blow a quadruple F airstream for a forte (at best).

You should be looking at the used instruments sections of Tubenet, Brassark, dillonmusic, Baltimore Brass, The Horn Guys, WWBW, and other reputable sites that have a clear focus on music and quality. Some other places you can look are your local Craigslist or FB Marketplace, Reverb, ebay, etc. but I feel like those are a bit less reputable. Good luck!

[geomiklas]

Here ya go! I'm selling my Mirafone 180 F https://www.georgemiklas.com/miraphone180ff5vforsale" target="_blank

[tclements]

Wessex sent me a Linz to sample; I still have it here. It is an EXCELLENT instrument. PM me for more info.

[rmatejek]

Hi there! I'm selling my B&S PT-16 if you are interested.

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