Getting back in the Tuba Saddle again! Looking for a Tuba

[tubbytuba]

It's been a while since I've last played... I'm guessing around 7 years. I'd like to get back into playing tuba again. How can I just walk away from the love of my life for so long??? So I'm joining a local community band. It's a pretty good group in a major metropolitan area. Only issue is... I've never actually owned my own tuba I've always had one provided in school and college, so I never had to purchase one.
I play BBb. I know I probably ought to learn to play a C tuba, but it's just for enjoyment and I'm not sure what I would gain at this point by doing so.
I've always wanted a Miraphone 91B, but new Miraphone's have doubled in price (last time I looked back in 2005 they were $5K, today they're $10K)
I know the Miraphone 186 is the de-facto standard, so I'm sure one of those would be good too.
I spent a long time with a St. Petersburg 202. It was a love/hate relationship. Always broken.. solder joints would crack of their own accord. but once the local music shop properly reworked some of the shoddy construction, solder joints and valves... several trips later... it became quite a great tuba! lol! I always loved the large, room filling sound. That's very important to me. The way notes seemed to ring right out of it and fill the band room or concert hall, and with the large bore... I liken it to a V8 engine. Nice, smooth and effortless, but when you want to hit the gas, you know it's there. Definitely a contrast to a smaller tuba I played for a short while that made me feel trapped in a box I couldn't get out of!

So far the tuba's I'm looking at are:

Miraphone 91B - probably the best
Miraphone 186 - probably second best
St. Pete 202 - definitely not best, but at least I know what to expect

This guy I know has a Ceverny 686 C tuba. I played it, it's a nice tuba. Responsive, and sounded great. Bad sound though if you hold the thumb trigger and try to play it like a BBb.
I don't know much about their BBb models.

Also, I took a look at those Chinese tubas at a local dealer. Awful! Unbelievably awful! I was hoping... so hoping... that I could walk out of there with a "good enough" tuba for $2,000 and call it a day... but they were so awful I just couldn't. I already didn't expect much.. was hoping for something I could live with, but these were just bad. Huge intonation problems. Had to pull main slide out so far it almost falls out to pull the BBb below staff in tune... then BBb in staff 40 cents off. I was thinking about it and they might be A443 tubas, and maybe he doesn't know. Horrible sound, horrible valves. But heavens, they looked so shiny!


My biggest problem at this point is finding a used tuba for sale. I looked on ebay.. found one single miraphone 91.. sent several messages with no reply. I could see evidence of disassembly (lacquer heating damage around the ferrules). Could have had major repairs done... who knows...
It's kind of hard for me to buy a tuba remotely like that on ebay.. I mean.. you gotta play it, you gotta see it in person, you gotta have a good repair shop check it out. Like a car. Would you buy a car on ebay??!! I wouldn't There's LOTS of stuff I buy on ebay... cars and tubas not included

I saw a local repair shop take a sousaphone that I thought was trash... no way anything could be done with it..(looked like a crumpled up paper ball) and transform it into a brand new looking instrument.... Show me the CarFax.. I mean the TubaFax!

So besides a general lack of listings for used tubas, there's the sight-unseen concern.

I could really use some guidance with this.

Thanks!

-The Tubby Tuba

[Three Valves]

I played recent varieties of Eastman and Jinbao Tubas that were fine.

Do you know which models and make of Chinese tubas you had such a poor experience with locally?? Old stock maybe??

[Mark]

The 5-valve Chinese copy of the Hirsbruner BBb should also be a consideration.

[NCSUSousa]

One of the guys in my community band has a Cerveny 686 BBb.
It's a good regular size tuba, better than my 'made in china' tuba, but there are other 'made in china' tubas (like the Mack 210 my dad plays) that are also better than the one I have.

[tubbytuba]

I know someone selling a BBb Hirsbrunner... about 40 years old. Hirsbrunner told him it was worth $18K, he's asking 9K, but I'm afraid it's still a bit out of my price range, as well as having no idea what it's actually worth. I may go check it out though, I might call around and try to get an idea of fair value on it.

[bort]

I didn't read your whole post, but welcome back!

If you really want a Miraphone 191, post a WTB ad on the board here. They do sell here every once in a while, and are not all that expensive ($5k to $6k)? If you're looking to spend that amount of money, and have a little patience, you can find an excellent used tuba around here.

[Dan Schultz]

Where are you located?

[b.williams]

Here is one.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Tuba-Mirafone-1 ... 19fc01ccd9" target="_blank" target="_blank

[tubbytuba]

Here is one.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Tuba-Mirafone-1 ... 19fc01ccd9" target="_blank" target="_blank" target="_blank

That's the specific one I was referring to in my original post. Several messages, no response...
picture shows lacquer heat damage around ferrules indicating previous disassembly.
It didn't sell, so he relisted it. That's the current re-listing.

[tubbytuba]

Where are you located?

Ft. Lauderdale, FL

[FunkyTuba]

Watching this thread with interest.

[bort]

Here is one.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Tuba-Mirafone-1 ... 19fc01ccd9" target="_blank" target="_blank" target="_blank" target="_blank

That's the specific one I was referring to in my original post. Several messages, no response...
picture shows lacquer heat damage around ferrules indicating previous disassembly.
It didn't sell, so he relisted it. That's the current re-listing.

If I'm seeing what you're seeing, I think that's just an acid bleed and not heat damage. I've seen that on a lot of Miraphones, including ones that I have owned. The only lacquer damage seems to be where the thumb ring was moved.

That seller has good feedback, but no transactions in over a year (and who knows how much over a year). I'd tread carefully if no responses to messages.

[Michael Bush]

was hoping for something I could live with

If you want to revisit this idea, this is a place to look: http://www.mackbrass.com/4_BBb_Tuba_5ROU.php Five or six years ago there were some of these from dealers in Wisconsin and Florida floating around that were A=443. This is a very satisfactory tuba, though. Better than satisfactory.

Also as has been mentioned, Wessex has a 5-valve version that is also very well done: http://www.wessex-tubas.com/product/luzern-tuba/

Otherwise that 191 on Ebay might well be a good option. I know in real life another Tubenetter who also has his eye on it, but maybe he's moved on, as it's been a while since he's mentioned it.

[tubbytuba]

Here is one.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Tuba-Mirafone-1 ... 19fc01ccd9" target="_blank" target="_blank" target="_blank" target="_blank" target="_blank

That's the specific one I was referring to in my original post. Several messages, no response...
picture shows lacquer heat damage around ferrules indicating previous disassembly.
It didn't sell, so he relisted it. That's the current re-listing.

If I'm seeing what you're seeing, I think that's just an acid bleed and not heat damage. I've seen that on a lot of Miraphones, including ones that I have owned. The only lacquer damage seems to be where the thumb ring was moved.

That seller has good feedback, but no transactions in over a year (and who knows how much over a year). I'd tread carefully if no responses to messages.

I'm looking at where the bell goes into the first ferrule sleeve. And what's up with those funky braces on it? (looks like from the pipe that comes up from the main tuning slide along the back end of the valve casings... braced to the side body of the horn). A short conversation would be nice no replies though as of yet. Kind of stinks ... that's the tuba I'm looking for and there it is.. So close, yet so far