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more rant about the plastic strips...

I don't know if the strips really dampen the sound...

but what the heck were they thinking using plastic strips on the marching tubas that they (Conn-Selmer) are making? I think that for them doing that, and knowing how these horns are used, and you could say abused, throwing them on your shoulder as hard as you can, they should realize that it only gives false hopes that it won't be dented in that area rather than using real reinforcement. I think that anymore, people that work on the Kings should have mandrels made for that area because of the fact that they are beat up so much...

[/rant]

Joe's and Wade's posts are one of the reasons I recommend the split-plastic-tube around the bell rim of an instrument that will be played outside. Takes a little of the extraneous junk out of the sound, and allows the instrument to be rested bell down on a smooth paved or concrete surface (still wouldn't work on one with rocks in it.)

I was issued a first generation King fiberglass souzy as a freshman, the worst looking horn in the lot, not because I was a freshman, but it was luck of the draw that it was the available horn. My band director, to teach taking care of an instrument, issued ONE horn to a student, and expected that student to take care of the horn throughout his or her playing days, whether freshman or senior, section leader or last chair.

When I was done, about to graduate, and turned my horn back in, it was in BETTER shape than when I got it: cleaned up, all slides cleaned and lubricated properly, the valve caps unstuck, etc.

Part of the problem is that I'm not so sure directors AND PARENTS really emphasize to a student the importance of taking care of things. My director had no problem sticking a parent with the bill for intentional or preventable damage, and gladly had the school pickup the tab for all normal and routine maintenance and wear and tear and accidents that were not a student's fault.

bloke wrote: resting the instrument on my shoe or my march folder when not shoulder-mounted."

Doesn't *everyone* do that?

Kids, today!

I think the doctrine for kids today is "If you have to put down the sousaphone, make sure you find the roughest pavement, let the sousaphone fall to the pavement, and then pull it by the bell across said pavement until desired destination has been reached."

(I think another one is "The slides are just symbolic. Push all of them all the way in and make sure they stay that way!")

When I played sousa in hs, I was on this beautiful Besson. I treated that horn like my own. I would always rest it on my shoes (or if I didn't have time for that, just switch shoulders). When putting it down, I'd always look for grass, and if there was none around, I'd look for the smoothest pavement, and put it down as gently as possible. The only real dent I made in that horn was accidentally walking into a street sign (it was after a long hard march, and 2 concert band competition, and I just didn't see it). Ah, I miss that tuba...