Posted by Jay Bertolet on July 07, 1999 at 09:45:55:
In Reply to: Re: Re: Play-testing, what's it mean for you? posted by Lonny on July 07, 1999 at 06:15:32:
To be fair, you have to admit that a "recreational" player is much less likely to outgrow an instrument than someone pursuing a performance career. I think the priorities are completely different, in fact. If you are now happy with your Yamaha my guess is that you will continue to be happy with it unless you discover, after some development on your part, that certain notes on the tuba are out of tune beyond your ability to adjust. I don't mean this as a slight to recreational players but I think, for obvious reasons, players who use their tubas for income are much harder on them. The wear and tear of daily use really becomes an issue. I also think professional tubists use much more specialized instruments, tailored for their particular situation. The recreational player is choosing an instrument to satisfy themself. The professional tubist is choosing an instrument that satifies themself as well as those they work for/with. The amount of added flexibility in sound options of a given instrument also makes a big difference between the two situations since things do change.
I think that what you did in trying out the tuba you bought is alot more than most recreational players I know. The only thing I would have done differently in your shoes would have been to take a trip beforehand to someplace that had alot of different tubas. I would have spent a day in such a place and try as many tubas as you could to get an idea of what designs feel most comfortable to you. By trying them all at the same time, you partially eliminate the variable of your own lack of playing skills by comparing them side by side. Still, it sounds like what you did worked for you which is the goal of this process. My hat is off to you!