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Hi All,

Does anyone have an opinion as to the desirability of an old Boosey 3+1 Eb tuba from about 1920 The one I am looking at would need extensive dent work, has only fair silver plating, but doesn't have to have a valve job, although eventually one would be nice.

TIA,

Have not played it. Got pix this AM and it has lots of dings and small dents all over and the plating is about 60%, but the bell is not seriously dented [mis-shapen] and the small tubing around the valves is actually in rather good shape.

The price would be about $400 to my door. The seller is a collector/dealer and states that it does play as is, even with the valves dry, without much tonal indication of leakage.

$400 sounds like a fair price to me, although the price could come down a little.

As long as it's a compensating model I'd say go for it. My 1919 cavalry tuba plays like a dream & as the Boosey models were the basis for all the B&H/Besson models that came along later getting parts will never be a problem.

(I know Besson no longer exist in thier old form, but there are so many instruments knocking around that spares will not be hard to come by for many years).

These instruments are built like tanks & will go on playing after SERIOUS abuse. Regardless of the cosmetics, you will be getting a solid, well built instrument with a lot of years left in it!

hope you grow to love it as much as I love the old EEbs I've got!

All the best

Russ