Posted by Jay Bertolet on August 07, 2001 at 08:00:17:
In Reply to: Jingbao Tubas posted by Suzy on August 06, 2001 at 18:37:24:
To answer your question:
These horns are (I think) a fledgling Chinese company's attempt to enter the tuba market. Depending on who you talk to, these horns are made in China or Taiwan. I have heard horror stories about how these horns were modeled after pictures of other successful designs. Do you see the point? How much does a company know about a design if they are making a tuba based on a photograph of another? I've played on examples of these horns where the three Bb's (low, middle, and high) were all at different pitch levels. If the open tuba is that out of tune, how good will the valve combinations be? I talked with respected repair technicians who relayed stories of valves with inaccurate alignment marks, valves in out-of-true casings, and serious soldering defects. In general, just shoddy construction.
The bottom line is that you get what you pay for. These instruments are very cheap for a reason. You would be much better served to look at some of the budget options from established manufacturers and choose an instrument that will serve you well. If you want an instrument prone to damage and you have a bunch of money to risk (throw away), you might want to take your chances. If I were you, I'd be looking in the used market because you can get far more tuba, and a proven instrument, for about the same money.
My opinion for what it's worth...