What's the deal with Chinese tubas?

[Tuba Guy Dave]

Hello all,

I was curious as to the potential issues that come up with buying and using Chinese tubas. I understand that China has issues with quality control and that, in a professional setting, they are frowned upon. However, what if one with great playing qualities was purchased? What are some (if any) dangers of using a Chinese horn that isn't apparent upon initial purchase?

I ask this question because I have the possibility of trying and purchasing a Chinese horn in the near future. However, if I work some in the summer and combine it with my graduation gift from my parents I could purchase a nice German horn in about a year and a half to use throughout my college career and beyond.

I don't care to shell out loads of money for a horn that may play just as well as a one 1/3 the cost. On the other hand, I would prefer to not shell out a couple thousand dollars for something that degrades over the period of a few years and ends up not lasting through college as an adequate horn.

Thanks,
David

[Michael Bush]

I know you're new, but please, please, in the name of all that's holy in heaven and earth, let's don't do this again. Just use the search function, or go out to Google and search this site from there. The last thing we need is a 6000th thread on it. It is the dominant theme on this site. It is inconceivable that there is anything to be said on this subject that hasn't already been said a hundred times.

[Rick F]

From reading your post it seems you are aware of the potential "quality control" issues with Chinese instruments. If (or when) the cheaper tuba needs repair where do you take it? Where can you or the repair tech get parts? That's the major concern I would have.

From your signature you have a King 2341. From everything I've read that's a great horn . I'd suggest you stay with that horn.

[bort]

You have 2 very capable tubas listed in your signature. Are those yours? If so, save your money altogether and don't buy anything!

[Tuba Guy Dave]

From reading your post it seems you are aware of the potential "quality control" issues with Chinese instruments. If (or when) the cheaper tuba needs repair where do you take it? Where can you or the repair tech get parts? That's the major concern I would have.

From your signature you have a King 2341. From everything I've read that's a great horn . I'd suggest you stay with that horn.

Those are very valid points.

The King 2341 is a school horn. It has it's little issues due to looser quality control on the newer ones, but a good horn. I plan to get my own horn before college.

I know you're new, but please, please, in the name of all that's holy in heaven and earth, let's don't do this again. Just use the search function, or go out to Google and search this site from there. The last thing we need is a 6000th thread on it.

I apologize, I will attempt to do research on previous using the Google search idea. I will delete or edit the premise of this thread.

[bisontuba]

What's the deal with German tubas?

What's the deal with Californian tubas?

What's the deal with Iowan tubas?

What's the deal with Russian tubas?

What's the deal with Czech tubas?

What's the deal with Indian tubas?

Find one that you like and play it; who cares where it comes from.

Amen......
Mark

[NCSUSousa]

Here's the deal:
There are multiple manufacturers with multiple models available. Try researching each one independently. As said above, there have been volumes written on most of them already. What's true for one model may not be true for another model, even from the same manufacturer.

[Tuba Guy Dave]

You have 2 very capable tubas listed in your signature. Are those yours? If so, save your money altogether and don't buy anything!

Both are owned by my high school, I will not have them in college. I am looking to get a new tuba so that I may have one that I can move forward with in college. I play the King mostly now because I favor piston valves over rotary, the Cerveny also takes a ton of air in my opinion.

[bort]

Ah... I say take a trip up to Baltimore Brass and spend the afternoon there. Then you'll have a better idea of what you want and how much it costs.

[Donn]

I have a couple of genuine and specific questions about Chinese instruments:

- Why do Chinese instruments - as well as their cases - smell "funny" ?
- What's the chemical that causes that odor, and is it toxic ?

Does it smell like tetrachloroethylene?

http://dynamics.org/Altenberg/CURRENT_A ... A_PLASTIC/

[Michael Bush]

Well, since we're doing this again, here's another one. Tucker HS is in Richmond (I lived there seven years). Tom McGrady (Mack Brass) is just down in Colonial Heights. Go down and play some tubas and see for yourself what you think.

(The stuff about techs refusing to work on them and about getting parts are red herrings. There is a tech near me that isn't as good as the people who help me who won't work on them, but every one of his competitors will. And the one time I needed a part, Tom got it to me within a week.)

[Uncle Buck]

Of the people who ingest dihydrogen monoxide (DHMO), 100% die. Absolute truth.

Of the people who drink water, 100% die.

[Uncle Buck]

That's a very cavalier attitude.

Yeah, I was just tired of tree-hugging Wade trying to ban my dihydrogen monoxide. He can pry it out of my cold, dead hands.

(But I give myself an F for lack of wittiness.)

[Tuba Guy Dave]

Well, since we're doing this again, here's another one. Tucker HS is in Richmond (I lived there seven years). Tom McGrady (Mack Brass) is just down in Colonial Heights. Go down and play some tubas and see for yourself what you think.

(The stuff about techs refusing to work on them and about getting parts are red herrings. There is a tech near me that isn't as good as the people who help me who won't work on them, but every one of his competitors will. And the one time I needed a part, Tom got it to me within a week.)

Actually Mack Brass was the sole company I had in mind. I've already tried a 210 at Godwin, and while I liked it, I plan on going with my teacher down there to make sure some differences in the feel of the rotors isn't something to be scared about and to assure consistency, which from what I've heard, isn't something to worry about with Mack Brass. I wasn't aware that techs will work on them. I assume Music and Arts or Sam Ash could repair them (maybe Tom himself can or he knows someone?)?

Ah... I say take a trip up to Baltimore Brass and spend the afternoon there. Then you'll have a better idea of what you want and how much it costs.

Hopefully I will be able to do that in the near future! Unfortunately with all of the music programs I have a hand in at school, and with both of my younger sisters having a very busy schedule, it is hard to set aside an entire day to go to Baltimore.

[Uncle Buck]

I hug trees. Until I need firewood.

But what do you think of turtles?

[Dan Schultz]

I have a couple of genuine and specific questions about Chinese instruments:

- Why do Chinese instruments - as well as their cases - smell "funny" ?
- What's the chemical that causes that odor, and is it toxic ?

Why do you see folks walking around in their towns wearing surgical masks? Could it be from the pollution that's caused by chemicals that are banned in the US?

[GC]

You see a lot of that in Japan, too, and their pollution levels are nowhere near as bad. It's both wanting to filter out germs and not wanting to spread one's own by sneezing or coughing.

They're not a bad idea to filter out the more nasty particulates, though. For smoky and dusty areas, they can be a huge help. China has become the most air polluted country in the world, and the people need all the help they can get.

[Donn]

I have a couple of genuine and specific questions about Chinese instruments:

In case it was not noticed among all the non-specific and non-genuine answers: tetrachloroethylene.

[tbn.al]

I sniffed a lot of tetrachloroethylene the three years I owned a dry cleaning business. Didn't think much of it then but now I do. When I was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkins lymphoma one of the questions on a long questionnaire I had to fill out was, "Have you ever had exposure to tetrachloroethylene". Some quick research into the EPA's website verified the connection. Can't say for sure that alone did it but it had to have helped. Nasty stuff.

[bigtubby]

These threads are nearly as numerous (and useful) as "escort" threads on another site I visit, aren't there more constructive topics to discuss?
http://www.google.com/search?q=site%3Am ... com+escort