Posted by Dale on December 01, 2001 at 19:54:49:
In Reply to: Good 1st Tuba posted by Adam Peck on December 01, 2001 at 00:22:02:
If she likes pistons, I'd recommend shopping until she finds a really sweet Meinl-Weston 2145. The shopping part is important because there is alot of variability in these horns.
If rotors, hands-down a Mirafone 186-5U, these are more consistent but patience in shopping fora sweet one(versusgetting the first-best-least expensive one) will also REALLY pay off. Sometimes even with a consistent brand if you simply shop price you can REALLY miss out on a super-sweet instrument that may (or may not) have cost just a few hundred dollars more. I would not suggest a 188 as an all-around tuba especially for a first horn and especially since (I.M.O.) the 2145 and 186 are for most young players better all-around horns! The other ones mentioned are all nice horns, but (again I.M.O.) either a bit less flexible for all-around use, or (like the M-W 2000) a little too pricey-pro for a not-even-yet-first-year-college-student. Oh, by the way, if I sold new horns for a living (I don't and wouldn't) my recommends would be exactly the same for ANY talented 16 or 17-year-old student.
f.w.i.w.