Posted by Scott on September 03, 2001 at 10:42:57:
In Reply to: "Blind Date" with a tuba posted by Bugalugs on September 03, 2001 at 01:07:26:
Are you considering buying a tuba based on the recommendations on this list? I would strongly advise against that, since there are many people on this list (myself included) who have gone to a large tuba vendor and tried out a bunch of different horns with one specific horn in mind and left with an entirely different horn. If this is your situation I would highly recommend finding some way to get to a store to try out tubas. I'd be willing to bet that the tuba you want walking in won't be the tuba you want walking out.
However, if you've played a whole bunch of horns and fell in love with one of your friends' tubas, you probably won't be dissatisfied ordering by mail.
I should say that I've bought a used tuba without playing it or any horn of the same model (a YCB-661) from Matt Walters that I love. I wouldn't have purchased it if I hadn't been given a week trial period. But I bought the horn thinking that it would be a good horn to keep for a few years until my "real" search began, I just got lucky in finding a 4/4 CC that works for me. I would never buy a new horn this way.
Scott