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Thanks for the reply! I'm in Australia (I should have mentioned). He began playing in 4th grade actually, and he's going into 7th grade next year. I'm assured the Besson was an E-flat tuba. I can't find any used decent E-flat tubas in Australia unfortunately so that's why I was looking at the JP077. Apparently there is a Yamaha at the high school that he will be able to borrow but I was hoping to pick one up to have at home so he doesn't have to drag it on the long walk to high school once or twice a week!

Thanks again.

Another I am considering would be the Yamaha YEB201… not sure if this is a better bet?

Okay. I just learned something:
There's a Besson 1087 and a Besson 1077- B-flat versus E-flat. They're both considered "1000 model" tubas.

If you want to own something and are only borrowing something, the JP077 would be okay for that, but if you own the model 1000 and are looking to own something that's a bit nicer, I would avoid the JP077, as it's entry level. I've never sold a JP077 and I've never had one here at my shop, but I've talked to a couple of people about them when I've had a rare inquiry, and those who own them and bought them for their children told me that they do well. Up to three or four decades ago, Besson made a very small E-flat on Edgware Road in London, and this is probably a comparable and comparable-playing instrument.