Posted by Rick Denney on June 30, 2003 at 17:04:21:
In Reply to: Tips for 30 year comeback posted by Jonathan Schwartz on June 27, 2003 at 21:16:18:
I agree with Ken. Don't rent--it just doesn't make sense. But don't buy a new tuba, either.
Call up one of the music stores listed on this site (Dillon, Baltimore Brass, Brasswind, Lee Stofer, Low Brasswerks), and tell them you want a good, playable USED four-valve BBb tuba. Tell them about yourself, and leave the selection to them and your budget. All of them are honorable and will select an instrument with good playability and one that will maintain its value.
At this point, it doesn't matter if "it is THE horn for you..." You just want a reasonably competent and easy-to-play instrument that will hold its value.
After you are up and running again, (as Ken says--follow the same process you followed when you were a beginner the first time around), you may decide you want something different. That's fine; sell it and buy the tuba of your dreams. But it takes some progress before you can know what you really want in a tuba, and at this point there's no way you'll know what that is.
If you lose $300 on the resale after two years, then you paid $12.50 a month to rent it. Find that deal with a real rental! I've bought a number of tubas just to try out, four of which I subsequently decided not to keep. So far, the people who bought them from me have paid me to try them out.
Rick "who thinks a used Miraphone or King sounds about right" Denney