New Tuba Player in the PNW
Posted: Thu Dec 28, 2006 3:28 pm
Hello:
I'm a new tuba player in the PNW, specifically Port Townsend, WA.
I've played brass instruments since grade school. I have mainly played the trumpet but have spent a number of years also blowing the French horn and baritone horn (treble clef in school band). I played in an orchestra in college and have played in the community orchestra here in the past but not for a few years now.
I have thought of the tuba often in the past and finally started to think of getting one when a guitar playing friend suggested I get an electric bass and play along with him. Why not an air bass? Why not indeed...
I started reading up on different aspects of the tuba including here and other places on the net. I started watching tubas on eBay about two months ago to try and get a handle on possible costs and types of horns available. I also found Dan Oberloh's site and was happy to find that he was only a two hours drive from me.
Well, I kind of stumbled into the horn I bought... It was one of those eBay things... I had been following a few horns for awhile and a King which was a refugee from a high school and looked to be not too badly thrashed (as school horns go) drew my attention. I came home from work and saw that the bids were at $310 with about 30 min. to go. "Seems awful low..." So, I put in $350, thinking that someone would probably grab it from me at the last minute... The time expired and I'm now the owner of a King 1140 tuba. Whee.
It was shipped to me and it was indeed used. It came with a case that needs to be patched together but I can do that. The horn obviously had been beat and thrashed about quite a bit and repaired poorly here and there but the valves worked smoothly and all of the slides work fairly well. There was one big bash in the bottom bow (which I had known about) but the bell was much more straight than crooked and the leaderpipe had some dents in it but looked better than the one on the baritone I had to play in the 8th grade so I was kinda pleased with my purchase. I decided that I would have this thing repaired as far as $500 would get me and that's it. So, it's off to Dan Oberloh's..
Turns out one of Dan's cousins is a school friend of mine... What a friendly fellow. He approached getting my tuba sorted out with a great deal of enthusiasm- like he actually wanted to work on it. Of course, he's a businessman and wants to make a living but I don't believe "not having work to do" is one of Dan's problems. He gave it a blow and said that it would be a nice tuba when sorted out and he pointed at various problems it had and how he would not only would it play better but look better, too.
He took me on a short tour of his shop and, even with the little amount of tuba experience I have, I could tell it was tuba heaven. There was a horn in there which made me glad I will have a case for my horn. Seems a fellow was carrying his Meinl Weston in a gig bag and it slipped off his shoulder. The tuba landed hard right on the valves. Poor Tuba! The valve block was bent and there were a number of dents made. Dan was busily making it right but that certainly makes the case for a case. He pointed out a few of his custom projects in progress. We also talked over some problems with my trumpet which might be solved in the future.
My tuba should be in my hands in about 3 weeks at a cost just a little higher than my budget but within parameters for what I will have in the end. I have a Rubank Elementary Method and a tuner on order. After I feel my way around for awhile, I might try and find a teacher. Or not. I've never had any lessons other than band class at school and practicing at home.
Will I like playing the tuba? We'll just have to wait and see. I plan on playing with my guitar friend, maybe get in the orchestra again, learn some solos and amuse myself in the back yard or form an oompah band with my buddy the accordian player. Any excuse to wear funny hats and drink beer. I think the King will probably be fine for now and maybe for a long time.
The people here seem like a lot of fun and I will be enjoying participating here.
Happy New Year.
Jeff Benedict
"The Big Ben"
I'm a new tuba player in the PNW, specifically Port Townsend, WA.
I've played brass instruments since grade school. I have mainly played the trumpet but have spent a number of years also blowing the French horn and baritone horn (treble clef in school band). I played in an orchestra in college and have played in the community orchestra here in the past but not for a few years now.
I have thought of the tuba often in the past and finally started to think of getting one when a guitar playing friend suggested I get an electric bass and play along with him. Why not an air bass? Why not indeed...
I started reading up on different aspects of the tuba including here and other places on the net. I started watching tubas on eBay about two months ago to try and get a handle on possible costs and types of horns available. I also found Dan Oberloh's site and was happy to find that he was only a two hours drive from me.
Well, I kind of stumbled into the horn I bought... It was one of those eBay things... I had been following a few horns for awhile and a King which was a refugee from a high school and looked to be not too badly thrashed (as school horns go) drew my attention. I came home from work and saw that the bids were at $310 with about 30 min. to go. "Seems awful low..." So, I put in $350, thinking that someone would probably grab it from me at the last minute... The time expired and I'm now the owner of a King 1140 tuba. Whee.
It was shipped to me and it was indeed used. It came with a case that needs to be patched together but I can do that. The horn obviously had been beat and thrashed about quite a bit and repaired poorly here and there but the valves worked smoothly and all of the slides work fairly well. There was one big bash in the bottom bow (which I had known about) but the bell was much more straight than crooked and the leaderpipe had some dents in it but looked better than the one on the baritone I had to play in the 8th grade so I was kinda pleased with my purchase. I decided that I would have this thing repaired as far as $500 would get me and that's it. So, it's off to Dan Oberloh's..
Turns out one of Dan's cousins is a school friend of mine... What a friendly fellow. He approached getting my tuba sorted out with a great deal of enthusiasm- like he actually wanted to work on it. Of course, he's a businessman and wants to make a living but I don't believe "not having work to do" is one of Dan's problems. He gave it a blow and said that it would be a nice tuba when sorted out and he pointed at various problems it had and how he would not only would it play better but look better, too.
He took me on a short tour of his shop and, even with the little amount of tuba experience I have, I could tell it was tuba heaven. There was a horn in there which made me glad I will have a case for my horn. Seems a fellow was carrying his Meinl Weston in a gig bag and it slipped off his shoulder. The tuba landed hard right on the valves. Poor Tuba! The valve block was bent and there were a number of dents made. Dan was busily making it right but that certainly makes the case for a case. He pointed out a few of his custom projects in progress. We also talked over some problems with my trumpet which might be solved in the future.
My tuba should be in my hands in about 3 weeks at a cost just a little higher than my budget but within parameters for what I will have in the end. I have a Rubank Elementary Method and a tuner on order. After I feel my way around for awhile, I might try and find a teacher. Or not. I've never had any lessons other than band class at school and practicing at home.
Will I like playing the tuba? We'll just have to wait and see. I plan on playing with my guitar friend, maybe get in the orchestra again, learn some solos and amuse myself in the back yard or form an oompah band with my buddy the accordian player. Any excuse to wear funny hats and drink beer. I think the King will probably be fine for now and maybe for a long time.
The people here seem like a lot of fun and I will be enjoying participating here.
Happy New Year.
Jeff Benedict
"The Big Ben"
