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Hey everybody. I just started college this year as a tuba major and my professor told me I should think about getting a new horn. I currently play a CC Cerveny Piggy, but have actually been thinking about upgrading for a while. My budget is around 5000$, but I'm flexible. Please let me know if you have anything you think I may be interested in.

I am really looking for something 5/4 or 6/4, but I could live with a large 4/4. 5 valves is a must. I prefer rotary, but it isn't necessary and I'll entertain all offers.

It would be super helpful to have something come with a case, as I'm a college student on a pretty low budget, but for the right deal I might be able to make it work. Like I said, I'll entertain all offers, and I would certainly be willing to make trades if the right offer comes my way. I am located in the Central Massachusetts area, so being within a fairly short distance would be extremely helpful as well. Shoot me a message if you have anything!

This is a classic, if you'll accept 4 valves:

viewtopic.php?f=4&t=74864" target="_blank

You might also want to search for a rotary Neptune...? Not a lot of big rotary CC tubas out there...

Here are two different 163's in/near NYC. Slightly above your budget, but also 5 valves:

http://www.dillonmusic.com/c-1013-tubas.aspx" target="_blank

viewtopic.php?f=4&t=69881" target="_blank

You do not need a 6/4 tuba. It is a specialty instrument and is not ideal for solo or quintet work. Most BATs have "personality quirks" which create an imposed learning curve on top of your performance learning curve. Luckily for you, the price for most used 6/4 tubas is out of your budget range. I think Tony Kniffen's BMB BAT is for sale on this board, a great horn and out of your price range.

You might consider large 4/4 tubas or 5/4 tubas but within a $5000 range it will be a challenge to find one. The closest thing to a point and shoot $5000 5/4 tuba is the Mirafone 188CC. You should have no trouble finding one of those. It's not glamorous but it will do the job with ease. Works well in most settings.

You might find a 1291 but I don't think prices will be as low as 5k.

The Alexander tuba is a marvelous sounding instrument but, as a former owner of one, I can tell you that intonation overshadows all on an Alex. A friend of mine returned his old Alex when offered to him for sale. He said, "I didn't want to fall in love with the sound because I didn't want to have to learn the intonation all over again."

I just found a BMB BAT for sale at $5000 further down this list, a bargain. The warnings about BAT's is still valid on any horn. Even the CSO York's have quirks.

Whatever you do, seek the opinion of your teacher for a specific instrument before you choose to buy a horn.

A Wessex wyvern would probably be worth a test drive.

Alex C wrote:You do not need a 6/4 tuba. It is a specialty instrument and is not ideal for solo or quintet work. Most BATs have "personality quirks" which create an imposed learning curve on top of your performance learning curve. Luckily for you, the price for most used 6/4 tubas is out of your budget range.

...

Whatever you do, seek the opinion of your teacher for a specific instrument before you choose to buy a horn.

^This.

thegreatrodinkis wrote:I currently play a CC Cerveny Piggy, but have actually been thinking about upgrading for a while.

There are plenty of horns both worse and better than the Piggy, but size is not the reason this is true.

Mr. Alex C. worded it perfectly.

I agree with the above--you do not need a 6/4 tuba, if you are just starting out in college. Those Cerveny Piggys are good little horns, but if you really want something new, there are several horns in your price range (and that would be much more suited to your purposes) at Baltimore Brass and Dillon Music.

If you have a piggy that you really like, I'd hold on to it. Good ones are some of my favorite horns. It's big enough; I never felt like I needed more horn playing in a moderately sized school orchestra on one, and it performed just fine on "big horn" excerpt studies. I say take the money and put it into fine tuning your piggy and buying accessories for it.

Big horns are a pain to lug around anyway.

Norm Epley added a fifth valve to his Piggy. He'd probably do the same to yours, if fifth valve is a problem. I don't think of Piggies as small tubas. They seem to me more like 4/4 size tubas with a very compact wrap. John Cradler won the Marine Band audition on a four valve Piggy, FWIW... but that's John Cradler.

arpthark wrote:Norm Epley added a fifth valve to his Piggy. He'd probably do the same to yours, if fifth valve is a problem. I don't think of Piggies as small tubas. They seem to me more like 4/4 size tubas with a very compact wrap. John Cradler won the Marine Band audition on a four valve Piggy, FWIW... but that's John Cradler.

Could I have the email for Norm if you have it? I'd love to talk to him about that 5th valve situation at some point.

Yes. He is a great brass tech in the Louisville KY area. He is on the board as 11annienorm, and you can find him at NRE Brassworks on Facebook. I'm PMing you his email address.