Posted by Tom on March 11, 1999 at 00:02:04:
In Reply to: new tubas posted by Brian White on March 10, 1999 at 16:29:53:
Let me preface this by saying that I am not a Yamaha dealer, an am not paid by them for any type of endorsement. I played on the YBB 641? (whatever the rotor BBb is) for several years as my first instrument, and found it to be quite adequate, and ended up selling it to a HS player who made first chair in the KY All State Orchestra with it the following year.
That being said, for a HS, one of the real positive benefits for Yamaha, as opposed to many of the other similarly priced instruments, is the availability of parts. The average instrument repair facility has easier access to Yamaha parts and accessories (i.e. valve guides, water keys, etc.) than they do for most other tuba manufacturers (I once waited 6 weeks for new valve guides for a Besson euph.). This will allow for less "down" time than if parts have to shipped from Europe.
Realize also that for younger players, the "new and shiny" appeal of an instrument can often encourage more pride (and possibly practice) in their chosen instrument. When I was in HS, the section leader always got the newest instrument, and it was passed down from year to year from section leader to section leader, and was definately a source of pride. I would think that you could turn the King's into some sort of capital with which to invest in newer instruments (either Tuba Exchange, or maybe even ebay.com).
Just my 2 cents...