Posted by Joseph(long!) on November 04, 2003 at 10:39:30:
In Reply to: Re: Re: Compare MW2145 to Getzon G50 posted by Debbie on November 04, 2003 at 06:10:25:
It doesn't matter one iota.
If you want it repaired someone will figure out how to repair it. As long as the horn isn't completely abused or run over by a semi there isn't going to be any need to order parts. In the terrible situation where a new valve section or leadpipe is needed(The only parts that ever 'wear out'.) you will want to go to a good 'tuba centric' repair shop anyhow and they will be able to either build you a new part or know where to get one that will work. Your typical local repairman is usually good for cleaning and basic dent removal but I save my major work for the guys that spend a lot of time doing it on a tuba.
Resale value is a joke. Tubas are *not* an investment(I know you didn't say that they were but it has been suggested by others in the past). That implies that actual money can be made. There are tuba shops out there that try to misrepresent their instruments as an investment. The fact is once you factor in inflation I would wager that 95% of individuals that resale their instrument do so at a loss. The other 5% probably didn't enjoy their instruments because they were never played and still could have seen a significantly better rate of return from a certificate of depreciation. FWIW, I don't have a problem with a shop placating a customers concern over a high cost by pointing out that tubas do hold value reasonably well and that if held long enough you will eventually get most of your cash back out of it.
To answer your question more directly any instrument that is of a high quality professional grade will hold it's value reasonably well. In about 5-10 years he may be able to get the same dollar amount back out of it. This should not be a consideration. Buy a tuba because you like it and plan on playing it forever. That is the ultimate way to save money.
In your situation these would be my primary criteria:
1) Which horn is capable of creating the sound that I like the best? Notice I didn't say 'which one do I sound best on right now?'. A visit with a pro will help with this aspect. Some horns take time invested before they really come alive and show what they are truly capable of. Easiest playing directly out of the box is not always best. Your son will not likely be a good judge of this. A pro will have played lots of horns and know how to adjust quickly so that you can hear what makes that horns sound special.
2) If the sound is a toss up then which sound will work best for the kind of playing that I do or plan to do?
3) Equally important is the general intonation tendencies of each horn. Check it with a tuner... if everything is within 20 cents out of the box then most likely over time your son will learn to blow it in tune. On the horns being considered 20 cents should be fairly lipable. More important than the tuner(which is really just a guide) is how easy the intonation is to manage when playing in a group. If he really fights the intonation of the horn when playing with a group that doesn't mean it's a terrible horn but it might raise a red flag that he either needs to spend more time learning that horn's tendencies and coming to terms with what he is doing wrong or he might need to pick the other horn. Please note that habits are very powerful things. If he has grown accustomed to adjusting certain pitches in his previous instrument he may bring those habits with him to the new horn and actually be blowing notes out of tune that are actually naturaly in tune on that instrument. Once again a pro will be the best judge of this.
4) Response.. This is at the bottom of my list but may or may not be an important issue for your son. A good player can use the stuffiness of some horns and turn that stuffiness into 'very fast response'. Likewise a horn that is extremely open may be a real challenge to a younger player but as he advances he will be able to 'create his own responsiveness'. What it really comes down to is this: a)Is the response even/consistant? If so great it can be made to work! The red flag comes if your son struggles a bit with getting the horn to speak. At that point some soul searching needs to be done. Many amatuers(rightly so) strongly prefer a horn that is very forgiving in this regard so that they aren't obligated to practice hours on end to keep from embarrassing themselves in community band. They have other priorities and family to attend to. If he isn't an aspiring pro this may be a major issue. It would be terrible to condemn him to a horn that will always leave him frustrated. However! If he wants to pursue music in college and beyond then he really just needs to learn how to play the horn that is *capable* of sounding the best and has usable intonation. At that point as long as the response doesn't change from note to note and it sings nicely up high and the low register meets his standards then it is a non issue. Once again it would be a good idea to discuss this with a pro.. he/she will be able to tell you how much of a jump(if any)in ability and how much maintenance thereafter your son will need to be consistantly comfortable with how the horn plays.
good luck! :)