Looking for beginner tuba suggestions

[xeysxeys]

Hello, I'm looking for beginner tuba suggestions. I don't think I will ever be more than an intermediate player, so I don't think I need anything fancy. I am considering 2 at the moment. The ybb-105, and the jupiter 482. I will be starting from scratch, so I think that a "beginner instrument" would fit the bill for a long time. My goal is to play in community bands. I currently play bass clarinet and contrabass clarinet. I've been looking to get into the brass side of things for a while, and will be getting a tuba or a euph. I have always liked yamaha horns on the woodwind side of things, and what little I've heard of the ybb model seems to sound good. The reviews on wwbw of the jupiter 482 are pretty good and it seems they are good as well. I will be buying the horn new. Once again, the goal is not to do amazing solos or anything, just to play in community bands and oompa german bands. Thanks for any assistance.

[swillafew]

what Bloke said. Find a repair shop first, and then go shopping.

[xeysxeys]

I don't really trust ebay on items over 100 bucks... Maybe I'm paranoid.

[tbn.al]

For what it is worth, IMHO, you will be far better served both in your pocketbook and your practice room with a old time name brand tried and true fixer-upper that has been fixed up by a reputable fixer-upper person.

[Mark]

Hello, I'm looking for beginner tuba suggestions. I don't think I will ever be more than an intermediate player, so I don't think I need anything fancy. I am considering 2 at the moment. The ybb-105, and the jupiter 482. I will be starting from scratch, so I think that a "beginner instrument" would fit the bill for a long time. My goal is to play in community bands. I currently play bass clarinet and contrabass clarinet. I've been looking to get into the brass side of things for a while, and will be getting a tuba or a euph. I have always liked yamaha horns on the woodwind side of things, and what little I've heard of the ybb model seems to sound good. The reviews on wwbw of the jupiter 482 are pretty good and it seems they are good as well. I will be buying the horn new. Once again, the goal is not to do amazing solos or anything, just to play in community bands and oompa german bands. Thanks for any assistance.

Buy a 3-piston King with a detachable bell.

The King is a good tuba and for $600 the price is good too. However, I think you will be better off spending a little more and getting 4-valved tuba. There are a lot of used 4-valve tubas available for a good price. I'm not sure you would be happy with the Yamaha you are considering. It is 3-valved and on the small side for a community band. If you like the Jupiter tubas, the 482 is okay, but it too is a little small for a band. You might be happier with the Jupiter 582. A used Miraphone 186 at a good price would be a great choice.

[Levaix]

One of the German stencils... I always forget most of the names, I have a Sonora. Karl Ziess and Musica are a couple others, I believe. These are B&S handmade horns; in playable (and ugly) condition they can be had for under 2000 if you keep an eye open.

I paid less than 1500 dollars for mine (including some extra dent work), and I prefer it to several other extremely popular horns. Including some that cost 2-4 times as much.

Ebay can be worth your time if you find a well known, consistent model.

It looks like Dan Schultz has a couple King 1241's that might also be worth your time. http://thevillagetinker.com/horns_for_sale.htm" target="_blank