Posted by Rick Denney on November 01, 2001 at 16:37:07:
In Reply to: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Weril 980 4/4 4-piston BBb comments/pics posted by Dale on November 01, 2001 at 15:46:20:
I didn't know they were mediocre tubas then. When I showed up for rehearsal at all-city band in the 8th grade, the fellow said, "Why did you bring THAT," indicating my plastic King sousaphone.
"It's what the school gave me."
So he went back into the store room and brought out a tuba used by that school (the High School for the Performing and Visual Arts in Houston, where those rehearsals were held, and where you'd expect to find state-of-the-art instruments). He told me I could use that horn. It was a large 4/4 Besson BBb with three valves. The section leader, who had brought his own Miraphone, acted like he was impressed with that big satin Besson, and even asked to play some notes on it. Therefore, I was impressed with it. During my tenure in that group, I played an assortment of school instruments borrowed for the purpose: A medium-sized Conn top-action tuba, and others I've forgotten about, but nothing with rotary valves or front action. I did not have the opportunity to play what we would proclaim a good tuba until my senior year in high school, when my conductor borrowed (from Rice University) a Miraphone 186 for me to play.
Yes, I appreciated that Miraphone, but until I played it I didn't know what I was missing. And in retrospect, I'm not sure how aware I was of the difference even then.
But I knew that the kids with money wanted Miraphones, so therefore I did, too.
Ditto when I played in the symphonic band at my non-music-school college. I had no instrument, so they let me use what they had: a large, satin-silver three-valve Besson. The other three players in the section were far better than me, but even then I didn't blame the difference on their Miraphones versus my Besson.
And when I started again after the long layoff, I started with, you guessed it, a three-valve Besson. I worked hard to make that horn work, including my first experiments with shortening valve tubing, and having the leadpipe repositioned to fit me. And I played in a community band for a year, knowing my tuba was a POS, but also knowing that it wasn't really holding me back. If I had not been able to get a demo Sanders for about the same money, I might well have considered a 321 even then.
I think if a kid gives up because he can't play music on something like a Besson or a Yamaha 321 (or a Weril), then he is more into the materialism of owning a cool tuba than into the music, and he'd give up anyway. I don't think a student's interest in music hinges on whether his instrument is really good or not.
Rick "a materialist with the best of them, but who will play whatever is available and be glad of it" Denney