Posted by Eric on August 14, 2001 at 09:50:21:
In Reply to: Conn 56K vs King 2341 posted by Gus Pratt on August 14, 2001 at 04:43:23:
I understand that the valves are the same, but not the entire valve cluster. The tubing looks very different on the 52/56J (a 56K would be a sousaphone, if Conn made one) vs. the 2341. Also the Conns have a removeable leadpipe and 5th valve.
Of course price differences are not necessarily directly attributable to manfacturing cost differences. Prices are generally set based on what the market will pay for an item, which may or may not relate to cost. CC tubas in general can command more money than BBb's because they are purchased by professionals or those who plan to be professionals, while BBb's are purchased by schools and amateurs (yes there are exceptions, but this is directionally correct). This would allow a manufacturer to charge more for a CC horn that was identical to its BBb counterpart. I have noticed that Miraphone doesn't do this, but in theory they could ask a higher price for a CC 186 vs. a BBb 186, even though the BBb should have a slightly higher materials cost.