Re: What's wrong with St. Petersburg Tubas


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Posted by Matt Walters on July 03, 2000 at 08:22:39:

In Reply to: What's wrong with St. Petersburg Tubas posted by Jacob on July 03, 2000 at 00:11:04:

Okay, I've kept quiet for long enough. (I know, that's an opinion and likely only mine.)
Summer school repairs are in. I was servicing 2 old tubas from a new school system. Now like an old horn that had been overhauled and buffed out one too many times, they were very thin and had a rounded, worn out feel to all the ferrules and braces. There was a half shiney half dull look to the finish. Very few dents for such old horns that were worn so thin. I was suprised. Well anyone who has worked on old horns knows to be carefull because sure enough the hardware is worn and prone to being stripped. I had to slow down and take even more caution than usual. Heck, does anyone have any spare parts for these European horns. The bore size was odd. Not an even mm or half mm. Go figure. I started to put them back together and no luck. The valves will have to be lapped in to get them reliable. Oh well, the valves have to work. Put them back together and tested them. I've certainly played better but oh well, it's just for some school kids to beat up. I double checked the water key cork I replaced, and double checked the alignments. I know I get a lot of phone calls and may have made a mistake. Nope, this one is not my fault. That's how these things must play. Sorry kids, your school will have to buy you new horns if they want you to play on something nice. Next.

Now here is a 30 year old nickel plated Deprins Brothers tuba. Not a world class horn but plays well with an efficient well centered pitch. Beats the crap out of those last two. The condition is pretty good, well braced, and the plating is actually better than those 2 YEAR OLD ST. PETERSBURG clunkers I just worked on! Glad they came from a school in a different state and that MY tax dollars didn't go to pay for those things.

Matt



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