Posted by Lew on April 26, 2003 at 15:22:55:
In Reply to: Re: Re: king 2341 or meinl winston 25 posted by Anthony on April 26, 2003 at 07:56:35:
I own a new King 2341 and played a Meinl-Weston model 25 through high school. I have also tried many other samples of the M-W model 25, although not for very long at any one sitting. I find the King to be much more responsive than any of the M-W 25s that I have played. I also like the sound that I can get from the King much more than that of the M-W, and those who I have had listen to me on both have all agreed.
I have heard that the Kings are less consistent in quality and playability, but the variation among the samples that I tried when picking out mine and subsequently was minor. Some did play better than others for me, but it really wasn't a huge difference. My horn also appears to be solidly constructed. There is no question in my mind that this King could serve me well for the rest of my life. That isn't to say that I won't find something that I like better at some point, but I am very happy with the King. It's still a horn that I look forward to sitting down and playing.
I never liked the M-W 25 that I played in the past, or any others. I had trouble getting a resonant sound from them and they feel stuffy to me. This is more of a personal preference than a problem with the model. They are solidly made horns that could be the perfect horn for the right person.
I think that the best advice you have gotten is to first talk to your teacher and/or the tuba professor where you will be attending school. Their opinions matter much more than any of ours. You should then go somewhere where you can try out as many different tubas as possible. Even if this means flying somewhere or taking a long drive it will be worth it. Fanding the right horn for you is worth the extra time and expense rather than making a $4000 - $6000 mistake.