u/glamm808

UPDATED UPDATE: Pulled the trigger on a newly listed used YEP-321S! It's got a few dings, but hell, so do I. Thank you all so much for all the advice and I'm sure I'll have a million more questions down the road - this community has been incredibly supportive and I truly appreciate it!

UPDATE: So, I scrounged a bit more cash together and am now in the roughly $1800 ballpark. I have found a Blessing BEP-1287 that I could get as open box/demo, keep looking, or do a shady EBay order with Japan for a YEP-321 😂. Anyone have any experience with the Japanese dealers or the import fees? I've been informed the Blessings are made in China, which makes me question if they'd really be all that better than a Dillon or something like that.

Thanks again everyone, you've all been great!

Hey y'all!

So, after 20+ years not playing music, I'm deciding to get back into it. I decided on Euphonium for a few reasons - I played Tuba in high school and loved it, but due to a broken back have a weight restriction which Euphonium matches. I can also do the bulk of the maintenance on a Euphonium, barring I don't do anything stupid (not outside the limits of reality with me).

Also, I went to the University of Denver for Saxophone Performance and

1. Can't have anything hang on my neck

2. Saxophones require an enormous amount of maintenance

3. I would be constantly annoyed with a beginner instrument which is about what I can afford

I have a budget of about $900 and am looking at a couple of entry level brands.

Wessex EP14 Euphonium $895

Dillon Standard 4 Valve Euphonium $895

I've taken a look at Ebay and currently most of the used market is pretty picked over and what's left has been beat up. I'm not opposed to a used horn, but I'm in Knoxville, TN and don't have any connections any more - I don't have a guy who can fix something if a used horn comes in less than kosher.

I'd love any and all advice - I'm about to head over to Reverb since that's a new one to me. Y'all are helping already!!!

Also, point for Dillon - geographically they are pretty close to East Tennessee so I could potentially go and fiddle with a few if I really got a bug

What's the score folks? Good horn or a pass? I've got a line on a new/demo but it seems to be between the Yamaha and the Chinese clones in quality. It's a pretty solid deal but I'm not in a hurry and have no problem letting it go by if it's not up to snuff

Hey y'all! Thank you so so much for your support with my previous post. My next question is: if you could point at 4-5 books that a beginner MUST have, what would they be? There's so many new options out there from when I learned back in the dark ages, and with the progress of technology, there are options that I really have no knowledge of.

Hey y'all,

I'm having a nightmare with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Tennessee. They have contracted out their prior authorization system to a company named Turning Point and I can't get my surgery approved. They denied my surgery. My surgeon set up a Peer to Peer for the next day, they denied that and asked for an Appeal. Now they've denied the Appeal they asked for and another Peer to Peer review.

Everyone at BCBST is very nice and sympathetic because they can point at the nameless faceless 3rd party entity that's denying everything and they don't have any power to change things. I've got a Nurse Case Manager who says my only recourse is more appeals and to file a customer grievance.

For the record, I have a 20x6mm herniated L4-L5 disk with Grade 1 Spondy, Severe Stenosis on both the left and right sides, Sciatica on the right side, and severe axial pain. I am rated a high fall risk, have been on disability for 6 months, go to pain management and walk with a cane. Turning Point's reason for denying the prior authorization is that it isn't medically necessary, but they don't suggest anything else, because there isn't anything else. I'm not a good candidate for an artificial disk, and a fusion is more cost effective and long lasting. I've done PT for 2 years, I've had all the shots, all the minimal treatments, etc...

My surgeon is Dr Abbasi with Inspired Spine in Minnesota - he does fusions. It's his bag. There's nobody more qualified to determine if I need one than him, so I'm not sure how two Peer to Peer Reviews have been denied.

I have already ended up in a psych hospital once because of this. I am getting mental health help, but it feels like BCBST is trying to kill me through negligence

Location: East Tennessee

Hey y'all,

I'm having a nightmare with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Tennessee. They have contracted out their prior authorization system to a Third Party company and I can't get my surgery approved. They denied my surgery. My surgeon set up a Peer to Peer for the next day, they denied that and asked for an Appeal. Now they've denied the Appeal they asked for.

Everyone at My Insurance Company is very nice and sympathetic because they can point at the nameless faceless 3rd party entity that's denying everything and they don't have any power to change things. I've got a Nurse Case Manager who says my only recourse is more appeals and to file a customer grievance.

For the record, I have a 20x6mm herniated L4-L5 disk with Grade 1 Spondy, Severe Stenosis on both the left and right sides, Sciatica on the right side, and severe axial pain. I am rated a high fall risk, have been on disability for 6 months, go to pain management and walk with a cane. The Third Party's reason for denying the prior authorization is that it isn't medically necessary, but they don't suggest anything else, because there isn't anything else. I'm not a good candidate for an artificial disk, and a fusion is more cost effective and long lasting.

My surgeon is at a nationally renowned spinal clinic in Minnesota - he does fusions. It's his bag. There's nobody more qualified to determine if I need one than him, so I'm not sure how two Peer to Peer Reviews have been denied.

I have already ended up in a psych hospital once because of this. I am getting mental health help, but it feels like my Insurance Company is trying to kill me through negligence

Hey y'all,

I'm having a nightmare with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Tennessee. They have contracted out their prior authorization system to a company named Turning Point and I can't get my surgery approved. They denied my surgery. My surgeon set up a Peer to Peer for the next day, they denied that and asked for an Appeal. Now they've denied the Appeal they asked for.

Everyone at BCBST is very nice and sympathetic because they can point at the nameless faceless 3rd party entity that's denying everything and they don't have any power to change things. I've got a Nurse Case Manager who says my only recourse is more appeals and to file a customer grievance.

For the record, I have a 20x6mm herniated L4-L5 disk with Grade 1 Spondy, Severe Stenosis on both the left and right sides, Sciatica on the right side, and severe axial pain. I am rated a high fall risk, have been on disability for 6 months, go to pain management and walk with a cane. Turning Point's reason for denying the prior authorization is that it isn't medically necessary, but they don't suggest anything else, because there isn't anything else. I'm not a good candidate for an artificial disk, and a fusion is more cost effective and long lasting.

My surgeon is Dr Abbasi with Inspired Spine in Minnesota - he does fusions. It's his bag. There's nobody more qualified to determine if I need one than him, so I'm not sure how two Peer to Peer Reviews have been denied.

I have already ended up in a psych hospital once because of this. I am getting mental health help, but it feels like BCBST is trying to kill me through negligence