Posted by Joe -tangent subject- S. on May 03, 2001 at 23:01:09:
In Reply to: Re: B&S/Sonora Tubas posted by Matt Walters on May 03, 2001 at 15:57:42:
Those very low priced 4-rotor BBb's that you keep seeing on ebay and sold by
"__(?)__"king (ebay screen name) or some-such name are (I believe) made in mainland China. I believe that I got the very first one of those that was sent to the U.S. in my store back in the early '80's. It was a very close (but not particularly well-made) copy of the Schneider-type (Selmer U.S.A. imported) of B&S BBb tuba, and to me the one now on ebay looks the same as that tuba did 15 years ago.
Curiously, in that same batch of instruments was a mainland Chinese SHORT-ACTION sousaphone. (!!!) I had Dave Secrist redo the valves (again, this was about 15 years ago) and sold it to a local high school that is still using it today. I have NEVER seen one (from China) since.