Posted by jeff miller on October 24, 2003 at 18:11:28:
In Reply to: WHICH F TUBA? posted by BIG PHIL on October 23, 2003 at 12:56:13:
I don't have much in the way of suggestions regarding models, but I have a few regarding an approach to buying one.
Don't try to find one that plays or sounds like a C tuba. If you want that, buy another C tuba.
Treat the F as its own instrument (see above) and relish in its distinctive sound.
I don't understand why everyone seems to feel that all F's made before the past 10 years are no good. I just bought a 100 to 150 year old rotary F from Germany and it's freaking great - sounds great, plays great, and has a fabulous low register (and yes, the low C is better than on my Yamaha 822).
So, I'd ignore everything everyone's told you so far (including this, paradoxically) and just buy a load of cd's of guys playing f's and c's and figure out what you like about the f's versus the c's.
In my opinion, if it plays like a C tuba, it's probably not a very interesting sounding f tuba.
Hope that's helpful in some way,
Jeff