Posted by Rick Denney on June 13, 2002 at 15:45:56:
In Reply to: Re: Re: Thin brass on a Cerveney? posted by InkyDaveB on June 13, 2002 at 15:27:13:
Mark is a pro-quality player with mountains of experience playing Cerveny tubas. The stuff he is talking about would not be a blip on the radar screen of a returning adult in the first phases of his rebirth. He is talking about adding stiffeners here and there, plus adding heavy weights to the core of the instrument to increase its mass. The differences are real but subtle.
Cerveny brass isn't so much thinner as it is weaker, having been annealed to a greater extent in the process of being formed. They dent quite easily as a result. But good ones play quite well and require only a little bit more care than you'd want to give any tuba. As to breaking up easily, I doubt that the strength or thickness of the bell makes much difference here, especially to the sound out front away from the player.
If you make a good sound with good air flow and a strong embouchure, you won't need to worry about whether the instrument's sound breaks up. Cerveny's are more than capable of pulling their weight in a community band.
Rick "who used to own one" Denney