Posted by Gary S on October 14, 1999 at 23:10:33:
In Reply to: St. Petersburg posted by Jay Baker on October 14, 1999 at 16:25:32:
I got the last nickled plated St Petersburg in Frieder's inventory last summer, but he still has brass both raw and lacqered. I check and rechecked prices, and it was several hundred dollars cheaper to get it from Die Tuba. You can see all of the prices and options on Die Tuba website. To the price, you add US Customs which is 2.9% on the tuba and 4.2% on the case. In addition, their is a $50 fee to Burlington Air Freight and $9 to Customs for doing the paperwork. It was a piece of cake to handle all of this. The net cost is still far less than TE. I would recommend the "German machine" which is a superior rotary valve system that is honed and a lot quiter than the Russian system.
Regarding all of the negative comments posted on this BBS, understand that there is no claim that the St Petersburg is equal to a MW, HB, or other top of the line tubas that sell for mega thousands of dollars. There are some people who look down at those of us who play for enjoyment and who are not professional tubists. I sincerely feel the St Petersburg is an excellent choice for us. It has a full rich tone, plays well in all registers, and play in tune. While it certainly isn't on a par with the very top brands, it is far, far better than other tubas in its price range and even more. It might be worth you time to check on used St Peterburgs, they do come along, but be aware of what you can get from Frieder at Die Tub.