Re: Consensus of Tuba Inventory and Cost


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Posted by Rick Denney on April 24, 2002 at 14:21:53:

In Reply to: Consensus of Tuba Inventory and Cost posted by Mike on April 23, 2002 at 21:13:36:

Who cares what they cost? Are we supposed to feel guilty because of what we pay or should we feel like cheapskates for not paying more?

Okay, the answers to those questions are elusive, so I'll estimate prices using comparisons with the sorts of hobbies that other people have.

From most played to least:

York Master BBb, 5/4, 4 valves, formerly owned by Oscar LaGasse and Chris Hall (and our own Chuck G). I paid about one-quarter what a minimally equipped 14-foot bass boat costs.

Yamaha YFB-621. Bought from the Yamaha booth (through the credit-card machine at Brook Mays--but they never saw the horn) at the TMEA conference in something like 1990. I paid considerably less than the other one on this list, and about a third what an 18-hp diesel Kubota lawn tractor with a 60-inch mowing deck costs.

Miraphone 186-4U BBb. I traded for this one, and the stuff I traded cost me a little less than what I paid for the Yamaha above, or about the cost of a Canon D-30 digital SLR camera body.

Besson Imperial or New Standard (it ain't marked) compensating euphonium from about 1974. This was an ebay experience, and I paid less than what a good mulching law mower costs, plus about ten hours of restoring the bottom bow to approximately round and some money to Matt Walters to make the fourth valve work.

Conn 20J (it ain't here yet, but this is about where it will fit, or maybe higher). I paid 150 bucks less than one might pay for a used Exakta 66 medium-format camera body.

Reynolds 1937 four-valve euphonium. This one cost about what a Sony surround-sound amplifier and a 27-inch TV costs.

Missenharter Eb-turned-F. This one cost no more than the set of tires on my Subaru.

I love it when my father-in-law chuckles at what I spend on tubas, when he has more deer rifles than an army would need, most of which he would not dare expose to the elements in an actual hunting situation. And I know many uncolleged fellows with salaries that they complain about constantly who spent MUCH more on their bass boats than I did for all my hobbies put together.

Rick "who does not own or desire a bass boat" Denney


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