BUYING MY FIRST AND ONLY TUBA

[Skaman]

IM GOING TO COLLEGE NEXT YEAR AND NEED TO INVEST IN A CC TUBA. IM LOOKING TO SPEND 5000-9000. I REALLY LIKE PISTON VALVES BUT ROTARY WORK TOO. I NEED ONE TUBA TO RULE THEM ALL, MEANING I AM ONLY LOOKING TO BUY ONE TUBA THAT WILL WORK WELL IN ALL SITUATIONS.
MY PRIVATE TEACHER (ARMANDI) RECOMMENDS HIS WILLSON 3050 5/4 PISTON CC TUBA. ITS A (BAT) BIG *** TUBA. WILL THIS BE SUITABLE FOR SOLO, SMALL GROUP, AND ORCHESTRAL PLAYING? MIKE MOORE FROM U OF I SAYS CHECK OUT A PT6. AND MY FUTURE COLLEGE TUBA PROFESSOR AT NIU SAYS MIRAPHONE 1291.
-WILLSON 3050
-PT6 OR PT6P
-MIRAPHONE 1291
I WANT SOMETHING THAT IS GOING TO BE MINE FOR LIFE. THIS IS THE ONE TUBA I WANNA BUY.
IF YOU HAVE ANY RECOMMENDATIONS OR EXPERIENCE I WOULD REALLY APPRECIATE IT. EVEN OTHER HORNS OR IF YOU ARE SELLING A CC TUBA LET ME KNOW.
CONACT=KBONAMER@GMAIL.COM

[Todd S. Malicoate]

WELL IF YOUR PRIVATE TEACHER SAYS TO BUY THE WILSON YOU SHOULD DO IT YOU MIGHT EVEN HELP PUT A LITTLE BACK IN HIS POCKET IF YA KNOW WHAT I MEAN HEHE.

GOOD LUCK FINDING ONE TUBA FOR LIFE!

[Uncle Buck]

YOU SHOULD BUY A MIRAPHONE 186.

[Rick Denney]

There's a little button over on the left side of your keyboard. It's called "Caps Lock". Press it.

A high-school senior buying a Willson 3050? Well, your teacher may know you, but I don't think I've ever met a high-school senior who could make versatile use of a 3050. In fact, I don't know many professionals who would want one as their only instrument.

But you should give up this notion of a tuba for life. There is no such thing. For one thing, as you develop as a tuba player, your internal sound concept, your skills, and your standards for an instrument will develop also. What is best for you now may not suit you later. Thus, it makes sense to buy an instrument of proven market resale value, buy it used, and then take good care of it. Then, when you "grow up" as a tuba player and realize that you need a different instrument, you'll be able to get your money back out of this one.

A Miraphone 186 may not be the best tuba for any one thing, but it's an instrument that can work in a large ensemble, as a solo instrument, and in a quintet. As a college tuba player, you'll be required to perform in all of these categories. Not many instruments work as well in all three situations.

Rick "who can't think of a single working professional, nor very many adult amateurs, who are still playing the same instrument they owned in high school" Denney

[iiipopes]

Make sure you talk to your professor and try out as many different tubas as you can and take someone with you to help you determine how each sounds BEFORE you buy.

And it will not be your "last" tuba.

[Uncle Buck]

A contra might work, too.

[ken k]

I would wait til you get to college and work with your professor there to help find a horn that really fits your playing stye and needs
k

[cambrook]

Rick Denney you are all class. I didn't have the patience to respond to the "yelling" of the OP, but if you can manage it then I should try too

Skaman, you are new here and don't know many of the characters that hang out on Tubenet. Rick Denney is one of the very good guys - he knows a LOT and remains humble. I would take anything he says very seriously - it is always good advice.

It is highly unlikely that you will have "one tuba for life", but I can understand that in your current circumstances you want only one "all-round" tuba. This is probably a sensible thing for now, and you might want to look at a 4/4 tuba which will cover most types of musical demands for many years. If you buy smart you will probably be able to sell it for a good price if/when you want something else. It would be well worth your while spending a couple of evenings searching the Tubenet archives, the "best all-round tuba" question has been asked in various ways quite a few times.

Having said that - I don't know anyone who would put a Willson 3050 CC tuba in that category. If I was to choose a Willson tuba that worked well as an all-rounder it would be the 3400 Eb. Depending on what playing I wanted to do I would probably choose a 4/4 CC if I had to choose ONE tuba, or maybe the 3400 Eb

Good luck with your research,

Cam

[tubashaman2]

.

[Rick Denney]

seriously, if we are instructed here that spelling must not be brought to light, why the caps lock thingie?

Yeah, it's no less annoying than guys who reduce the size of the font such that I can't read even with the bottom ultra-magnifiers on my trifocals.

Rick "so, QUIT USING TINY FONTS" Denney

[Kayla]

I wish I had the money to throw around for tubas like the Willson.

I had to settle for what I could afford, and it's doing me just fine.

[Rick Denney]

Touchy, touchy, Rick! My goodness!

Did you say something?

Rick "running out of magnifying glass" Denney

[Kevin Hendrick]

Touchy, touchy, Rick! My goodness!

Did you say something?

Rick "running out of magnifying glass" Denney

Something about "touching my goosemess", I think ... (old eyes here, too)

[Kevin Hendrick]

Did you say something?

Rick "running out of magnifying glass" Denney

Something about "touching my goosemess", I think ... (old eyes here, too)

Yeah, baby, touchy my goose mess!

Aw, man, dat's da t'ird time today!

[tubashaman2]

.

[iiipopes]

Any other ideas (based on actual playing experience and not on glossy "neato" catalogue photos)?

I have played my 186 in "symphonic" concert band, community band, brass quintet, small to medium sized pep band, solo gigs, indoor gigs, outdoor gigs, parades, small concert halls, large concert halls, being the only tuba to sections of from 2 to 7 players, solo gigs, party gigs (playing the Gounod at Halloween, and others) etc. About the only thing I haven't played with it is orchestra, from chamber to midsized regional, which it would still do well. And a guy I know who does to the orchestra gigs, after playing my horn, said it would do the job if necessary.