choice

[Tom Mason]

Might I come by Friday and try the horn?

Tom

[MusicSmiths]

My 1974 Besson 3 comp "New Standard" doesn't say what sort of tuba it is either. Just has the "50 Medals of Honor" stamped on it. I had the receiver replaced as well.

[Tom Mason]

I will post thee pictures tomorrow afternoon. May also have a picture of me playing the horn tonight at a gig. Hopefully you will see that Joe puts out the effort to make the customer the priority in his dealings. What he did to the horn was far above what is expected for selling as is.

[Tom Mason]

To clarify some comments: I have lost all the hearing in my right ear due to a law enforcement and school teaching activity. In short, I lost the hearing while administering CPR to a bus driver without the aid of an automatic defibulator or breathing bag back in 2008 during an ice storm. Doctors say that my blood pressure went high enough that I damaged the blood flow to my middle ear bones.

I had a BAHA hearing implant in 2009, and for a number of years, struggled with the quality of hearing. It has gotten to the point that when I used a left bell, the sound of the horn interferes with the sound of the remaining ensemble.

Insurance goes back and forth concerning coverage of hearing implants, and I am currently loosing the battle as far as replacement or updating devices or implants. With kids in college and having to watch what I spend, priorities have to be made.

I have finally decided that the alternative is the right pointing bell. The choices are limited, as you well known. Having had experience with Besson 3 valve compensating euphoniums in college, I knew that the tubas were an option. Joe and others on Tubenet have them occasionally, and I took a shot.

Joe spent time with me and the horn. In a day where he had better and more important things to do; he replaced broken braces, traded valves with another horn as he mentioned earlier, took out dents that were accessible, and closed up some closed up some solder joint places. He took a horn that was really a source for parts and made a horn that was good for the job.

I played the horn Saturday evening at a dixieland concert. More pictures later when my wife sends them to me.

tuba 3.png

Thank you , Joe for the day of letting me watch and learn. Thanks to Mrs. Joe for entertaining me and giving me a narrative of the compound while we waited for you.

[Tom Mason]

A final picture of the tuba. Don't know how to label the picture or the work as being done by a tuba specialist or a repair guru who chose to work on tubas that day.........