Best brands for CC tubas

[AfroTuba]

I'm looking for a good 5 valve 4/4 CC tuba that I could use professionally in the future. The only brands I've heard a lot of good from (within my price range) are Miraphone and Meinl Weston. What other brands are worth looking into?

Price Range = less than 7,000

[davewerden]

You might include the B&S Perantucci and the Hirsbrunner in your comparisons.

[AfroTuba]

Hirsbrunners are pretty spendy though aren't they?

[davewerden]

Sorry, but Hirsbrunners are pretty expensive. I missed your price range (guess I was reading too fast).

I will say this, though. I recently heard a very good high school player (just graduated) try the Hirsbrunner against several other tubas. He is starting this Fall at UW studying with Jerry Young and is a serious player. The Hirs. was clearly better than the rest - enough to make his father and him adjust the budget they had planned, which had been about what your is. One of my old friends from the U of Iowa was listening along and his opinion was the same. Thinking ahead to the future, and thinking of how long you will own the right horn, the cost amortizes out pretty well.

But that's easy for me to say - it's not my money!

[AfroTuba]

Do you know of any websites that show the prices of Hirsbrunner tubas? I'd heard the name before but sort of pushed it aside because I knew it was above what I wanted to spend, and the only sites I've been able to find have been just catalogues with the different specs for each model.

[CC]

Have you considered buying used? There are many great instruments (especially Hirsbrunners and B&S) that are currently for sale on other forums. Your price range is more feasible for that than buying new, which can get insane in the current market.

[davewerden]

Originally posted by: CC

Have you considered buying used?

This is a good option in many cases. There can be a lot of life in a quality instrument, and often it is not nearly "used up" by one owner. Gary Buttery played in the Coast Guard Band and the tuba quartet with me. For solos or the quartet he usually played an Alexander tuba made around 1930. I have recently taught students at the U of MN who have excellent "second-hand" instruments that are 30-40 years old.

[davewerden]

Originally posted by: AfroTuba

Do you know of any websites that show the prices of Hirsbrunner tubas?

You would need to check with Custom Music, the sole importer in the USA (I assume that's where you are). Sometimes it is not practical to publish prices online. The value of the dollar compared to the currency of other countries is a huge variable. As one or the other goes up or down, it can have a dramatic impact on the retail price.

Price fluctuations of new horns may also affect the price of used horns, but probably less dramatically and less quickly.

[AfroTuba]

Another question I have relates to the size of the horn I should get. Right now I'm studying at St.Cloud State with Mark Springer and he suggested that I should stick to a 4/4 tuba. He said a 5 or 6/4 would probably be too big for the playing I'll be doing in the next couple years. I've just finished my second year at SCSU and will be there for 3 more years (after switching majors to music). So I was wondering if I should overlook 5/4 tubas for now.

[AfroTuba]

I have considered buying used, but I have had difficulty finding websites, and finding used models of the horns I'm looking for.