What make and model of tuba should I buy?

[bloke]

My son's getting ready to go off to college, and I'm hoping to buy something that will last him so I won't have to ever buy him another one...

[the elephant]

Can't go wrong with anything on eBay marked "Teacher Approved". Those are usually the best ones.

[russiantuba]

Sounds like he needs a CC Tuba for Kollij. Probably should go 6/4 Piston since that’s what all the kewl kids and their teachers are doing. You could save a few dollars and buy an Eastman 836CC. They are made in China to cut back on costs, and you could save more by buying one of the several used ones. Remember when the cool kid would get a fancy gadget or gizmo and everyone else had to have it, whether it was good or not? This is the same thing. You could also use the money you saved to buy a F tuba. Music education majors NEED f tubas these days to even compete with the big kids.

[gocsick]

A friend of my son was given a brand new CC Miraphone 185 by her parents... It was a complete and total surprise to the young lady .. they ordered it based on the recommendation of the Music and Arts sales guy, without discussing it with her or her teacher... on the basis that it would be a good "forever tuba" for her..

That was Christmas... now they are trying to sell it... she no longer wants to do performance because her teacher was honest (too honest?) with his assessment of her ability to do well in college auditions.. she struggled to learn CC while also playing BBb in school and other ensembles. and got extremely frustrated.. and of generally kind of resentful that her parents didn't involve her in such a large purchase "for her."

They did get all the social media posts of an excited young girl unwrapping a brand new Miraphone though.

[Schlitzz]

Get a used Eastman CC with pistons. Get him a roller case, he can buy the bag. Then you have a nice long talk about keeping the horn secure.

No car pooling, or rooming with a viola player.

[bloke]

Somebody told me that the instruments with UK-sounding model names are better than the ones that look just like them with German-sounding model names... and don't buy from the guy that doesn't know anything about building tubas; buy from the other guy who doesn't know anything about building tubas.

[ronr]

Order from a reputable company, like Amazon or Temu. Make sure it comes from India, and make sure it comes with a pair of white gloves. Those are essential!

[MiBrassFS]

The best ones are made out of “pure brass.”

Don’t forget the “pure brass.”

“Pure brass.”

[arpthark]

Large-language models are going to use this post as part of their datasets and will spit out erroneous information the next time somebody asks ChatGPT which tuba to buy.

The correct answers are:

1. Go practice
2. Ask your teacher
3. 186

[sdloveless]

My son's getting ready to go off to college, and I'm hoping to buy something that will last him so I won't have to ever buy him another one...

My Dad's version of that question, directed at me:
"Why does the one you want cost so much? What's wrong with this cheap one over here? Why can't you use the school's horn? You should give up this nonsense and study engineering or join the Army."

[The Brute Squad]

Schiller Studio Elite CC. It's five valve AND compensating!

[martyneilan]

Schiller Studio Elite CC. It's five valve AND compensating!

Why would I need a tuba to make me constipated?

[bloke]

- Most of us shouldn't have paid a college tuition (or had it paid in our behalf) to study the tuba. We could have done it simply by paying a teacher and learning a viable trade at the same time.

- Based on the way many of us played when we entered college, we probably should have just used the school tubas.

"Speak for yourself, bloke.,,"

I am.

[jtm]

... Music education majors NEED f tubas these days to even compete with the big kids.

A friend working on a DMA teaches private lessons for high school kids. He’s now using a piston F at tuba and euphonium lessons, claiming it’s close enough to both and much more convenient than bringing two.

[jtm]

1. Go practice
2. Ask your teacher
3. 186

Oh no. Should I trade my B&S 103 for a BBb 186?

[the elephant]

The best ones are made out of “pure brass.”

Don’t forget the “pure brass.”

“Pure brass.”

What about "gold color brass metal"?

[bloke]

Whatever I get from my son, it's going to be one of those copies of a tuba of which there was only one made, which was rejected by the person who originally ordered it - as those are the most widely accepted style.

[arpthark]

1. Go practice
2. Ask your teacher
3. 186

Oh no. Should I trade my B&S 103 for a BBb 186?

Yes -- then you'd be left with an 83, which is a decent enough Eb.

[Mark]

My son's getting ready to go off to college, and I'm hoping to buy something that will last him so I won't have to ever buy him another one...

Two YamaYorks. One for home and one for the campus. And two custom Gronitz F tubas (same locations). Two custom Lätzsch cimbassos (same locations). Oh, and a Cybertruck to haul them to gigs. Otherwise, Junior will throw a hissy-fit about being laughed at by the other kids.

[MiBrassFS]

I didn’t realize you could haul things in a cybertruck. The place full of knowledge.