Good Beginners Eb Tuba

[TinyTubist97]

I am contemplating purchasing an Eb tuba and just wanted to see which would fit me best. Here are some of my problems/ requirements:
I am on the smaller side and don't have much lung capacity.
I still have a great deal to learn. (I've been playing for 3 years but the first 2 I just saw band as an easy A, only in the past year or so have I become extremely enthusiastic about tuba.)
I don't have a good range yet. At C above the staff and at low D (1,2,4) it stops sounding like a tuba.
I'm still developing my embouchure.

Those are the main things and if there is a tuba that won't make any of those things worse that would be awesome.
I'm also selling things to save up for an Eb tuba and I'm just seeing if there would be any interest in the things I'm thinking about selling.

Here they are:

MOUTHPIECES
Jupiter 24AW mouthpiece. Not in great shape. I used it for pep-band and the shank is partially bent in on the end. -$5
Vincent Bach 18 mouthpiece. Not in great shape. Dirty shank. Tiny bend on the end of the shank. -$7

INSTRUMENTS
Conn 14H trombone from 1972. Scratches but no huge dents. It has a case and 12c mouthpiece. -$150
Yamaha YPG-535 Portable Grand Piano. Pretty new, not used much. Still has manual. -$449.99
Barely used acoustic guitar. -$75

OTHER
3M Easy-Adjust Keyboard Tray with Adjustable Platform, 23 Inch Track (AKT150LE). Out of the box but never used. -$149.99
Never opened Rosetta Stone Japanese Level 1-3 Set. -$379.99
Never opened TomTom VIA 1435T 4.3-Inch Portable Bluetooth GPS Navigator with Lifetime Traffic. -$173.99
Never opened Capresso EC100 Pump Espresso and Cappuccino Machine. -$144.99
Never opened Targus Zierra Leather Portfolio for BlackBerry PlayBook 4G + WiFi THZ053US. (Black/Burgundy) -$45.99
Never opened Magellan eXplorist 510 Waterproof Hiking GPS. -$293.99
Never opened Learn Adobe Flash Professional CS5 by Video: Core Training in Rich Media Communication (Learn by Video) -$38.99
New HTML5: Designing Rich Internet Applications (Visualizing the Web) Book -$22.99

These will be sold on E-bay if there's enough interest. If you want more info or pictures of anything just comment. Also if you're wanting to sell a high quality Eb tuba at a great price and are o.k with waiting a while to sell it, post a comment! Also if you have any recommendations for a good tuba post a comment!!

[hbcrandy]

I second Bloke's recommendation! The Yamaha is really good.

[Bob Kolada]

For just something small and cheap to learn on, the small Conns seem to have the best intonation. Also, try playing that low D 234.

[imperialbari]

As a teacher I considered the Yamaha 200 & 300 series revelations in good intonation compared to older second line British models. But they do not offer the dynamic bandwidth I want for my own playing. And be aware that the first generation came with steel tension screws for the metal valve guides. Rust, rust, and a lot of bubbling and peeling of the nickel plating of the pistons.

Klaus

[iiipopes]

Cheap usually means frustration at bad intonation. A used Yammy, as much as I hate to recommend a Yammy due to deficient valve guides, is the only way to go for a starter Eb tuba. Once you get $3500 together, if you still want an Eb, then the St Pete is a viable alternative.

[tubaforce]

Hi !
For a player of smaller stature, your only viable/affordable choice (w/4 valves) would be a 321, but listen to the previous posters in regard to the valves and guides! Hopefully you'll get to try before you buy, but if not, you should at least get a picture of the valve plating condition. A valve job will add as much as $800.00 to the cost of a used Tuba, so keep that in mind while shopping. A recent client of mine had a 321 for sale, but wanted to get $1,500.00 out of it, and the case needed work on top of the valves being worn!

Good luck,
Al