Posted by Rick Denney on February 27, 2004 at 21:50:34:
In Reply to: HOLTON QUIZ posted by LDC on February 27, 2004 at 21:34:42:
I have this feeling that you are asking a different question than you think you are.
Yes, I play a Holton BB-345, and have amassed considerable playing time on it since I bought it 14 months ago, at least within the parameters of being a hobbyist.
My thoughts? I think it could be among the finest big BBb tubas ever made, in terms of how it plays and how it sounds. In terms of construction quality, it's somewhat of a mess, but it became functional after Lee Stofer made the slides straight and cleaned the gunk out of it.
It was manufactured by Holton in Elkhart, Wisconsin, and here is where I think you're asking a different question than you think you are. You're asking about new Holtons, such as the BB-346R, which is a Yamaha (321?), and the TU-331BB, which is made by Holton in Elkhart, but which is a smaller Harvey Phillips model. The 6/4 BB-345 like mine hasn't been made since the 70's, but it's the big ones that people think of when you just say "Holton".
Rick "who doesn't know anybody who owns the BBb version of the HP model" Denney