Buying a Tuba

[ColeGAnderson]

I am very excited to be buying my first Tuba and would like to ask the comunity for their opinions on different horns. I have been playing for almost 2 years now and practise about 20-35 hours a week. I play in a school band, a school jazz band and a university level orchestra. I've narrowed it down to a few within my price range (around 5000USD, the canadian dollar is really suffering so that has really limited my range), a yamaha 5V YCB 861 CC, a 5V Conn 52J CC, a 3/4 5V rudy CC and a gnagey CC tuba. They are all in my price range and look to be in good condition. Unfortunately i cannot travel to try them out so i'm just wondering if anyone can vouch for any of these horns.
Thanks a lot for any help!
Cole

[DouglasJB]

I'm sure a few others will agree, look at the Eastman CC's. There is a used one for sale at Dillons music currently. It might be a slightly smaller horn but it can hold its own in a college orchestra with ease.

[Ken Crawford]

For $6000 the Wiseman 900 seems to be a favorite worth looking at.

[bort]

I am very excited to be buying my first Tuba and would like to ask the comunity for their opinions on different horns. I have been playing for almost 2 years now and practise about 20-35 hours a week. I play in a school band, a school jazz band and a university level orchestra. I've narrowed it down to a few within my price range (around 5000USD, the canadian dollar is really suffering so that has really limited my range), a yamaha 5V YCB 861 CC, a 5V Conn 52J CC, a 3/4 5V rudy CC and a gnagey CC tuba. They are all in my price range and look to be in good condition. Unfortunately i cannot travel to try them out so i'm just wondering if anyone can vouch for any of these horns.
Thanks a lot for any help!
Cole

If you like pistons, get the Gnagey. If you like rotors, get the Rudy.

For me, personally, it's just that simple. Both of those will be awesome!

[binlove]

I'd give much more general advice.

1. Don't take a recommendation for a specific instrument from anyone who hasn't heard you play and doesn't know your goals.
2. Go somewhere that has a lot of new AND USED tubas (Like Baltimore Brass Company, Dillon Music, the Horn Guys, etc), and play all of them (even if they are out of your current price range. Get to know what is a good horn for you. Another bonus is that these businesses have built their reputations and success upon the repeat business and trust that comes from selling people the right instruments for heir needs, not necessarily the most expensive ones.
3. Take the advice of your teacher. If you don't have a regular one, try to get a lesson from a respected professional in your area and ask their opinion. The cost of a lesson is a pretty small increment to the purchase of a quality instrument, and you'll probably learn something.
4. In general, get the best instrument within your budget that meets your needs. You'll enjoy playing it more, and with proper care, a quality used instrument often retains much of its value. However, instruments bought new can rarely be sold for their purchase price. Much like cars, most people expect a bit of depreciation simply for driving it off the lot.

Good luck and enjoy. You are lucky to be in the market at a time when there are instruments of staggering quality available at quite (historically) reasonable prices!

[swillafew]

You might find a very nice Cerveny in that ballpark. Don't be afraid to consider an older horn either. For years I had a horn much older than me and it was complimented many times.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Cerveny-691-CC- ... SwgyxWXM~y

[ColeGAnderson]

Wow, thank you for all your advice, it's nice have such a great tuba community. I live up in Canada (Calgary AB) so as much as i'd love to travel to one of the great stores down in the US I just cannot afford it. 1CAD=1.4USD, the exchange rate is really hurting me there. My instructor Micheal Eastep (CPO) has recommended i try the Yamaha because it's just three hours away so i'm hoping that horn works otherwise I may have to take a road trip. We sadly don't have many great stores up here that sell tubas.

All the tubas i've found are privately owned so i'm a little hesitant and am a little worried about the horn maybe getting damaged if it's shipped. Thanks again to everyone, your help means a lot to me.

[hup_d_dup]

Here's another way to look at it: You can spend $5000 and hope for the best. You will probably get a good tuba but it may not be right for you.

You could also spend $500 on a road trip to a place or places where you can play a bunch of $4000 tubas. You can be pretty confident that one of them will be great. The $500 remaining in your pocket is available for minor fixes or modifications should you need them (which is a possibility with the $5000 tuba as well).

If you absolutely must have a $5000 tuba, wait until you have $6000.

Hup

[ColeGAnderson]

Thanks, that's a good way to look at it, i have some friends in California who have given me an open invitation to stay with them. Is the horn guys store a good place to go?

[royjohn]

Hi Cole,

Few suggestions for you...no one has mentioned Oberloh, but, located in Seattle, he's a do-able car trip for you. I don't see anything on his website currently that fits your wish list, but a call would be in order, and perhaps you could wait a bit to see what turns up there or elsewhere. I would search Craigslist over the US and Canada, as perhaps something will turn up which you could go see, either by car on a trip to, say, Seattle, or in the LA area should you decide to fly there. There are some CC horns on Craigslist now in the US, but they all seem to be in the East. This is not always the case...when I search, often horns I'd like to see are out of reach in the West.

Another thing you might want to consider is a CC from Mack Brass, as he offers to pay your shipping both ways should you be unhappy with your purchase. He's selling a 5/4 Wisemann CC now at US$6K and a 4/4 CC at about US$2100. If you were to get the 4/4, you could probably sell it when you get to college without losing too much and at that point you would probably be closer to places where you could try out a step-up horn...which is not to say that you wouldn't be entirely satisfied with Mack's horn for college...his horns come well reviewed (see the archives) and are personally tried out by Tom, so you're unlikely to get a lemon. It certainly would be preferrable to try before buying, but if you can't, this is a risk-free alternative. Tom is a good person to talk with, he won't steer you wrong, you might give him a call. Perhaps he has sold a CC to someone near you and you could try it before buying...same advice for other horns...although each individual horn is unique, maybe trying out some of the models you are considering would help you, and surely some of them are available at schools somewhere near you, as they are common CC models.

Good luck in your search, it's an exciting time in your life, so enjoy the ride. Congrat on practicing 5-6 hours a day!

[vespa50sp]

Road trip, or flight out and flight back with two seats (one for the Tuba). Does Edmonton or Vancouver have any major stores that sell used instruments? I've played at the International Music Camp in the Peace Gardens, and there were no shortage of Tuba Players from Winnipeg.

Or you could look for a used horn that you've tried and like the sound of, or one recommended by your instructor, from a reputable dealer (Dillon, Baltimore Brass, etc.). That might be the best option.

[ColeGAnderson]

I'm heading up to edmonton soon so i'll ask the tubist in the ESO if there's anything up there. Vancouver doesn't have many stores that sell tubas, at least to my knowlwdge.

My teacher has been very helpful in my search and has recomended getting the rudy if i can't find one in edmonton. My only concern is the shipping.

Does anyone know any other stores in the LA or San Diego area besides the horn guys, there is a seat sale on now and it would be nice to escape the permafrost of Alberta for a few days.

Thanks again to every one, i feel very fortunate to be part of such a wonderfull community of musicians.
Cole

[hduong]

I can't say enough good things about BOTH the Eastman 632 and the Wisemann 900. I play on the Wisemann for orchestra and wind ensemble, and the other tubist in my wind ensemble plays on a Eastmann 632 and it is an amazing horn, intonation was spot on throughout the register for the horn. Only iffy note was a low F below the staff, but a 1st valve pull fixed that issue.

[ColeGAnderson]

Both are beautiful Tubas, i will keep them in mind they both seem to get great reviews online, i'll see if I can track one down for a play test.
Thanks!

[WC8KCY]

Never rely on recommendations or reviews, whether from a troll or a trusted soul.
It isn't called the TNFJ (TubeNet Freak Jury) for nothin'.

your money / your tuba

+1

Whatever tuba you buy probably won't be the last one you'll ever buy, either. Can you accurately determine today what your needs in an instrument will be five, ten, or twenty years from now? My musical career certainly turned out wildly divergent from what I imagined it could and would be.

[ColeGAnderson]

I'm happy to say that i'm going down to california to try out some tubas, maybe i'll find a match, if not, it will be nice to get some sun.

Thanks for everyone who has helped, I have a whole new perspective on this now.

[NeilMacQuarrie]

.

[ColeGAnderson]

That is one of the horns i'm looking at and i've been trying to get in touch with him for a few days now. I'm heading up to edmonton on the weekend so hopefully he responds before then.

Does anyone know how i might be able to get a hold of him, i think his user name is cctubaneeds.

Thanks

[charlieJ]

Perhaps consider treating your purchase an adventure and be open minded about your options. As mentioned earlier, you can do a road trip...another option is attending the Army Tuba Conference in Washington DC from Feb 3-6 . I just found tickets from Calgary on Expedia round trip starting at $342. There's plenty of tubas to try and the shops attending will bring something for you if you let them know ahead of time. Maybe some nice locals on the board here would bunk you for a night or two.

Just a thought.