Posted by kenk on August 23, 2000 at 21:31:38:
In Reply to: King-UMI Model 2341Four-Valve Tubas posted by Jim on August 22, 2000 at 21:53:18:
I will echo the comments made earlier. I love the sound the King 2341 makes. The models I have played all had very good intonation. I used to play one in college years ago. The horn has a small bore but gets pretty big in the bottom bow and bell so it has a very sweet "American" type sound. Unfortunately due to the small bore the low register is a bit stuffy when you get below the low F down in the fourth valve register. But then again how often do you have to go down there? I usually just like to drop some stuff down an octave, and it is a little hard to do on that horn. The high school in the district where I teach just bought one (I teach in the elementary school) and I was "breaking it in" earlier this summer. I used it on a few band jobs and 2 Pops Orch gigs and was very pleased. The forward facing bell is great for outdoor band concerts. Or if you are the only tuba in a band, it helps you be heard. Also as was mentioned before they are built like tanks and can take much abuse, which is why they are heavier. This could also be a reason for their good solid tone too.
ken k