Posted by tubalew on October 18, 2000 at 09:01:22:
In Reply to: Best BBb under 3K posted by D. Pattison on October 17, 2000 at 22:07:43:
The VMI is a nice horn for the money, but if you want piston's the Jupiter 582 is also a good choice. I came very close to buying a 582 when I bought my last tuba, but found that I liked the sound of a Cervany better. I found the Jupiter to be a very free blowing horn with good intonation in all registers. The sound had just a little too much bite for me, I wanted something a little mellower. IMHO there is no one "best" horn in this price range, but the VMI 2103, Jupiter 582, and Cervany 686 would all be good choices. You have to find the one with the playing characteristics that you are comfortable with.
I would also consider the Conn 5J and King 2341 in this price range. They are generally well made, sturdy horns. They have a smaller bore and I have found the low end on these horns to be a little stuffy, but they provide good quality for the money.