Need BB flat to save my soul!

[The Big Ben]

I just returned to the tuba after 30+ years without one. Bought the old Coleman E flat off ebay and have it working
(though I still need to add some tubing to address "high A" tuning. OK, to the point, the Coleman has shown me that human beings need tuba in their lives. Money is a major object as satisfying my lust or a contrabass is way low on the family's priorities. There is a King 1241 or 2341 on Ebay (not sure which). It seems to have a stuck first valve and is missing a spit valve, but, does not look too bad. I am handy and am willing to do repairs to have a BB that might be able to play with a local brass band. If anyone is out there on this holiday weekend, I would appreciate your thoughts.

Tom

Hi and welcome!

Valves are pretty easy to mess up and there is nothing like a set of valves which have been honed and set up by someone who knows what's going on. If you go for that one, figure in the cost of professional repair.

2340s and 2341s are frequently on DaBay and can be had reasonably. I think the same seller has another 2341 that is in much better shape.

[drewfus]

Welcome back! I can certainly say for myself, going back to the tuba saved my soul.

There are usually a few Yamaha YBB104 and YBB201 tubas on Ebay at any given time. They seem to sell for under $1500 regularly, one there now for $950. Every now and then a YBB-321 shows up if you want a 4 valve. I chose a Yamaha for the fact that there isn't a brass tech within 350 miles of me, and I can get parts online easily.

[iiipopes]

Hang in there and be patient. I did get my Besson off eBay for $411 including shipping, and it played well when I got it. I did spend some $$ on some elective repairs, and since I got it a couple of solder joints have deteriorated to the point of leaking, but if you're careful, there are deals out there. Just be careful, very careful!

[iiipopes]

There's an Olds here at a flea market for $300, but it's stuffy. Good intonation, good shape, but very stuffy. It would probably need a good internal cleaning and something like a Wick 1L to be able to get any air through it.

[brianggilbert]

If you can identify the horn you'd like, it might help just to throw out a 'WTB' post.

I picked up a nice little Jupiter 482 for a song just be throwing a couple of feelers out there. I knew it was the one I wanted and the horn just seemed to 'find' me.

Good luck in your search!

[tofu]

[The Big Ben]

Beat up King 2340's and Conn 20J's can also be found for well under $1000 but really aren't Brass Band horns. However, the conductor might not care.

The 2340 can be a good deal. Many of them come with cases for the bell and body. I have figured that they are a little less beatup than others because they have these cases. When a school band goes somewhere on a bus, they get split and put in the cases. This saves them from a lot of damage. A 2340 is a tough, tough horn. I've examined mine closely and they are really built to take it. They have heavy bracing everywhere and have heavy guards where they would likely get dents.

If you could put $500-600 together and wait, I'm willing to be that you could get a 2340 that is pretty good. I paid $430 for mine and the bell was all bent around but the body was fairly good looking. I got an 'econo-roll' on the bell (what he could do in about 45 min.) and have less than $500 in the horn. The valve guides are a little noisy so I'm going to have plastic guides installed but that is really 'elective surgery'. I needed a mouthpiece and got a Helleberg. I'm told it works with just about every type of 'standard' mouthpiece you might like- Bach 18, 24AW, Helleberg, 7, 25, whatever.

Nothing wrong with a 20J either. They are a little bigger and heavier. The 2340 is a more all around horn than the 20J but for concert band use or just havin' a good time, a 20J would be OK. You would be a pretty serious player indeed if a solid 2340 was the thing that was holding you back.

Remember: another one will always come along! If the price climbs higher than you want to pay, let it go.

[iiipopes]

If you want a King, also contact Dan Schultz. He always has several of them in various stages of reconditioning, and will work with you as need be.

Matt @ Dillons is great to work with as well.

I have done business with both of these gentlemen, and both will help you well.

There are others just as helpful and good to do business with on the forum, they tend to focus more on horns that cost more, with the attendant quality as well.

[Donn]

Beat up King 2340's and Conn 20J's can also be found for well under $1000 but really aren't Brass Band horns. However, the conductor might not care.

Is this about bell front vs. straight, or are there really bands where the director would insist on a specific make of tuba?

[iiipopes]

Some conductors actually specify brands. But mostly everyone plays bell up for a concert band indoors at this point.

What I have seen more of recently, and which I have with my 186, is for community band to get something like a 1240/1 detachable and get both front and up bells for it, for outdoor/indoor use.

[iiipopes]

I would steer clear of an older Jupiter. I have played them: build quality is less than it is now, the plated valves wear out quickly, and especially the "open wrap" of the 582, while a good idea for tone, gets beat up badly by school use. There is a reason Besson, York and others abandoned the extremely open wraps early on.

[The Big Ben]

What I have seen more of recently, and which I have with my 186, is for community band to get something like a 1240/1 detachable and get both front and up bells for it, for outdoor/indoor use.

Good advice but the real bite in the *** about the upright bells for the 2340/1 (and 1240/1) series is that they are mondo expensive.

At the beginning of this thread, mention was made of two 2341s on DaBay. One of them was pretty skookum with a recording bell. The other had screwed-up valves (the extent of which wasn't clear. One valve was stuck in the casing, another's threads on the top were broken and who knows what else. I figured that it would need a professional valve job and something done to those threads. I was going to bit and figured to drop $1K in it right off to make it a nice horn.) If I could get it for $450-500, it would be a go. And, I knew the upright bell was worth $350-400 by itself. Sam Gnagey sold two or three of them here a couple of months ago for that price.

Anyhow, to make a short story long, the recording bell model went for $950 (A good deal, I think.) and the upright bell model with bad valves went for $1300. I think a couple of guys went crazy on that one. That's what I mean by going as high as you want and no further. There will be others.

Tom, I gather you're into this for good times. A community band where you would fit and enjoy yourself would accept pretty much any horn you could play in tune and in control. A recording bell horn would be fine.

Jeff "Happy New Year" Benedict

[NDSPTuba]

There is a Conn 12J on ebay right now. It is a fixer upper, but a good starting point. I got a Conn 11J on ebay about a month ago for $340 shipped. It has many many issues. But it plays. I'm working on it, slowly but surely. I won't take all apart to fix the major stuff, until I get a tuba that is good playing condition. I'm going to TMEA to try out as many horns as I can, and see what fits me.