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there was one for sale for $6000 a couple years ago that I missed out on

As far as the things you buy every day (food, fuel) "a couple of years ago's" $6000 (ignoring media nonsense propaganda) is today's $10,000+
The same goes for transportation and for housing - in many parts of the country.

I don't know for sure if this is legit, but it looks good.
4 valve N Star, located in Germany.

https://www.kleinanzeigen.de/s-anzeige ... 7-74-8670

I would have bought a four-valver, found one somewhere in Europe new, and they wouldn't send it over here.
Unless you're as fond of the false tone as I am, that would be a bit difficult in the contra range.

It would have to be a steal of a deal for to buy that, enough that I would add a valve myself

So HornGuys are back in business?

I'm really close to pulling the trigger..

I'm going to have to sell both of CC tubas, the york, and probably my bass trombone too, but I have the money in the bank to buy it outright, but I don't want to keep adding tubas unless I can replinish the bank account

The easiest thing would be to sell my incredible short action sterling bell adams E3, but it's too good to give up, even if I'm only using it for community band

It's going to take a while to consider myself a BBb /Eb player after 35 years of playing cerveny CC tubas

You're cracking me up because after my recent experience with the Nirschl I want to add a contrabass CC to MY stable. Because while the Star has a fabulous low range, it isn't a contrabass and there are circumstances when I would prefer one.

I don't know if I've said this or not, but I'm at a point in my life wherever really hard time playing CC tuba for my students when they are playing B flat. I always seem to gravitate toward the fingerings that they need to use instead of the fingerings I need to use and it's frustrating. For my teaching, I think I need to become a B flat player most of the time and for performances that call for something lighter and higher, I can use an E flat.



Now here's the other wrinkle. I'm at work right now and I brought my York to practice on just to keep playing E flat fingerings, and for whatever reason it's playing great today. Feeling and intonation and all that stuff, the only thing I can't really evaluate is the tone from a distance. I need to record myself. The easiest thing to do would obviously be keep this instrument but I'm just not sure it has the tone that I'm looking for and the Norwegian Star is always been on my wish list

Re: contrabass


My BBb is by no means a massive tuba, (think of the old 16" bell miraphones, and then chop 8 inches off the height, but the low range on it is very good

As for the york, the 20 inch bell does give it a better low range than most Eb tubas.... I think. I told my wife I still need to record it in our church's worship center

I'm kind of a stingy miser now...

---Remember the old saying about the grass is greener on the other side? Sounds to me like the more you play that old York frankentuba, the more comfortable your getting....

Meaning is it really necessary to spend a bunch of cash on a new(ish) horn?

I guess it's all about what you need, what you want, and whether you have the money.

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Yeah, you're onto something


So there it is.


Final answer



I'm going to keep playing the york at least until February, maybe see if there is anything I can to do it to fix a couple leaks, and then evaluate at TMEA if the Norwegian star is a major upgrade that's worth it. In theory the york has a couple advantages over the Star. (bigger bell and tuning stick) if I feel at that time I want to upgrade, I'll do it. My January recital will be behind me so that won't influence my decision, which I can't say right now that it's not.

I know this sounds stupid, but I feel at peace. This has been weighing on me

I had mentioned earlier in this post that one of my fears is an $11k dust collector

If don't end up playing Eb very much in the future I will feel zero guilt about letting the york collect extended dust because
1. There is always a matter of personal pride associated with something you created yourself, like it's one of your kids (even if one of kids aren't the best kids in the world..... That's another story)
2. I probably have less than $2000 in this horn, even after scrapping a different horn to steal the valve section for the big horn.

Honestly one of my fears is the regret of selling the CC tubas like my DEEP regret of selling my piggy. That one I'm still kicking myself for

I dont think the york will become a dust collector. Maybe a little, but I bet you'll find places to use it more frequently as you get more comfortable with it.

I cant wait to get mine patched up.

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A star came up on the "other site" for a killer price. I almost jumped on it, but someone else who seemed very interested Pm'ed the seller first, so I probably wouldn't have been able to make the deal, and also... I'm kind of liking my york at this point. I've found and patched the leaks, the valves are quick and light, and it gets that famous york sound. It's so much easier to play than after I first built it, and there's something about playing a horn that you put together and modified with your own two hands.

I'm going to play a star at both the Army workshop and TMEA next month, so at least at TMEA I'll be able to do a serious A/B and see if it's still something I want to follow through with.

The search Is over

Just bought a used star at the army conference

Now I have to get it home!

Congratulations! Good luck on the trip home. Cant wait to hear it. Maybe a video playing the Rachmaninoff on the star for a sort of side by side comparison. I really enjoyed your performance of that vocalise.

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For sure I can do that. Maybe not the same hall, but it would be close.
I'm thinking I want to keep both horns. They are different from each other but that's not a bad thing

I think once you get used to the Star the other one is going to sit in a corner.

Congrats!!

LeMark wrote: ↑Fri Feb 02, 2024 3:50 pm The search Is over

Just bought a used star at the army conference

Now I have to get it home!

Congratulations