What can I get for this Horn???

[phoenix]

I have a Sanders Imperial BBflat tuba. I am looking to upgrade to a C tuba shortly and will probably need to sell this one. It has about 20% lacquer wear (mainly where I hold the horn) and a few minor dents that do not affect the sound. I have been told that the instrument is a piece of junk, but if you have a horn that plays in tune and gets you to state band two years in a row, its a good horn in my book. The only problem is that the fourth valve has a lot of trouble, no matter what I do to it, but it plays in tune without it with the exception of a few notes, but that is normal. Anyway, I hate to sell it but I think I will have to and I'm not sure where to set the price. Any suggestions??? A picture of a new one can be seen at http://www.custommusiccorp.com/tubas/bbb.html. Thanks a lot fellow musicians!

[Rick Denney]

I have a Sanders Imperial BBflat tuba. I am looking to upgrade to a C tuba shortly and will probably need to sell this one. It has about 20% lacquer wear (mainly where I hold the horn) and a few minor dents that do not affect the sound. I have been told that the instrument is a piece of junk, but if you have a horn that plays in tune and gets you to state band two years in a row, its a good horn in my book. The only problem is that the fourth valve has a lot of trouble, no matter what I do to it, but it plays in tune without it with the exception of a few notes, but that is normal. Anyway, I hate to sell it but I think I will have to and I'm not sure where to set the price. Any suggestions??? A picture of a new one can be seen at http://www.custommusiccorp.com/tubas/bbb.html. Thanks a lot fellow musicians!

I would be tempted to sell it on eBay if nobody here makes you an offer. Polish the spots where the lacquer is worn to a high shine. I'd start the bidding at $900 and see where it goes. Make sure you also include the link to your dealer where you bought it--that will separate from the run of Chinese tubas. Also make sure you describe in terms of what you've done using the horn (all-state and so on). You're under no obligation to mention what others think of it. If you like it, say why.

Don't expect it to get close to what you paid for it, unless you are willing to wait a long time (perhaps forever) for just the right buyer to come along. It's not that kind of horn.

Rick "thinking this instrument will appeal to someone like you a little while ago" Denney

[CJ Krause]

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[phoenix]

I paid $3250 for this horn.

[Lew]

$3250 seems a little high for a Chinese tuba, even if Custom Music does import and endorse it. Compared to prices for other similar entry level 4 valve tubas it's not bad, but compared to the less than $2000 that other Chinese tubas are selling for it seems a little high. You might be about to get as much as $2000-$2500 if you are lucky, but I would expect that to be the top end. I agree with Rick that if you need to sell quickly you could put it up for auction starting at around $1000 and hope for the best.

I had a rose brass Cerveny stencil that I paid a little more than $4000 for because I loved the sound. After using it for a couple of years I decided that it took too much air for me. It was in mint condition with no lacquer wear and not even a little ding. I was able to get slightly more than $3000 for it and was fortunate to get that. I thought that it should have been worth more, because of the sound and it was a beautiful horn with rose brass and nickel silver, but the market wasn't there.

Ultimately a horn (or anything) is only worth what someone is willing to pay for it.