Re: BAH!


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Posted by Lee Stofer on October 23, 2003 at 08:15:32:

In Reply to: BAH! posted by ken k on October 21, 2003 at 21:26:56:

Congratulations, Ken - sounds like a great horn. I have long felt that Olds/Reynolds made some of the best tuba piston valve sections ever. At one time I took an old Olds fiberglass sousa, bought as a basket case, and tried every brass instrument refinement trick I could think of to enhance its playing characteristics. When complete, it played stunningly well, and that mostly because of how well Olds made it.
Helicons in general are really neat instruments. I just finished a 3-weekend run with a polka/dixieland band (?) where I played sixty-one 45-minute sets over 12 days. I used a large Amati 4-rotor BBb helicon which worked beautifully. The beauty of the helicon was that it played like a large-bore Cerveny tuba (20" bell, .820" bore), but weighed considerably less than an American sousaphone. This was important, as the gig was standing or strolling, never sitting. Also, the helicon bell configuration made it easier to get through the three sets of doors between the dressing rooms and the performance area at the beginning and end of each set. Also, it is fun to get the "What is THAT?" look from people. Enjoy your new friend,

Lee Stofer


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