Best Budget Eeb Tuba.

[Brassedoff971]

I was hoping for advice on which is the best budget opinion for a Eeb tuba.

Here were some of the ones I have been looking at.
Thomann EB 882
John Packer JP277 EEb Tuba (not a fan of the lead pipe)
John Packer JP377
Wessex Eb Champion TE560P
Wessex Eb Prelude TE260
Schiller?

[LeMark]

377 for sure from that list

[tubaing]

I can't comment on the "Best" but Schiller seems to be the cheapest available in the US and I'm not sure how different the Schillers are from some of the similar designed Wessex (same factory, no?). I can comment that I have a Schiller euphonium that I bought used and I think it is 99% fantastic.

[gocsick]

A sometimes section mate has the Schiller... he needed something cheap for occasional brass band use.. I was honestly surprised by how good it was. I am also very happy with my Schiller Euphonium. I haven't played most of the instruments on the list beyond the Schiller and Wessex tubas.

I didn't think it is the best overall instrument on the list... but in terms of best budget tubas.. I think it is hard to beat $2,400 list price new... vs almost$8,500 list for the JP377.

[Mary Ann]

Schillers are not returnable.

[arpthark]

I had a Schiller 19" bell Eb tuba as my only horn for a year. It was fine. Valves were nice, no complaints. I bought it for something around $1,200 used in 2017 or so.

[Brassedoff971]

Has anyone had any experience with the Thomann 882 Eb tuba?

[arpthark]

Has anyone had any experience with the Thomann 882 Eb tuba?

I am not, but are you in the US? As of last year, when I inquired, Thomann was not willing to ship tubas to the USA.

[Brassedoff971]

I am located in Australia I would have to check if they ship here. Most likely not. Not many options for buying tubas here.

[PlayTheTuba]

The Eastman EBE 853 (17" bell, more common in the US I think) and the 851 (15" bell) front action compensators are quite nice. At least the last time I tried them they posted really well.

I think it's priced around the same as the packer 377 when browsing online.

Eastman and Jupiter do make a 3+1 non-compensating Eb. The Jupiter has a more unique design. I haven't tried them though. They should pretty affordable since they are probably marketed more towards students.

Although I'm not sure what options exist in Australia. I've heard people import the Yamaha BBb compensators from the UK though instead of Japan . Yamaha might be an option

[MiBrassFS]

I am located in Australia I would have to check if they ship here. Most likely not. Not many options for buying tubas here.

Have you checked with people like Ed Diefes (Roseville Chase - Sydney NSW) or Bret Gustafson (Adelaide)? Both are repair folk who seem to see a fair amount of tuba traffic. If not on hand, they may have knowledge of in country instruments looking for homes.

If you find something second hand in the US, XSBaggage seems to be a good way to get it to Australia.

Just a side note addressing your listed tubas… Of those, almost “none of the above.” I would check out a used 377 if one became available to me, but US$8500 average new selling price in the States blows my mind and I would never consider it. The only way I would consider a JinBao anything is a used one like Arpthark did at a similar price as a stepping stone. I hope that doesn’t offend anyone, but my experiences with them (and unfortunately especially their sellers) has set my opinion.

[Mary Ann]

Just a side note addressing your listed tubas… Of those, almost “none of the above.” I would check out a used 377 if one became available to me, but US$8500 average new selling price in the States blows my mind and I would never consider it. The only way I would consider a JinBao anything is a used one like Arpthark did at a similar price as a stepping stone. I hope that doesn’t offend anyone, but my experiences with them (and unfortunately especially their sellers) has set my opinion.

I agree with this -- I have seen very usable chinese instruments but you don't know what you're getting with most of them, and the only way I would buy one would be someone selling it and I could play test it. I looked at a local Schiller BBb that the guy was trying to get rid of (for obvious reasons when I play tested it) and felt sorry for him that he got stuck with an instrument that was so bad. My battered ancient 4-valve Mirafone Eb is MUCH more of a playable tuba than that thing, and was mistaken by people I played with as, quote, "a big BBb." So just -- beware and be careful.

OTOH, someone several years ago in the brass band bought one of those Indian rotary Eb tubas and was able to make it go, so -- you never know what combo of player and tuba can be made to work well enough.

[Tom C]

Until recently, there were always a bunch of cheap used Eb's available. These were primarily Conns, Yorks, and other American brands with three valves, and some played pretty well. Eb sousaphones were also plentiful and cheap. I don't see so many listed recently. The best Eb I ever had was a small J. Higham upright (silver) that I bought for $75 in the 1980s. I wish I had not ever sold it. I would buy it back if I could find it.

[Schlepporello]

A friend of mine was buying Mahillan Eb tubas off of a site on Ebay for a while. That might still be a good spot to start looking. His were 3/4 sized as well.

[donn]

I'm going to guess that this is to serve in a "British" brass band. Would a 3V Eb work there? I say I'll never think about getting a 3V bass tuba again, but it's possible I just haven't discovered a musical context where the 4th valve is extraneous. (For Eb. BBb is a different case.)

[bloke]

I sell the 377. They're not super inexpensive (though my markup is modest) and they are made in China, but the workmanship screams "European". Every time I sell one , I'm jealous of the buyer, but I already have a nearly unique 1958 3+1 compensating English E-flat , and- alas - I just can't justify owning a 377.
I could sell a ton more of the 277's if they were just offered with the taller mouth pipe tube, or perhaps with two options such as "277L" and "277H" (for low and high mouth pipes), but that's just not the case.
The 277 is put together just as carefully, but is yellow brass and the case isn't as nice. It's a great choice for someone who is short-waisted.

[tubaing]

I'll just mention this new condition York 3082/Besson 982 that I'm selling...

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