Posted by Rick Denney on July 04, 2000 at 10:07:36:
In Reply to: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: What's wrong with St. Petersburg Tubas posted by Sterling on July 03, 2000 at 18:37:17:
I understand your point, and in fact made the same point several times in this thread. And when I saw the price you had paid for a St. Pete, I completely sympathized with your point of view. The St. Pete is not for everybody. But, as Klaus says, in the hands of someone who knows what they are getting into, it can be a good buy. But $3000 seems an outrageous sum for such an instrument--my own (very limited) research revealed prices more in the mid-to-high teens.
For three grand you can get a used Miraphone, which at the very least is a sturdy, well-made instrument (I think it's more than that). For three grand, you can probably get a nearly new Sanders, which is a Cerveny in disquise. You can probably get a Cerveny in that range. All of those would be the German-style rotary horns I'd consider in the $3000 range, and all would probably be better choices than a St. Petersburg. If you wanted an American-style instrument, you can get a used King 2341 for less than that, and spend a good portion of your life exploring its possibilities.
It sounds to me like your complaint is with the stores and teachers from whom you got your advice. The problems with St. Petes have certainly not been kept a secret. It's a valid point that if they are "upgraded" to the point that they cost as much as better alternatives, then they lose their appeal.
The comparison you made--a used Miraphone vs. a St. Pete--was a valid comparison for what you had paid. My reaction was based on assumption of getting a Russian tuba for half that price, which I thought a false comparison.
Rick "I understand now" Denney