I had a Schlke Helleberg and it was great. Then it got stolen. I'd suggest at least trying another non-Helleberg MP. Try a bowl shaped MP like a Bach 18. You tried a 22 but did you give it a good workout.Your band director probably has on you can borrow for awhile. They respond differently and you ...

Happy Campers! That's what I like. 3v horns are good for lots of purposes.

And, "Hip, hip, hurrah" for light weight!

There is also the Pollard water key. I believe Le Elephant used them in his Holton reconstruction. The advantages the vendor touts are they are simpler, easier to maintain and won't stick open. I don't have them on any of my instruments but they look like a good solution to the problem. Available in ...

The rescued Eb 3v looks great. Good two substance wall hangers could be made into one good horn.

Dan Oberloh in Seattle rebuilds valve sets- piston and rotor. He's pretty busy but would be one to ask.

www.oberloh.com

Sorry to hear about the passing of your friend. This seems to be happening in my peer group, too. I have always thought the story of making an Army band with a plastic sousaphone a demonstration of success made with a combination of ability and a lot of hard work. There must have been a reason you ...

I like the sound, and it plays quite easily, and the intonation, to me, seems to be very good. I haven't played it in so long that I'd forgotten what it was like. The biggest problem is remembering that I only have three valves to work with. I keep pushing down on an imaginary fourth valve with the ...

Tim Jackson wrote: ↑Tue Feb 20, 2024 11:05 pm At this point, the 24J is the only instrument that is available to me. Is it free-blowing at all? decent high range?

It must have tuning bits to play in tune. If you are going to use it, ask about them before you go.

Looks like: USN Seattle Washington. OR: "DST Seattle Washington" Engraving done with an icepick.

Bears the name of Frank Sinatra's tuba player. It would be cool if someone knew where to look for a youtube appearance of Sinatra + 34J 24J - I gave it a try, came up with nothing. I'm in Port Townsend, WA and, in the 90s, played trumpet in the Port Townsend Community Orchestra. There was a guy who ...

Is there something called a "performance minor"? A student could major in engineering or bidness and get advanced training on a musical instrument. Maybe would take a little longer (One or two quarters depending on how the student structures the workload) but would get two desirable things at once.

It came out pretty good! All the effort was worth it.

Would have been a toss-up to fix it as is or use as a donor valve/slide block for a frankenhorner.

I've been waiting for Le Elephant to give the TFFJ a report now that he has had possession of his YamaYork for a few months and could make comparisons with his "new and improved" chopped 345.

I have never owned or been near a top loader bag while it had been loaded or unloaded. Just looking at the pictures, it seems to me that it would be very difficult to maneuver a large tuba in and out of one. Standing up, you have heft the horn up and out. Probably with one hand while tugging the ...

Life can be a mystery...

That's a big "Hmmmmm...'

Here's something to consider: Miraphone as a company did not exist until 1946. Miraphone was a establishment of a variety of workshops in Europe and especially Czechoslovakia which were disrupted or destroyed in the war. Here's a detailed history from Miraphone's website: https://www.miraphone.de ...

Yay, Mom!

There are accidents and then there is vandalism. Most of what is shown appears to be vandalism. It also appears somebody isn't telling the truth.