Re: Please help out this mom!


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Posted by Jay Bertolet on March 09, 2001 at 09:11:27:

In Reply to: Please help out this mom! posted by Tuba mom on March 09, 2001 at 00:44:53:

The only difference between most of the $1200.00 instruments and the one your son has now is that the $1200.00 ones will be shiny because they are new. They also, in all probability, won't play any better at all. How a tuba looks has almost nothing to do with how it sounds.

Buying a tuba is EXPENSIVE. Don't lay out that kind of money until you're sure your son intends to pursue it at least through college. If you're only 1.5 years away from a decent high school instrument, I'd bite the bullet and wait. You really have no idea if your son even likes the tuba much, let alone if he'll continue with it for any length of time. Be patient and see if he's really interested. Take him places where he can try out good horns like tuba shops or conferences where there are exhibitors. At least that way you can get a handle on how much differently he'd sound on a good tuba. You also might get some idea about how serious he is about the tuba by seeing his reaction to the different instruments available. This would be much less expensive that buying a horn.

When the time comes that you might actually want to purchase an instrument, I would advise you to get a good tuba rather than a cheap one. A good tuba isn't necessarily expensive (you can always buy used) but a bad tuba will never hold its value or do your son any favors in learning how to play it. Generally, you get what you pay for. Take the time to research your son's playing needs when the time comes and find the right tuba for him. Good luck!

My opinion for what it's worth...


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