Posted by John Swensen on July 12, 2001 at 15:44:56:
In Reply to: classified honesty. posted by Mark McMahon on July 12, 2001 at 14:32:04:
I don't believe that objective descriptions of tubas will be enough to base a purchase decision on, at least in the near future. The reason is that we are not very good at using words to describe the important characteristics of tubas, apart from things like key, finish, number of valves, dents, etc. The sound, response, and intonation characteristics of a tuba may be obvious to a good player, but how does this player quantify those characteristics, and how much weight should be given to each characteristic?
For example, about a year ago I decided to try to find a good Alex F tuba, with the awareness that many old Alexanders have intonation and response problems worse than the very good example I had played a few times. Even assuming perfect honesty, how could a seller possibly describe, in any way that I could relate to, the playing characteristics of his Alex? As it turned out, a trusted friend and teacher was vacationing near the seller and was able to play-test that horn and report to me that it was "about as good as his Alex that I had played and liked, but not as good as his latest, astonishingly-good Alex". (By trusted, beyond believing in his honesty and intregrity, I mean that I know and like his playing style, and I know his likes and dislikes regarding tubas.) His descriptions of the general condition was also helpful, but a scanned picture or two could have told me about as much, and these were far less important to me than the sound and response. (As it turns out, I bought that horn and love it; it plays like the old Alex I tried.)
Until we can measure the Eigenfrequencies of tubas (like the technicians were talking about doing to the Red Violin in the film of the same title), or something similar,
or until all tubas within a certain model play as consistently as, say, digital pianos,
it would seem that play-testing (either in person or by proxy) each prospective horn is the only way to avoid buyer's remorse.