Posted by Mark on August 17, 2003 at 22:42:34:
In Reply to: A dearth of HB's for sale posted by Chuck Jackson on August 17, 2003 at 17:52:50:
I think every few years someone comes up with a new tuba fad. This year, its the Meinl Weston 2000. A couple of years ago, it was the Willson 3050S. A few years before that, it was the PT6P. You get the picture. When these fads come along, many people dump what they have (and sign away their firstborn) to buy one. Don't get me wrong, these are all fantastic tubas. Its just that many tubists keep returning to Hirsbrunners when the fad is over. I've played 20 year old Hirbrunners that play as well as any of the above models. I'm not saying that Hirsbrunners are the best and they certainly are not for everyone. They are what I call the "gold standard" of tubas. Pretty soon, the pendulum will swing back the other way and people will swear by their Hirsbrunners again. That is, of course until the next fad comes along.
Its just my take on things.
Mark