OFFICIAL LIST of complete tuba overhauls/restorations

[trocklouisville]

Dustin Webb at Miles Ahead Music in Louisville, Ky worked on this sousaphone and he produced these results. I think he needs to be on this list of folks with talent for bringing back instruments from the abyss.

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TUBENET SOUSA2.jpg

TUBENET SOUSA1.jpg

My Mirafone1865U had some damage recently and I loved his work. I highly recommend him.

Russell

[EdFirth]

Hey Wade, If it's an old horn wouldn't a valve job be in there somewhere? Or is that just not as common as I thought. Appreciating your insight, Ed

[tubamlb]

Palm Beach , Florida

In Boca Raton Pete Kohnen is a fantastic technician
We have watched Pete rebuild Sousaphones and tubas that seamed hopeless
into as new instruments

Pete is at M&M Instruments ,
6453 W Rogers Circle
Unit N2
Boca Raton FL 33487
561 241 7303

[Renodoc]

So I bought a used 1920's Conn 14k Naked Lady Sousaphone from Beeman Brass Works in Cleveland that he restored. The sousaphone plays great and I was really happy with Everett's professionalism. Don't know if anybody else out there has had experience with him.

[marccromme]

Germany, Berlin, The Berliner Tuba. https://berlinertuba.com/contact.html" target="_blank Lois Kline makes the most beautiful restaurations of vintage tubas, and other low brass. Amazing guy!

[Rick Denney]

Wade, I recall from the old days a distinction between "econo-overhaul" and "full overhaul". The Econo-Overhaul was intended to bring the instrument to flawless playing operation, and included everything on your list except the final refinishing steps. It would include a valve job, slide alignments, worn parts replacements (including any required to alleviate red rot), and complete dent removal. It may include sanding and buffing, and maybe a quick lacquer spray, but without any attempt to make it look really new. (I would never tolerate the sanding and buffing.)

Then there's a full "play-ready" overhaul, which would include all of the above except any finish work, maybe even including the full removal of the previous finish. When Joe reworked my Holton, he straightened the bell, removed the dents, performed a valve job, and completely (and dramatically) realigned the valve branches. I call that a playability overhaul--it restored all the instrument's potentialplaying qualities. It went beyond making it solidly functional--I doubt Holton ever aligned slides as well as Joe did.

(There is also the cosmetic overhaul, aimed at the school market, such as made popular back in San Antonio by P.R.--you know who I mean. That is what leads to the shiny fetish objects on ebay that have to be made ugly to correct their functional deficiencies.)

In the car world, there is a difference between "restoration" and "renovation". Restoration's goal is to make it exactly like it was when new, with historical commitment. Renovation is intended to make it like new, but usably updated. My 1973 GMC Motorhome is undergoing a long-term renovation--it now has an updated front end, updated brakes, a highly modified interior, and various other functional improvements. But boy in needs paint.

I doubt we ever do anything called "restoration" in the tuba world, even on a historical instrument. When Dan Oberloh does what he does with a Holton, it's not like new. It's significantly better than new, both in terms of finishing and in terms of functional corrections.

My point is there is a continuum, and anywhere you set a boundary (such as they do or don't do lacquer or silver plate) will seem arbitrary from some perspective.

Rick "who knows who he would use, and who he wouldn't" Denney

[Will Jones]

Ohio
Beeman Brass Works does complete rebuilds/restoration. He did my conn 36j. My understanding is that he bought Borodi’s shop.