Any of you have a TUBA or Susaphone? Trumbone?

Locust Fork

I used to pick up random instruments from pawn shops that I buy guns from and give them to my local school. They have a hard time getting some low income kids what they need, so its always nice to have a few extra instruments. Since my kids are no longer in school I haven't helped them like I once did.....but since I LOVE the idea of a school band I was pretty excited to hear from my daughter's old band director.


He is with a new school and he has a LARGE job ahead of him. They are starting a new band at Appalachian....which is a VERY small school out in the country. He is starting from scratch. They need some pretty pricey items to get started that are normally provided by the school......like a TUBA. Normally there are fundraisers, band boosters, and such to provide for these sorts of things. Just starting out means they need everything. So, its hard to pay for something like a tuba. Those things are $5000!

I'm good for a few clarinets, a saxophone, a few trumpets when I can find a deal on them.....but something this big is a little more than I can provide.

I have found a reseller that has one for $2500. I really hope to help this band director get started.


Kids in band make life-long friends, are too busy with band things to get into trouble, have lots of fun trips to competitions and such. Its just a good thing for a school to have.

mogley98

I have some Albacore in the pantry

Locust Fork

[:D][:D][:D]

bigcitybill

I played the slushpump in 7th and 8th grade.
To this day I still look for a good trombone
when I'm around used instruments for sale.

I'll keep an eye out, and send what I can.

CaptFun

I always had to buy my kids instruments. Picked them up on fleabay, and there was a great horn shop near the office that took the dents out, polished them up and tuned up all the valves... I usually got as much or more for them when I resold them.

I always wondered about the really big things like tuba and the marimba / vibraphone. My sister played that in the Fairhope band and I know my parents didn't buy that.... I assumed that the school owned them...

Locust Fork

For the most part the parents buy the kids instruments. The music outfits make a killing off these "rental" or financed instruments.

You can find used instruments in pawn shops, but by the time you have them repaired you are paying a pretty penny. Having the pads replaced on a clarinet is about $200 from my understanding. So, the "deal" isn't really out there for these types of things. I bought several cheap things and gave them to the school because I knew they would have to put a little money in them before the kids could use them.

The school owns things like the Tuba, Kettle Drums, Xylophone, some of the more common things you see in a band room.....but to buy all of that all at once would be impossible.

The band director said as of right now he only has $1000 to work with.....and they have NOTHING.

Appalachian is a country school out in the middle of nowhere. I am sure they could use all the help they can get. Its one of the only football teams that Locust Fork nearly kills every year. I can't believe they even have a team....but they manage to have one every year. (I seriously don't know when they have ever won a game.)

Locust Fork

quote:Originally posted by bigcitybill
I played the slushpump in 7th and 8th grade.
To this day I still look for a good trombone
when I'm around used instruments for sale.

I'll keep an eye out, and send what I can.



You are awesome!

Thank you!