Re: Re: Re: Buying New Tuba - NEED HELP PLEASE!


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Posted by Matt G on August 23, 2003 at 08:51:35:

In Reply to: Re: Re: Buying New Tuba - NEED HELP PLEASE! posted by Rick Denney on August 22, 2003 at 23:31:51:

Money is no object......

I like that phrase. It almost always leads to another phrase, like: "I wasn't looking to spend quite that much" or "I didn't know they cost that much" or "I think we shouldn't spend more than X dollars".

IMO, that is a foolish phrase to use when determining what to buy for a high school. Especially when there are other things alomst always needed to buy. A Mirafone 186 or a MW 25 will not hold back 99% of the sudents this director will ever come across. If anything, these horns will help these students to better understand how to get a good sound from a good, well-balanced, tuba. Plus this director will have to spend at least $250 - $500 per tuba to keep these horns in good playing condition year in and out.

Furthermore (IMO) if one takes a serious look at modern wind ensemble music, it is easy to see that it is manageable on a 4 valve BBb tuba, but bands need more and more percussion equipment than ever before to keep up. Combine that with the fact that percussion stuff doesn't hold up like a tuba (5-15 years of use, normally in a public school) and one can see money is better spent elsewhere. Especially when one see how expensive a decent vibraphone or full size marimba is. BTW, those not being had DO limit what can be performed correctly buy a high school much more than the brand of a tuba does.

I also believe that having an inadequate player playing on a Fafner or even worse a Willson 3100 would create more bad habits than anything. Those horns take a lot of work and input to be played well and reward the proper player with a good result. I think high school kids should be playing on horns that are "fool-proof". Smaller bore and normal sized branches and bells are in order. Someone said that they have seen middle school kids started out on 20J's, well that doesn't mean it is the best thing to do. Thes best middle school horn ever made, IMO is the Olds 0-99 (4 valve), high school is either the King 2134 (Old or New), Mirafone 186, or Meinl-Weston 25. In fact a good friend of mine took over a new school with MW 25's and he loves 'em. Probably, because they make even the weaker players sound okay enough to project and therefore beable to fix their problems before they start.

Matt G

p.s. I'd be interested to see what the original poster has to say after these thread additions.




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