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Bright brass and bright gold may not look good in close combination.

Anything that uses satin is nice, in fact, highly desirable.

schlepporello wrote:

Doc wrote:Satin w/ shiny accents.

There ya go!

And I thought both of you guys were Texans....

Satin, but only if the bell cover is made from satin sheets!

Woo-hoo I voted with the majority... again. Now we will have to wait and see how the courts rule on this sousaphone.

richland tuba 01 wrote:Since I just love the look of satin brass, I voted for it.

Easier to keep clean too!

Assuming they are both lacquered, I would think cleaning either would require the same effort.

Satin w/ bright trim = shine without glare with just enough sparkle to get people's attention in a good way when field marching.

Otherwise, it does hide dirt, smudges, and dings much better. I think that's why I like the raw brass Conn/Cavalier I sometimes play. It has that authentic veteran appearance rather than either the look of abuse or of pretention.

yeah, mix it up. go with the satin. I think it will look fine either way

The golds of teh paint and the brass may be too close and not match well, may i suggest black lacquer, with gold accents, just like a Keilworth tenor sax.....

ken k

Bloke,
Just a suggestion, FWIW; Perhaps you could do the valveset in a matte- or satin black, and either clear lacquer for the accents, or use the imron on them, too, to ensure a good match. And, if you're going to really do an extreme, "Pimp My Tuba", make sure you do contrasting parts in the water keys. Yes, it's a pain, but then this IS ART (!)

With my Holton/B & M sousaphone, I've been thinking about doing it in John Deere green and yellow, including some vintage-style decals. I learned to drive on a "Johnny popper", and now live about 20 miles from the factory, so J-D is really big around here. Who knows - maybe it will help our dixieland band get some corporate gigs with them ;^)

Have Fun,

Note of caution, though- I've had two cars painted with Imron, and it's pretty and shiney, but it doesn't react to flexing well.

You need to spray it with a ventilator- and the hardener is *very* hard to get for touch-up (all them cracked chips) if you don't have an "in the business" source...

windshieldbug wrote:Note of caution, though- I've had two cars painted with Imron, and it's pretty and shiney, but it doesn't react to flexing well.

You need to spray it with a ventilator- and the hardener is *very* hard to get for touch-up (all them cracked chips) if you don't have an "in the business" source...

Yeah. I would think that a more modern polyurethane finish would be more durable. Don't forget the clear coat.

I voted for shiny brass. Satin brass might look like you are trying to match the paint, and that will look like you are hiding the fact that it is painted. Better to make the difference look like it's done on purpose.

Or paint the brass with the same paint. THEN you could use bright points.

Rick "facing a similar choice with the fiberglass Martin" Denney

I'd say hang loose until you see the finished fiberglass pieces.

lgb&dtuba wrote:I'd say hang loose until you see the finished fiberglass pieces.

Well, o.k. that is reasonable. Can I change my vote?

bloke wrote:

Works for me. At any distance closer than say 20 yards, imitation brass will look cheesy. The number of yards is open to dispute, the cheesiness is inevitable. Plastic, fiberglass, paint etc. should seek their own esthetic.

The only problem with bright paint is that it too is a fraud that is too easily exposed, when a scratch reveals the underlying material. So a color that contrasts in a relatively pleasant way with the underlying material is a good compromise.

I hope that's germane - I don't know enough about "Hello Kitty" to get the point, and might be a little impaired this evening from a snort of old overcoat.

We invented mildew here in the South so I painted the eaves of my house a color so close to mildew color that when the mildew forms, it will blend right in.
I wonder what color a tuba would have to be to color match the inevitable scratches in advance.
If I ever order a brand new tuber. deep purple would do it for me.

bloke wrote:Maybe it's not too late to rethink:

What about the "Hello Kitty" look...??

i can't wait to see pix....hint hint hint.....wink wink wink.....


ken k