Posted by Jay Bertolet on June 05, 1999 at 18:20:35:
In Reply to: Tuba Opinions posted by Brian on June 05, 1999 at 17:03:06:
Without knowing the specifics of your situation other than what you stated, I would suggest to you that it would be wise to keep a CC or BBb tuba and to purchase an Eb or F. For my tastes, I find it invaluable to have both types of instruments around for demonstration of the many facets of playing. If you're going to take this approach, my opinion is your best bet is to have a standard 4/4 CC or BBb and complement this with a medium sized Eb or F. For CC's, I would consider the Meinl-Weston 2155, the Rudolf Meinl C45-5S, and the B & S PT-4. If you want to stick with Mirafones, a 186-5U should do the trick. For BBb's, I would look at the VMI 3302 or 2103, the Rudolf Meinl B45-4S, the Meinl-Weston 25, or the Mirafone S186BB5V. For Eb's, I would consider the Willson 3400S, the Besson-Sovereign 981, or the Yamahas YEB631 & YEB321. I won't make any recommendations about F since I'm not an F player.
My first choice, based on overall quality, would be the Rudolf Meinl 4/4 (in CC or BBb) and the Willson Eb. I personally own this combination and find it hard to even imagine any more versatile pair of tubas. This combo will be a little expensive but, as in many things in life, you get what you pay for. Be sure to play as many of the potential choices as you can to see what works best for you. Also, all the tubas listed above are ones I have had personal experience with except the VMI 3302. There are always new models coming out that are worth investigating if they fit your requirements. Happy hunting!