Posted by Sally on May 22, 1999 at 17:21:12:
I am trying to get a 1904 Conn 4 valve Eb tuba back to its former glory. The tuba has been sitting for decades, but after a bath it seems to be in pretty good shape (all slides are smooth and fast, only very minor dents, etc.) The finish on the horn has mutated(?) to a matte olive/black. Does anyone have any suggestions for polishing or cleaning it? My main concern is to improve its playability. The valve stem on the fourth valve was wobbly and has been repaired. Is this a horn that is worth putting some money into resurrecting? My initial impression is that the whole horn plays somewhat flat - perhaps the right mouthpiece would remedy this (?? - I tried it with a Bach 24AW mouthpiece and didn't have a tuner to really check it out. Are most of the horns from this era pitched lower than the current concert pitch?) Any help or suggestions would be gratefully welcomed.