Posted by Kevin Miller on February 20, 2000 at 18:55:18:
In Reply to: Buying tubas for Brass Band posted by George on February 19, 2000 at 19:07:19:
The Bessons in my opinion are the only way to go. For Eb I most trust the 981(Concert Model). The 982 is a "Parade Model with a lead pipe placed a bit higher on the bell. I myself play a 981 and and love it! The BBb 994 is a fine horn also. The consensus on the new front action models is that they play well but there are still some construction issues to be dealt with. Also, on the previously mentioned models, acid discolorations on the lacquered horns can be a problem. Go with the silverplate horns if you can afford it. They should bring you many happy years of playing. As far as Yamaha is concerned, from a performance and repair perspective, they play ok but will not hold up over years of use as well as the Bessons.