need tuba buying opinions

[Triggerfish]

in 4 years i will be graduating from my school which means after that time i will no longer have a Tuba or French horn to play so i would at some point like to invest in a tuba and f horn i have chosen 2 tubas out but i cant decide which one would be better to buy so i need your opinions and if you know of any cheaper good f horns let me know.

TUBA 1
http://www.mackbrass.com/4_BBb_Tuba_5ROU.php" target="_blank

TUBA 2
http://www.tubaexchange.com/tubas/st-pe ... -model-202" target="_blank

[Dan Schultz]

in 4 years...

...the world will a different place. Save your money and make an informed choice at that time.

+1

[royjohn]

I agree with those who say you can bide your time. If you can scare up the money any time soon, you could have a lot of time to look for what you want. Bargains do happen at times and I wouldn't restrict myself to those two tubas if I were buying. Many other things might turn up, esp. if you are willing to go to close to $4K, which is what the candidate from the Tuba Exchange will cost. One other possibility is one of the Sanders/Kroner (?)/etc. stencils which become available from time to time.

I have a "Golden Cup" tuba which is very similar to, but not identical to, the tuba that you reference from Mack. Mine is very well in tune, has a very good low register and is comfortable to play. The only thing about it that's negative is that the metal is very thin, so if Mack's is similar, you'd have to treat it gently or it would look like a dent magnet in time.

Some time in the next four years you should be able to play test the tubas in which you have an interest, rather than buying sight unseen. Good luck in finding something that works well for you!

[Jay Bertolet]

in 4 years i will be graduating from my school which means after that time i will no longer have a Tuba or French horn to play so i would at some point like to invest in a tuba and f horn i have chosen 2 tubas out but i cant decide which one would be better to buy so i need your opinions and if you know of any cheaper good f horns let me know.

In 4 years time, you should be able to try just about every horn out there if you make the effort. Stop operating in a vacuum and get the knowledge you need to make the right choice for you. Nobody here can tell you what horn is best for you. Try everything, you never know which horn will be available when it's time for you to buy. Good luck.