TubaForum.net

I was talking to a friend a few days ago and we were lamenting the end of the days when you could actually just walk in to certain large stores and there would be dozens of tubas with a bunch of examples of each model from which to pick. We were talking about one in particular, but there were a few in the US. I knew at the time it was a kind of golden age. I always wondered how long it could be sustained. It went on quite a long time. It sure was something. I’m sure glad I was fortunate enough to experience it to the fullest I could. It was great fun!

Do you think we’ll ever see again the volume and variety the those big box stores offered to tuba and other brass players a decade or so ago?

I really can’t see it happening. Anyone else have the fun I did? I hope you all did!

I only ever had that chance once, when I tried out new tubas at Custom back in 2007(ish?). It was fun, and I knew like 5% of what I know now about tubas, but it was still fun!

Never made it up to WWBW or any of the other big places before they closed.

I will say, Baltimore Brass is still embodying that ideal to an extent, and I had a super fun time going down and trying out horns last March. They have tons of stuff. But not multiple examples of each model, just a pretty big selection.

Dillon's probably has less selection but the things they do have are great, and it was nice chatting with Matt Walters as always.

You should seen the “Tuba House.” It was kinda hilarious.

Only to be provocative (and not to contradict), if I sorted through the dozens and dozens and dozens of models of professional tubas that have been designed and offered for sale in the past 45 or so years (when the models explosion began), there are very few that I would pull out of that army of individual models and set in a separate little squad of instruments that I would consider owning and using.