TubeNet

I'm looking into buying a 56J pretty soon... But stuck deciding to dish out the extra bucks for the satin silver finish. Other than being absolutely beautiful, can someone please inform me as to why it's "better"?

Also, if anyone HAS a 56J for sale, PM or email me!

Other than it being more expensive and looking different, satin silver vs anything else is just like the old silver vs lacquer debate.

Note that the cost of satin silver is no different than the cost of regular silver plate. However, people probably find it easier to get away not cleaning the satin silver compared to the regular silver.

I think the reason why you see so many of those satin silver Conn 5xJs is because they're one of the only brands/models around that come in satin silver from the factory (besides custom orders).

If you are interested in the 56J, I would suggest you also try the 52J and the 54J. The 56J is the most popular, but some people think it has too much spread in the sound (big bell) and that the smaller bell sizes give the horn a more compact sound.

They're nice horns, great for quintet. They have a smaller bore though so some people have a hard time putting out enough sound for orchestral playing (sound tends to break-up at higher dynamics) but the large bells these things have, along with a careful mouthpiece choice, can compensate.

How do you feel about polishing? How does your body chemistry react with the silver plate? If you don't mind the occasional polish, there's no reason to avoid bright plate. OTOH, if your body chemistry is such that you corrode silver, it won't matter which you get. In the end, it's all just personal taste, as there is no wear differences betweent he shiny an the matte silverplate, and very little, if any audible difference, between the silverplate and the lacquer.

I agree with Dale about the satin vs bright silver. I'm partial to silver over lacquer but you never have to polish lacquer. Shoot it with Windex or Pledge every once in a while.

Silver gives a bit brighter sound, they say.

Go with the bright silver.

I would not spend a penny on the looks of a strange tuba until all playability and intonation issues were identified and solved. If it turns out to be your "new baby" and is the tuba of your dreams, then spend on looks.

Satin silver=tarnish on hands and clothes. Don't do it. Avoid it like the plague. Great on a collector horn, sucks on a daily use horn. I hated mine, was ecstatic to see it go. I wanted to fill it with concrete and chuck it in the river.

Not bitter.

Satin finish blows.

Not bitter.

Really.

Silver plate, be it bright, or satin looks great if well maintained and polished regularly.

However, that requires a lot of effort and I would rather spend my time playing to polishing. If not polished it looks awful.

Lacquer every time for me!

Can you get the horn in raw brass? Nothing like the patina on a well-aged instrument.

It's been about 2 years since I last polished my 56J. For the past year, I have had to be a little careful with tarnish, but it has yet to become a serious problem. It has only recently started to rub off onto a white shirt, so I guess it's time for another polish.

Ymmv, but satin silver has NOT proven to be a disastar for me.

Cheers,