Posted by John Swensen on December 23, 1999 at 15:46:49:
In Reply to: Re: Cerveny 693 vs ST.Petersburg.HELP!!!!!!! posted by Griff on December 22, 1999 at 01:08:25:
Resistance to extreme clumsiness is hardly a valid consideration when evaluating instruments for adults (young or old). How much of a 'cello would be intact if your buddy fell on it, also? More relevant, the bell on the Nirschl York is just about as thin as that on the St. Pete (I have played both) and, although the Nirschl's brass is harder, I doubt it would survive your buddy, either.
There are some great, fragile tubas (the Nirschl among them), as well as some great, sturdy tubas (the old, rare, York-copy Holton comes to mind). There also dogs with both lightweight and tank-like constructions. I played more tubas playing and sounding worse than the St. Petersburg than better than it.