Posted by Kenneth Sloan on May 17, 2001 at 08:05:39:
In Reply to: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: $NEW$ tuba on ebay - -what is it? posted by Graham Smith on May 16, 2001 at 21:44:41:
You're a returnee, evidently. Looked at your website and saw the Brown U photos.
How long were you out?
About 25 years. When I first started playing again, PAGE ONE in Arban was a struggle.
(strangely enough, one of things that drew me back in was that my son started playing euph and I was able to sight-read his entire beginner's method book on euph!)
What did you do in the way of a starter horn to get back?
Well, I told you I did something "different". It was perfect for me, but I wouldn't necessarily recommend it for anyone else. I decided that a 3/4 BBb was just what I needed, and started to read catalogs. Discussions on a forum very much like this one convinced me that I would not (in the long term) be satisfied with the $2000 choice, and I ended up buying a "new" (B-Stock) Yamaha YBB-621S from Charlie Krause (he was at WW&BW then). This has worked out great (for me).
I don't want to buy a "junker," but going out and buying something like
a MW 25 at this point is probably not domestically negotiable.
Decide on a budget. The budget has two parts: what you can invest up front, and what you can afford to lose in a buy/sell cycle. Then call or visit two or three of the leading merchants (examples: Dillon's in NJ, Dave Fedderly in Baltimore, Charlie Krause in Dallas - there are others, but this is a good mix).
As a rough guess, and simply as one example, I suspect that you could walk into Dillon's, spend 2 hours looking over the choices, and walk out with a tuba that will serve you well for 3 years, at a cost I would estimate at 25% of the purchase price. Just a guess, and lots can go wrong - but that's my estimate.
If budget is your primary concern, a used tuba in good condition, purchased at a fair price, maintained well by you, is most likely to hold its value over the next several years.
The Weril 3/4 (680?) looked interesting to me, but it is a 3/4 horn,
and in the kind of ensembles that I would probably play after getting
back my lip, such as a large community band, it might get lost in the noise.
If you are the ONLY tuba in a large community band, that's right. If you are one or three, that's not such a large concern. The Weril is touted as a copy of the YBB-621
that I own. My take on it is that it is a good value at $1800 - and so is the Yamaha at $4500. For me, one of the attractions of the Yamaha was the reputation for sample-to-sample consistency (no real need to go and play 10 of them and pick out the best one - and avoid the 5 "clunkers"). I don't believe that the Weril has the same reputation.
I played one (at the TUSAB TEC) being offered by Dave Fedderly and it seemed just fine to me (for the price). On the other hand, I've heard second hand about others that have been shipped in totally unacceptable shape (significantly out of tune, loose braces, etc.) It all comes back to trusting the merchant you buy from - much more so than the details of the tuba you buy!
Also, as I mentioned in a post a little earlier, I have a 13 year old
Me too. Mine plays piano, trombone, electic bass - and starts to work on the tuba this summer. This was a factor in choosing a 3/4 horn for me. I think it's really only a small factor. In my opinion, he could easily handle a small-to-medium 4/4 tuba.
OTOH, he is about 5'9" tall and probably could handle a 4/4 with a little work.
Well then, he's several inches taller than me - and while the 3/4 was (and is) a good choice for me, a 4/4 is not really a problem.
The VMI's looked nice, as did the Schmidts (VMI made, I understand).
However, unless I found a really good dent and sratch special, a 2103
or the equivalent Schmidt would probably go about $3k without gig bag
or case. That's quite a bit over the $1700-$1800 for the Weril Bbb
(also without bag or case.)
I like the VMI 2103. Our local high school bought a pair (at a *very* nice price) and I took one for a short test drive.
Your suggestion of getting a used middle-of-the-road horn from some
respected merchant got me thinking. I'll look into that.
The key here is trust. We start from the assumption that you will NOT be able to judge the playing qualities of any tuba. You *can* assess the physical shape and appearance. You are also unlikely to be a good judge of the "fair market value" of a used tuba. But, the big selling point of a used tuba (in good condition - preferably AFTER at least an "econo" overhaul) is that it will lose very little real value over the next 5 years. If it's a good buy *now* it will be a good sell *later*. Of course, if you get taken to the cleaners now, you'll have to find a real sucker later. That's where the "trust" factor comes in.
I think I may get in touch with the local music dept here in town, which is
where I finished long long ago. They now have a number of tuba students there
and there may be someone on the faculty with some thoughts on this process.
If you connect with someone you feel comfortable with, this can be a great connection. Students who are "trading up" (or "giving up") can be a good source of used tubas. My only concern here would be the condition of such used tubas. You also need to worry about the fair market value - students who bought a new tuba 3 years ago may not be good judges of what the tuba is really worth, used.
Consider arranging for private lessons from one of the local faculty. If you can find someone there you are comfortable with, they may be your best bet on "someone to trust" who can guide you.