Posted by Rick Denney on December 10, 2001 at 15:03:25:
In Reply to: Recreation and relaxation, which Tuba ? posted by Newbe on December 07, 2001 at 18:30:25:
(The purpose for the picture is down at the bottom)
Let's summarize:
1. For Newbe's stated purpose, an Eb tuba would work just as well as a BBb tuba. CC and F tubas would likely be too expensive for what you get.
2. An Eb tuba, being smaller, will be easier to play with less wind, and will therefore be more fun to play to advanced age.
3. A small BBb like the Weril would have many of the advantages of an Eb, but would use the same fingerings as a bigger instrument if you decide to go that way in the future. Your stated purpose now and your actual purpose two years from now will likely differ.
4. There are many fine Eb tubas out there if you decide to stay with that key but want to upgrade. Besson makes a pro-quality mid-sized instrument for something like (guessing here) five grand. And if you really want to spend money, perhaps the best big Eb on the market is the Willson, at seven or eight grand. You could easily play either one in any ensemble.
5. There are even more fine BBb tubas out there. If you outgrow the Weril (because of size, not of quality), you can find a number of very good BBb tubas at the $3000 price point. And you can find used instruments of similar or better quality in the $2000-3000 range. But even the Weril is good enough to play in any ensemble, unless you really get hooked on making a big sound (remember that your purpose may change in the coming years).
Finally, I'd like to add one point: Set aside a small portion of your budget, and take half a dozen lessons from a professional tuba teacher. Tell him your intentions so that you can set a schedule with a reasonable frequency between lessons. Take it from one who didn't: Proper fundamentals are easier to learn the first time through.
For a discussion of how big tubas are, and many pictures of tubas compared to my largish BBb, try the link below. It shows pictures of several good BBb instruments. The picture above is my collection (as of a while back). The tubas on the ends are 4/4 to 5/4 BBb tubas, and the tubas in the middle are 3/4 F tubas. The smaller one on the left is a Yamaha, which looks similar from a distance to the Weril BBb tuba. The little one on its side in front is a euphonium. That will give you an idea of the size.
Rick "who wishes he'd started out with good lessons" Denney