Posted by Rick Denney on January 09, 2001 at 15:45:25:
In Reply to: College student looking for TUBA Bflat posted by David on January 09, 2001 at 15:33:02:
You can find playable instrument for a grand, but it isn't easy. You'll probably have to live with three valves or you should expect to have to make repairs on whatever you buy. A good, used Miraphone 186-4U BBb tuba will cost in the $2000-3000 range depending on the condition.
You might also check out ebay, though I urge caution. To win a bid, you must be willing to pay more than anyone in the auction. And ebay is a big room with lots of lookers. I have seen good horns go for a kilobuck, but rarely. Most horns in that range are worn out and/or require significant repair work to make them playable. The only advantage to ebay is that it give you lots of horns to look at over a period of a few weeks, which will give you a good idea of what things cost.
Rick "gig 'em!" Denney