Posted by Jay Bertolet on July 07, 2000 at 08:42:16:
In Reply to: high schooler buying a tuba posted by Tubagirl on July 07, 2000 at 01:15:32:
What kind of tuba you buy depends on how serious you want to be with the tuba. I know at your age that you may not have decided what you want to do with your life as far as your career is concerned. But you might be well served by taking some time and deciding how serious your plans are for the tuba. Here is why I suggest that. If you buy a lesser quality tuba now but you decide later that music is a career you really want to pursue, you might find yourself in the position of selling your tuba later to afford a better one, or one in a different key even. If you know now that you really want to pursue the tuba as a career, you would be much better served to get a pretty good tuba now. You'll have the advantage later of having years of experience on that fine tuba and you will save some money in the long run too.
So, how do you decide what is a good tuba for you? First of all, ask your teacher. Your teacher can share years of experience with you that can help immensely in the decision. After getting your teacher's guidance, you need to go out and play as many different tubas as you possibly can. Consider taking a trip to any one of the major tuba retailers that have a large inventory of instruments and just dig in start playing. Remember that no matter what anybody says, the right tuba for you is a very personal choice and any combination of valves, sizes, etc. can make the difference. Try not to eliminate any possibility until you've actually tried the instrument and decided it wasn't for you. As a general rule, you'll probably want to look at medium sized tubas (4/4) that have a minimum of 4 valves and are in either CC or BBb. After that, it is entirely up to your likes and dislikes. Know that you can get a better quality instrument for the same price if you buy a used tuba. If purchased carefully, these used instruments can even be better than the new ones. And don't forget that a little elbow grease can make any horn look shiny and new.
If you need further assistance, please don't hesitate to contact me privately. Good luck in your search!