Posted by Lee Stofer on January 06, 2004 at 08:23:37:
In Reply to: used tubas posted by daktx2 on January 05, 2004 at 22:46:08:
In general, older tubas will tend to have more leaky joints, rotted-out tubing, worn-out and leaking valves, dents, and particularly if manufactured before 1920, unusual tuning problems due to a lack of standardization of pitch before the international adoption of A=440.
Almost any piece of junk that was a good-quality instrument when it was new can be restored, if you're willing to pay the price. Small manufacturing defects can be found in old and new instruments alike, and sometimes the small and oftentimes undetected leak in a particular joint of an instrument makes it a horrible instrument to one person, but a wonderful-playing instrument to another. So, shopping and play-testing is your best bet, and if buying from that auction site, it is a calculated risk at best.
Lee Stofer