Posted by Observer on September 22, 2003 at 06:29:29:
In Reply to: ST. PETES posted by :) on September 21, 2003 at 21:20:39:
Check the archives, there have been many fact based critiques of the St. Pete tubas over the years. Some of the most specific were written by Lee Stofer describing his experience trying to work on them. I have played 4 of them, and I find them to be hard to play in tune, and to have a "thin" sound. I have seen the valve linkage fall apart and hear that the valves often feel like there is sand in them, although the valves on the ones I have tried ranged from fair to very slow. The soldering has been so poor that braces have fallen off on some that I have heard of, and one that I have seen first hand.
The bottom line is that there are now much better made tubas available in the same price range, such as the VMI 2103, Cerveny 681/686, or Jupiter 582. Even the King 2341 is close to the same price. I would take any one of them over a St. Pete.