Posted by Christian on November 08, 2003 at 11:02:07:
In Reply to: Care of a new tuba posted by Debbie on November 07, 2003 at 11:46:44:
I like Hetmans synthetic lubricants. They last a long time, don't stink, and don't stain my pants. They also come in a large number of variants (different ones for valves that are tight or more worn). They can be mail ordered through the Brasswind and Dillon music, but I usually get mine locally through Lee Stofer.
IMHO, the BEST thing you can do is buy your son a hard case with big wheels on it. If your son's tuba came with such a case, make him use it! A hard case with wheels will be easier to carry around than one without. A soft case (gig bag) will probably be more convenient to carry around, but folks don't call them "dent bags" for nothing. A hard case may be expensive but it's a small investment compared to the tuba. Many gig bags are almost as expensive as good hard cases.
And, if you buy him a car, make sure the hard case fits in it :)
hth,
Christian Klein