Alex 163 BBb LOCAL SALE ONLY
Forum rules
This is for buying or selling your personal equipment, but sponsored selling is allowed as well. We are requiring all ads to have the following information. Price, (even for trades) Brand, Model, and location (for instruments, not accessories) need to be included in the ad, or at least be very clear in link provided. It is acceptable to link to an external ad if you are promoting a sale of your personal equipment. No Ebay Auctions, but Buy it now listings are fine. Photos are HIGHLY suggested as well. If you see an ad that does not meet these criteria, please report it.
This is for buying or selling your personal equipment, but sponsored selling is allowed as well. We are requiring all ads to have the following information. Price, (even for trades) Brand, Model, and location (for instruments, not accessories) need to be included in the ad, or at least be very clear in link provided. It is acceptable to link to an external ad if you are promoting a sale of your personal equipment. No Ebay Auctions, but Buy it now listings are fine. Photos are HIGHLY suggested as well. If you see an ad that does not meet these criteria, please report it.
- Mary Ann
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Alex 163 BBb LOCAL SALE ONLY
Last edited by Mary Ann on Tue Sep 22, 2026 10:03 am, edited 11 times in total.
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- the elephant (Thu May 29, 2025 11:05 pm) • Basses88 (Sun Aug 24, 2025 12:49 pm) • arpthark (Wed Sep 23, 2026 8:34 am)
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Heavy_Metal
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Re: Alexander 163 BBb
Beautiful! 
Frank
Principal tuba, Bel Air Community Band
Old (early 1900s?) Alexander BBb proto-163
1976 Sonora (B&S 101) 4-rotor BBb
~1904 York 3P BBb Helicon
Old Alex Comp.F, in shop
Principal tuba, Bel Air Community Band
Old (early 1900s?) Alexander BBb proto-163
1976 Sonora (B&S 101) 4-rotor BBb
~1904 York 3P BBb Helicon
Old Alex Comp.F, in shop
- Mary Ann
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- Mary Ann
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- Mary Ann
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Re: STELLAR Alexander 163 BBb
Bump. I will be speaking with the owner with a translator within the week so I can get a better idea of what she wants to do. One of the things I'm suggesting is to put this and the F on consignment for visibility, since what I'm doing is not working. If I refused to ship, I'd understand it, but I haven't refused, just said I'd rather not because of the damage potential and the fact that these cannot be duplicated anywhere.
- Mary Ann
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Re: unsold STELLAR Alexander 163 BBb
Back on the market. Buyer and I decided that with all the things that were getting in the way of shipping it to him, that we'd cancel the sale.
$7500 plus shipping, for this marvelous Alexander BBb. I prefer you come pick it up one way or another. Although it is well-packed in a box, shrink-wrapped at this point to a pallet.
$7500 plus shipping, for this marvelous Alexander BBb. I prefer you come pick it up one way or another. Although it is well-packed in a box, shrink-wrapped at this point to a pallet.
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- the elephant (Sat Sep 20, 2025 6:38 pm)
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York-aholic
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Re: STELLAR Alexander 163 BBb
You might want to edit the title of the original post…
@Mary Ann
@Mary Ann
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- the elephant (Sat Sep 20, 2025 6:38 pm)
Some old Yorks, Martins, and perhaps a King rotary valved CC
- the elephant
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Re: STELLAR Alexander 163 BBb
Definitely. Edit your title. I thought it was sold. I am sorry the deal fell through.York-aholic wrote: Sat Sep 20, 2025 6:25 pm You might want to edit the title of the original post…
@Mary Ann
HO, HO, HO! Santa thinks you're funny!- Mary Ann
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Re: Back on market!! STELLAR Alexander 163 BBb: 7500
Ok, bump. I FINALLY have a shipping quote that is less than $600, from XPO, which includes residential pickup and delivery and removal of the pallet. The tuba is shrink-wrapped to a pallet on saw horses in my garage.
I will simply repeat that this is not some beat up rusty hulk of a tuba but pristine lacquered yellow brass that has no major dents. It plays well, for me appears to have very workable intonation, and I even have a video I made of my very bad contrabass playing on a tuba twice my size, if you want to hear intonation without any slide pulling.
$7500 plus shipping. The shipping is an estimate and I had it calculate from Tucson to Bloomington, Indiana because those were two zip codes I had in my head.
You could do SO much worse. Here are the pictures again:
https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/kbvbvadj ... 0yzs2&dl=0
I will simply repeat that this is not some beat up rusty hulk of a tuba but pristine lacquered yellow brass that has no major dents. It plays well, for me appears to have very workable intonation, and I even have a video I made of my very bad contrabass playing on a tuba twice my size, if you want to hear intonation without any slide pulling.
$7500 plus shipping. The shipping is an estimate and I had it calculate from Tucson to Bloomington, Indiana because those were two zip codes I had in my head.
You could do SO much worse. Here are the pictures again:
https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/kbvbvadj ... 0yzs2&dl=0
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martyneilan
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Re: Back on market!! STELLAR Alexander 163 BBb: 7500
If you're going to own an Alexander contrabass tuba, BBb is the way to go. Just my opinion...
- Mary Ann
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Re: Back on market!! STELLAR Alexander 163 BBb: 7500
Bump. Someone is going to be in love, when they realize what this is. Pictures are still up, I have a short video demonstrating no-slide-pull intonation with my obvious lack of contrabass expertise (available upon request.)
- bloke
- Mid South Music
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Re: Back on market!! STELLAR Alexander 163 BBb: 7500
Were it not that I am ridding myself of debt (as we accumulated some during "covid", and I'm just not accustomed to having any) I would get the car checked over and drive to Arizona - with federal reserve notes - to see if that tuba is something that I could use myself.
- bort2.0
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- Mary Ann
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Re: Back on market. STELLAR Alexander 163 BBb: 7500
I am tired of having this sit on a pallet in my garage and I will be shipping it to Dillon's to put on consignment. Their consignment fee is 18%. For Dillon's I think I would be asking them to offer it for $8k, and likely they could get it due to the traffic through there. So $8k minus 18% is $6560. Make me an offer I can't refuse. I would have to assume that after all these months that the slides are a bit stuck. They weren't when it was packed, and I am not going to unpack it. Matt at Dillon said that is no problem for them, that they will unstick and lube all prior to sale.
If shipped I will use a trucking company and cost could be in the neighborhood of $500.
There is a mouthpiece in a separate small box in a corner inside the tuba box; it is a Mike Finn 2. It's included. The tuba likes this mouthpiece.
Pictures are still up:
https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/kbvbvadj ... 2&e=1&dl=0
If shipped I will use a trucking company and cost could be in the neighborhood of $500.
There is a mouthpiece in a separate small box in a corner inside the tuba box; it is a Mike Finn 2. It's included. The tuba likes this mouthpiece.
Pictures are still up:
https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/kbvbvadj ... 2&e=1&dl=0
Re: Back on market!! STELLAR Alexander 163 BBb: 7500
You and me both, Bloke.bloke wrote: Tue Nov 25, 2025 1:51 pm Were it not that I am ridding myself of debt (as we accumulated some during "covid", and I'm just not accustomed to having any) I would get the car checked over and drive to Arizona - with federal reserve notes - to see if that tuba is something that I could use myself.
Romans 3:23, 24
B&S MRP-C
Bessson New Standard 17" BBb Bass
Boosey & Hawkes Imperial 19" Eb Bass
John Packer 379 FF
B&S MRP-C
Bessson New Standard 17" BBb Bass
Boosey & Hawkes Imperial 19" Eb Bass
John Packer 379 FF
Re: Back on market!! STELLAR Alexander 163 BBb: 7500
I would do the same thing but I would be sleeping in the guest bedroom for months.bloke wrote: Tue Nov 25, 2025 1:51 pm I would get the car checked over and drive to Arizona - with federal reserve notes - to see if that tuba is something that I could use myself.
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Heavy_Metal
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Re: Back on market!! STELLAR Alexander 163 BBb: 7500
Me three, if I didn't already have an Alex.Matt Good wrote: Sat Jul 11, 2026 7:11 pmI would do the same thing but I would be sleeping in the guest bedroom for months.bloke wrote: Tue Nov 25, 2025 1:51 pm I would get the car checked over and drive to Arizona - with federal reserve notes - to see if that tuba is something that I could use myself.
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- prodigal (Sun Jul 26, 2026 2:17 pm)
Frank
Principal tuba, Bel Air Community Band
Old (early 1900s?) Alexander BBb proto-163
1976 Sonora (B&S 101) 4-rotor BBb
~1904 York 3P BBb Helicon
Old Alex Comp.F, in shop
Principal tuba, Bel Air Community Band
Old (early 1900s?) Alexander BBb proto-163
1976 Sonora (B&S 101) 4-rotor BBb
~1904 York 3P BBb Helicon
Old Alex Comp.F, in shop
- the elephant
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Re: Price drop. STELLAR Alexander 163 BBb
I have officially inquired…

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- prodigal (Sun Jul 26, 2026 2:17 pm)
HO, HO, HO! Santa thinks you're funny!- the elephant
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Re: Price drop. STELLAR Alexander 163 BBb
.
Last edited by the elephant on Mon Jul 27, 2026 10:41 am, edited 1 time in total.
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HO, HO, HO! Santa thinks you're funny!- bort2.0
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Re: Price drop. STELLAR Alexander 163 BBb
I'll take it.
Lol just kidding, congrats Wade! It's a beautiful tuba!
Lol just kidding, congrats Wade! It's a beautiful tuba!
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- the elephant (Sun Jul 26, 2026 3:33 pm)
