The three that Alex F suggested are what came to my mind too. I'm in your boat, Brooke, although my budget is a little higher. I'm just looking for a decent horn to play for church solos. As a former band director, I am very familiar with the consistancy and reputation of the Yamaha, but I'm limited to $1,000-1,600 dollars. I have heard many great things about the King 2280, especially from Mr. Dave Werden (
www.tubaeuph.com ). I have not come across a Weril 980 yet to play test, so I'm not ready to decide which horn I'll get. I can tell you that I had a rehearsal with a brass group a few weeks ago and we had to euphoniumists there. One guy had a very new Yamaha YEP 321 and the other guy had an older King 2280. Both horns were lacquer. I thought, "Here is my chance to play both back to back!" Because the King has a larger bass trombone sized receiver, I had to use different mouthpieces in the test. With the yamaha, I used a Bach megatone and the King I had the stock mouthpiece. I played both on my own and then I had both musicians listen to my sound and judge.
My impressions:
King 2280: Fat, vibrant tone
Sticking valves (possibly due to age and condition)
Louder valves
Awkward flexibilty
YEP 321: Sweet, lyrical tone
Smooth, quiet valves
Terrific flexibility
The two musicians both said that I sounded much better on the Yamaha, without question. Keep in mind that there were variables that contributed to this...different mouthpieces and horn condition, so this is certainly not scientific.
I came away with the opinion that I would probably prefer the King in a large ensemble, and the Yamaha for solos (or in your case lessons).
I am waiting to purchase after I have an opportunity to play test the Weril H980S ($1,600). This horn is a clone of the YEP 321, except it has a larger receiver (like the King 2280). It is harder to find Weril dealers (
www.hornguys.com ) and (
www.tubaexchange.com ), so I'm a bit concerned about obtaining parts. A local music store in Texarkana stopped carrying Weril for that reason. If you find a Weril, you definately want to get one that was manufactured in 2002 or later because they have better valve guides.
Another horn I've read good things about is the TE 1300 (Yamaha 321 clone) that
www.tubaexchange.com sells for $895 in lacquer. I have not played this either. They do have parts if you have to repair in the future. Who knows what the future holds? It might be worth the risk at that price. I would definately want to play several before making a horn choice.
I agree with Alex that it is unlikely you will find a King 2280 or Yamaha YEP 321 in good condition for under $500, but you might if you are patient. Buying used is always a risk without the opportunity to play test first. I have seen used Werils for sale at that price, but it is rare. Yammies and Kings seem to go for about $1,000 used.
My advice: do what I'm doing. Play several different models that have a good reputation. Listen to the tone and scale. Make a choice based on your sound, not anybody elses choices. Then patiently wait to purchase the horn of your choice. Either patiently save for a new horn, or patiently wait for a used horn for sale from a
reliable seller near you. Happy shopping!
