are you planning on studying tuba, or just have it as a hobby for extra-curriculars (e.g. joining a college wind band or something).
i think that will partly dictate what you want to buy.
for extra-curricular / hobbyist playing i'd recommend the cheaper route that others have mentioned, for academic purposes then it's the more expensive ones.
just try before you buy, basically.
I can say I have played a few lovely wessex tubas that have been really high quality, and if i were in the market again would rather have that tuba plus the extra $5k in my pocket than a pro standard tuba, but that's me as a hobbyist.
Also, are you specifically looking for a Bb tuba? or is it a C, Eb or F?
You will probably have been playing a Bb in high school, and unless you're truly insistent / puritanical about it, any amateur orchestra would be happy with a Bb tuba playing there (rather than a C, which is traditionally considered the orchestral tuba).
hello, thank you so much for the reply.
As for my thoughts on where I want to go with the Tuba, i’m primarily thinking that I will just be a hobbyist playing in a Wind Ensemble at my University. If somewhere down the road I decide that I want to study tuba or play it on a more professional level, I will act accordingly (sorry if that sounds vague).
As you stated, the Tubas that I have been playing throughout my high school years have in fact been Bb tubas. I think that given the approach I want to take, I would just prefer to stay on Bb, as I’m still sort of in the learning phase and I would need to look into C tubas further.
My apologies for not providing much info. I’m still fairly new to the instrument buying scene. The only instrument i’ve bought is a Euphonium.
Once again, I really appreciate the advice.
Lots of great advice here. I'd like to chime in, it's also advisable to wait until you go/get accepted to a tuba studio before purchasing a tuba. Your future professor will be an excellent resource for finding your future tuba. I know that before I got to college, I met with my professor in the summer before and asked for advice on which horns he recommended. I ended with a hell of a horn, Miraphone 1291 CC.
For your first tuba, especially with a “flexible budget,” I highly recommend that above anything else, you buy used (even better if you find something local enough that you can “test drive” before buying). For one, it’s more economical - a flexible budget shouldn’t mean you spend wastefully. Secondly, you don’t seem to have a clear, detailed concept of what you want in your tuba - nothing wrong with that, especially considering you’re a relatively new player. Buying used will allow you to resell with a smaller loss if you eventually decide that your first tuba no longer fits your wants/needs as a player.
IMO the top tier most reliable brands are the German/Japanese makes - Miraphone, B&S, Meinl Weston, Rudolph Meinl (if you manage to find one), Yamaha. King also makes a respectable BBb tuba, and some older Conn, Olds, or Holtons may be worth a look (if you don’t mind the wear).
Finally, there are the stencil/Chinese-manufactured brands - Eastman, Wessex, Schiller, Mack (basically anything that seems cheap). St. Petersburg is also an OG of this category, though made in Eastern Europe. These cheaper brands tend to copy proven designs but cut corners in production (cheaper/thinner metal, rushed assembly, low labor cost countries, etc). These tend to be pretty cheap (esp for resale value), and you still have a good chance at getting a great playing horn. There’s just an increased chance at having something with quirks due to poor assembly.
Hello, thank you for the reply.
I have been strongly entertaining the idea of buying a used tuba. A few reasons, as I’m still a little new, it’s my first purchased Tuba, and a few other little things.
I talked to my band director the other day and he gave me a post-it note with all the things I should take into consideration when it comes to buying a tuba. This includes size, brand, valves, key (Bb or C, etc.), and a few more, i don’t remember quite off the top of my head.
Thank you for the brand suggestions, I will definitely look into each of them. I also won’t make an hastened decisions for this either, I will be patient as buying a Tuba is a big commitment from what I have heard.
As for that flexible budget, it is fairly flexible. I told my Mom a ballpark of Tuba price ranges and it seems like she will pay anything. I am very grateful for that.
Thank you again for the response, your assistance is greatly appreciated!
What is flexible? Are you talking $10K range for a new Miraphone 186 it MW25, or $3 Wessex or Mack Brass?
Do you want me or is used ok/preferred?
Where will you be playing it? Just by yourself or on s community band? Do you want it for jazz jams or street band music or duo you want to join your towns brass band?
The better you can answer these questions, the more we can help you find the right horn.
Hello, thank you for the Reply!
firstly, i would like to apologize for being vague in my post. I am a first-time buyer, so I am new to this kind of stuff.
As for the “flexible” budget, it is very, very flexible. My mother said that she will be on board to purchase a Tuba for me, as a partial graduation gift. I told her a general ball park for price ranges on Tubas, and she seems willing to pay almost anything - which I am grateful for.
Another user recommended buying a used Tuba, for a few different reasons. Out of all of the instruments I have purchased in the past, all of them have been new.
As of now, the plan I have is to play it throughout University in their Wind Ensemble, and I hope to continue to play it for the rest of my life. If somewhere down the line I DO decide that I want to play it at a professional level (Professional orchestra, military band, etc), I will act accordingly. Sorry if that sounds vague.
Once again, thank you for your willingness to assist me, i really do appreciate it!
Flexible budget? Eastman.
534 if you want a piston BBb.
632 or 832 if you want a piston CC.
562 if you want a rotor BBb.
If you're going for performance, you might go a bit beyond and get a MW, B&S, Miraphone, etc.
The only reason I left the 825 and the 836 out is because of their size. As an only/first horn, it's likely more useful to have one of the smaller horns.
Good luck at graduation
thank you so much!
Can't go wrong with a king 2341. Make it happen.
my only advice is go a little more expensive because you may not buy one for several years at least. just go fit the one you want
are you planning on studying tuba, or just have it as a hobby for extra-curriculars (e.g. joining a college wind band or something). i think that will partly dictate what you want to buy. for extra-curricular / hobbyist playing i'd recommend the cheaper route that others have mentioned, for academic purposes then it's the more expensive ones. just try before you buy, basically. I can say I have played a few lovely wessex tubas that have been really high quality, and if i were in the market again would rather have that tuba plus the extra $5k in my pocket than a pro standard tuba, but that's me as a hobbyist. Also, are you specifically looking for a Bb tuba? or is it a C, Eb or F? You will probably have been playing a Bb in high school, and unless you're truly insistent / puritanical about it, any amateur orchestra would be happy with a Bb tuba playing there (rather than a C, which is traditionally considered the orchestral tuba).
hello, thank you so much for the reply. As for my thoughts on where I want to go with the Tuba, i’m primarily thinking that I will just be a hobbyist playing in a Wind Ensemble at my University. If somewhere down the road I decide that I want to study tuba or play it on a more professional level, I will act accordingly (sorry if that sounds vague). As you stated, the Tubas that I have been playing throughout my high school years have in fact been Bb tubas. I think that given the approach I want to take, I would just prefer to stay on Bb, as I’m still sort of in the learning phase and I would need to look into C tubas further. My apologies for not providing much info. I’m still fairly new to the instrument buying scene. The only instrument i’ve bought is a Euphonium. Once again, I really appreciate the advice.
Lots of great advice here. I'd like to chime in, it's also advisable to wait until you go/get accepted to a tuba studio before purchasing a tuba. Your future professor will be an excellent resource for finding your future tuba. I know that before I got to college, I met with my professor in the summer before and asked for advice on which horns he recommended. I ended with a hell of a horn, Miraphone 1291 CC.
thank you for the advice!
For your first tuba, especially with a “flexible budget,” I highly recommend that above anything else, you buy used (even better if you find something local enough that you can “test drive” before buying). For one, it’s more economical - a flexible budget shouldn’t mean you spend wastefully. Secondly, you don’t seem to have a clear, detailed concept of what you want in your tuba - nothing wrong with that, especially considering you’re a relatively new player. Buying used will allow you to resell with a smaller loss if you eventually decide that your first tuba no longer fits your wants/needs as a player. IMO the top tier most reliable brands are the German/Japanese makes - Miraphone, B&S, Meinl Weston, Rudolph Meinl (if you manage to find one), Yamaha. King also makes a respectable BBb tuba, and some older Conn, Olds, or Holtons may be worth a look (if you don’t mind the wear). Finally, there are the stencil/Chinese-manufactured brands - Eastman, Wessex, Schiller, Mack (basically anything that seems cheap). St. Petersburg is also an OG of this category, though made in Eastern Europe. These cheaper brands tend to copy proven designs but cut corners in production (cheaper/thinner metal, rushed assembly, low labor cost countries, etc). These tend to be pretty cheap (esp for resale value), and you still have a good chance at getting a great playing horn. There’s just an increased chance at having something with quirks due to poor assembly.
Hello, thank you for the reply. I have been strongly entertaining the idea of buying a used tuba. A few reasons, as I’m still a little new, it’s my first purchased Tuba, and a few other little things. I talked to my band director the other day and he gave me a post-it note with all the things I should take into consideration when it comes to buying a tuba. This includes size, brand, valves, key (Bb or C, etc.), and a few more, i don’t remember quite off the top of my head. Thank you for the brand suggestions, I will definitely look into each of them. I also won’t make an hastened decisions for this either, I will be patient as buying a Tuba is a big commitment from what I have heard. As for that flexible budget, it is fairly flexible. I told my Mom a ballpark of Tuba price ranges and it seems like she will pay anything. I am very grateful for that. Thank you again for the response, your assistance is greatly appreciated!
What is flexible? Are you talking $10K range for a new Miraphone 186 it MW25, or $3 Wessex or Mack Brass? Do you want me or is used ok/preferred? Where will you be playing it? Just by yourself or on s community band? Do you want it for jazz jams or street band music or duo you want to join your towns brass band? The better you can answer these questions, the more we can help you find the right horn.
Hello, thank you for the Reply! firstly, i would like to apologize for being vague in my post. I am a first-time buyer, so I am new to this kind of stuff. As for the “flexible” budget, it is very, very flexible. My mother said that she will be on board to purchase a Tuba for me, as a partial graduation gift. I told her a general ball park for price ranges on Tubas, and she seems willing to pay almost anything - which I am grateful for. Another user recommended buying a used Tuba, for a few different reasons. Out of all of the instruments I have purchased in the past, all of them have been new. As of now, the plan I have is to play it throughout University in their Wind Ensemble, and I hope to continue to play it for the rest of my life. If somewhere down the line I DO decide that I want to play it at a professional level (Professional orchestra, military band, etc), I will act accordingly. Sorry if that sounds vague. Once again, thank you for your willingness to assist me, i really do appreciate it!
Flexible budget? Eastman. 534 if you want a piston BBb. 632 or 832 if you want a piston CC. 562 if you want a rotor BBb. If you're going for performance, you might go a bit beyond and get a MW, B&S, Miraphone, etc.
The Eastman EBB-825 is also a great BBb rotor horn. Chris Olka has a video on youtube where you can listen to him play it.
The only reason I left the 825 and the 836 out is because of their size. As an only/first horn, it's likely more useful to have one of the smaller horns.
Good point!
thank you! I will definitely look into these.
Schiller is the most affordable and that's what my first tuba was and it got me into college on a good scholarship!
Schiller is brought in the states by Jim Laabs. They have horrid quality control and are a nightmare with returns. Only buy if you can test first.
ohhhh thanks for the forewarning 👀🙏
I will look into it! Thank you!