Student heading into 9th grade

[bort]

I played next to a kid for a little while who was playing a Cervany Piggy and it was NOT a quality instrument. It overblew way too easy and had terrible intonation. But I hear these tubas are quite inconsistent so I'm sure finding a great one is just as easy as finding a crap one, I'd suggest the kid try any tuba he before purchase.

About kids with good equipment being last I've found the opposite to be true, I've had better equipment than most of the other tubists I play with and I have been first or second in every band I've ever played in (this is probably very little to do with the horn and more to do with the time I've put in in the practice room).

There are good Piggy's and bad Piggy's. And there are some fantastic Piggy's. Sounds like the kid had a clunker, but I wouldn't count them out. There are clunkers in every brand, shape, size, etc.

And yes, the practice room is what really matters. No one other than you really g.a.s. about what kind of tuba it is. Just play the snot out of it.

[tubainty]

The OP specified in his second post in this thread that the student wanted his own horn to avoid having to carry one back and forth to school. Therefore, he'll have to get a horn in the same key as his horn available at school. I would think that this might mean he has to get a BBb, but I suppose that some schools have both BBb and CC horns.

Pshcc! Lugging a tuba is nothing to complain about I do it every day. It's just best to play on the same instrument all the time, so you can get used to how it plays.

[phoenix]

Heading up to the BBC thursday, I think, but they don't have a lot of BBb's - mostly CC.

Just check out their website, http://baltimorebrass.net/" target="_blank. Should give you a pretty good idea of what they have in the shop. As for the Chinese tubas... My first tuba was a Sanders Imperial that I got in 8th grade, I think it cost my parents around $2,200, maybe more, no more than $2,500. Great playing horn, good intonation, but the build quality wasn't there. Not really sure how many times my dad needed to resolder a brace or reattach the valve linkage and stuff... And I assure you I was not constantly dropping the instrument! Good horn to learn on though, and affordable. I got mine from Custom Music.

[bort]

Pshcc! Lugging a tuba is nothing to complain about I do it every day. It's just best to play on the same instrument all the time, so you can get used to how it plays.

True, but not a realistic for every kid for SO many reasons. How will you take it home with you on the bus? Where will you put it while you're at track practice (or whatever else you do after school)? Remember, this isn't a kid who is as serious as you.

[tubainty]

Pshcc! Lugging a tuba is nothing to complain about I do it every day. It's just best to play on the same instrument all the time, so you can get used to how it plays.

True, but not a realistic for every kid for SO many reasons. How will you take it home with you on the bus? Where will you put it while you're at track practice (or whatever else you do after school)? Remember, this isn't a kid who is as serious as you.

True, very true.

[iiipopes]

What bloke said. I played a 2341 in high school, mid '70's vintage with detachable bell. They are, bar none, the best tuba for high school band out there. Period.

Not to argue with someone who is agreeing with me...

...but the new version plays EVEN BETTER in tune that the original version (as the sixth partial F-E-Eb in the staff are no longer sharp, and the #1 and #3 slides are the PROPER, non-compensated lengths for a "true" four-valve tuba), and even though (arguably) the overall quality of workmanship is, maybe, 1/2 a notch down from the "original" version, the "new-style" version is even better than the original version...and the "new style" version is LOWER COST (adjusted for inflation - thus excusing them completely for the slight drop in fit/finish) than was the "original" version as well.

So, the new ones are even better! Cool! I just might have to try one out sometime.

The reasons I say "best" for high school are not only bloke's reasons, but also because some variation of this tuba has been made for @ 100 years, so any shop worth its tools will have crash parts in its morgue or bone pile that can be made to fit. Yes, the OP is talking about a freshman in high school. It will get damaged. Who is going to find readily available parts for one of these new Chinese tubas when he drops it on its keester the day before a concert?!

In addition, the Kings are mouthpiece insensitive; meaning just about anything will work, and if purchased used and taken care of, it has retention of value. If the OP's student doesn't become a music major, then he has an instrument he can play in community band for literally the rest of his life. BBb or CC doesn't matter. If he wants the CC version, get a Conn 5XJ or one of Sam Gnagny's conversions.

"Outgrowing" it is not an issue. A friend of mine now retired from orchestra supported a moderate sized regional orchestra with a 52J and occasionally got "the hand."

[Biggs]

At the level of casual assessment, it seems like the percentages of authorship in this thread are inversely proportional to participants' ages. Bummer.

[tubainty]

At the level of casual assessment, it seems like the percentages of authorship in this thread are inversely proportional to participants' ages. Bummer.

Well highschool tubists ought to know best of the needs of a highschool tubist.

[Todd S. Malicoate]

Well highschool tubists ought to know best of the needs of a highschool tubist.

No, they really shouldn't.

[The Big Ben]

Pshcc! Lugging a tuba is nothing to complain about I do it every day. It's just best to play on the same instrument all the time, so you can get used to how it plays.

True, but not a realistic for every kid for SO many reasons. How will you take it home with you on the bus? Where will you put it while you're at track practice (or whatever else you do after school)? Remember, this isn't a kid who is as serious as you.

A buddy of my played the souzy in junior high. On Fridays, he took it home to practice. Mommy wasn't there with the car (fat chance) so he 'put it on' and marched the 1.5 miles home, practicing as he went...

That given, he would have liked a tuba at home so he could practice during the week but, again, that was 'fat chance'.

[vintage7512]

the most popular tubas amongst the top players have been Miraphone 1291 and 1292's (I play a 1292 and love it), PT 606's are also popular among good highschool players.

[/quote]

I want to attend his high school!! These are horns pros play and none can be had for less than 5-6K!! Not realistic horns in most high schools, though I wish everyone could choose from this list.

[pierso20]

the most popular tubas amongst the top players have been Miraphone 1291 and 1292's (I play a 1292 and love it), PT 606's are also popular among good highschool players.

I want to attend his high school!! These are horns pros play and none can be had for less than 5-6K!! Not realistic horns in most high schools, though I wish everyone could choose from this list.[/quote]

Not "realistic" however I HAVE seen a number of "serious" high school players owning horns like this. They are usually Juniors and Seniors who go to Blue Lake and Interlochen every summer and study with a professor of music, so that would make sense. However, it is probably not the norm. GOSH I wish I had a horn of my own in high school....then I'd know whose water was dripping on my pant leg every day...

[bort]

the most popular tubas amongst the top players have been Miraphone 1291 and 1292's (I play a 1292 and love it), PT 606's are also popular among good highschool players.

I want to attend his high school!! These are horns pros play and none can be had for less than 5-6K!! Not realistic horns in most high schools, though I wish everyone could choose from this list.[/quote]

Curious tubainty... is this a private school? Magnet school? Are you talking ANY grade of HS kids? Or kids about to graduate and go to college for music? I am sure this is NOT reality for 99% of kids. You are lucky, and I think you definitely know that.

Even majors I knew in college were just getting their first tubas (and not $xx,xxx tubas either). I think it's a crucial skill to learn how to do more with less, and too many American kids are missing that.

[The Big Ben]

The OP specified in his second post in this thread that the student wanted his own horn to avoid having to carry one back and forth to school. Therefore, he'll have to get a horn in the same key as his horn available at school. I would think that this might mean he has to get a BBb, but I suppose that some schools have both BBb and CC horns.

And, that great staple of HS Bands- the marching band- uses souzies. BBb instruments. So, to be practical for a student learning, a BBb is a very good idea.

[tubainty]

Yeah, most of the people I was talking about with horns as nice as mine are upper classman like myself who intend to major in music performance. I realize that for someone not going into music it makes no sense to have one of these larger horns, but it's also something to think about.

Some of the students that I've played with who have these horns have gone to public school, I only got mine knowing that I would be attending interloch arts academy the following year so I am in no way the norm. A school would probably never buy these though, probably because they'd get beat up pretty easy by stupid highshcool students who don't understand their worth.

[iiipopes]

A buddy of my played the souzy in junior high. On Fridays, he took it home to practice. Mommy wasn't there with the car (fat chance) so he 'put it on' and marched the 1.5 miles home, practicing as he went...

Hey! I resemble that remark! It wasn't a mile and a half, but I did the same thing in high school -- walked home with it on weekends to practice and clean it. And when we were all put together in gym class for progress drills, the football team was all jealous that I could leg press more than even the starters!