Posted by Depends...... on October 25, 2001 at 18:33:27:
In Reply to: "Good" Tubas...? posted by Devin on October 25, 2001 at 18:14:52:
Wow ...great question. There are many important factors that make a horn "Good". The major qualities are intonation stability, response, and control. Do you have to mave the slides all over to play in tune? Are some notes really stuffy? Are you limited on volume because the size of the horn. Instruments are very much like people. The all are very different and have their own qualities. Like you stated a great player can make anything sound great but that not so good horn will have its limitations. I was in a lesson once with Floyd Cooley and I was playing my college issued Mirafone(sorry cant remember the model) but it was no where near the quality of Mr. Cooley's horn. I was wondering if there was a problem with the horn and he picked it up and started playing it. It was probably the best playing it ever got. The sound was all his nice full round and in tune, but it did not have the same charateristic of his horn. Don't know if it helped but that's my story and I am sticking to it...
Zac