Posted by Hammerin' Hank on March 29, 2002 at 09:15:02:
In Reply to: What if... posted by Dave on March 29, 2002 at 00:19:16:
I can't speak from experience about Willson tubas, but it seems that no matter how good the quality control, each tuba will play different. I assume this is because of all of the variables in construction. Chances are that any Willson you get will be a great horn, but if you are going to shell out that much money, you should get the best possible match for you. A couple of years ago, I went to one of the big stores and tried four new MW 45slp's. I could not believe how differently they played. If I was blindfolded I would have never guessed they were all the same brand, much less the same model. One of them was a far better match for me than the other three. If I had just had one of the four shipped to me at random, I MIGHT have been satisfied, but I wouldn't have known what I was missing with the best of the bunch. Of course, someone else could walk into the store and pick another horn as the best.
Are you ordering this horn from the factory, or from a dealer? Just make sure, before you order, that you get a clear understanding of the return policy in case the tuba isn't what you expected. Any reputable dealer will give you a trial period.
Good luck,
Hank