Posted by Lew on January 26, 2002 at 11:28:40:
In Reply to: what was the first horn you played? posted by Mark F. on January 26, 2002 at 00:32:38:
Over the summer between 8th and 9th grade I took lessons to be able to play tuba in the marching band in addition to cello in the orchestra. I learned on a fiberglass sousaphone, probably a Conn but I'm not sure. When school started in the fall (1969) I played a brand new Besson 3 valve compensating BBb. I still remember that as being easy to play and having a great, full sound. When, 2 years later, the band director bought a Meinl-Weston model 20 for me to play I thought it was much stuffier and "thinner" sounding. Of course I had to play it because they had just spent all that money on a new tuba. The only problem with the Besson was that it was a dent magnet and I heard that they junked it in the 80's. I wish I had known first.