my "new" King Eb

[Bob Kolada]

So I picked this horn up from the greyhound today, and am letting it dry off now after giving it a bath. It plays really nice! It has a big fat sound on any note, and low C-A are like it's on overdrive! The false tones are OK, but I think I can get them better. The valves are great. It kinda reminds me of a 621F.

It is just a little bit flat, but has a long main slide so I can get about 2" cut there. I say that much as the receiver angle is a bit uncomfortable (but so was my Lyon & Healy). I think I'll try to get it more parallel to the or replace half of the leadpipe (2 pieces) so that it comes up straighter and perhaps just a bit higher.

The only note that seems a bit odd is 2nd partial Eb (slightly flat), but I don't think that will be a problem.

I actually have a lead on another one in very good shape with bad valves. I bet it'd kick *** with a 4 piston set (possibly a 5th valve). It has a .62x valve bore now. I don't know if .656 or .689 would be an improvement (except for the availability of such a valve set!) as the low range is pretty sweet.

No pictures of it with the slide flip, but here's one the owner sent me-

[1895King]

Bob:
I have on just like yours that I really love. There is also one like it in one of the pawn shops here in Great Falls MT but I can't get them to put a price on it.

[Bob Kolada]

It is so odd playing such a short-belled tuba after the Mirafones!
After trying out a few mouthpieces I have that fit or kinda fit, I think I'll stay on the Martin 32 (shaved shank, a bit smaller than my Bach 18) and the no-name shallow 30mm Eb/contrabone mp I bought here from LJV. I'm looking forward to trying that one out in the 1062!!

The only real difference, playability wise, between all of them is the low range is great on the Martin but only OK on the smaller ones.

I've never had a silver horn before. Is it natural for your hands to get all dirty when playing it (I did wash it out!)?

[Dan Schultz]

Bob:
I have on just like yours that I really love. There is also one like it in one of the pawn shops here in Great Falls MT but I can't get them to put a price on it.

Great Falls, huh?! Did I meet you two years ago when I stopped and played with the community band at the university there?

[Bob Kolada]

Yes. Yes I did.

He's a super nice guy, and did a good job on the slide flip and packing it.

[jonesbrass]

That's a pretty little Eefer you've got there, Bob. In GREAT shape, too . . .

[eupher61]

whaddya mean by 'side flip'??

[Bob Kolada]

No pictures of it with the slide flip.

whaddya mean by 'side flip'??

If by "side flip" you mean "slide flip" I had the seller flip the first slide so that it pulls from the top. It now has a small loop at the bottom and only a top slide (about 4" long). He had to trim the slide about .5" so it wouldn't hit the bell and I probably should have had him trim the whole thing a bit. I wanted to be able to easily pull 1 to tune 123 when 3 is tuned for 23 (I plan to have that my usual tuning, depending on the key and range). I thought the original slide was out about an inch so I figured it would be fine now. But I'm sure I'll get used to it! The 3rd slide length, unlike what I hear about old 3 valve Bb's, is fine.


After playing it some more the only out of tune partial is the 2nd, and it's kinda flat. The 4th is fine, the 5th is a bit flat but it also was a bit flat on my old horn and I adjusted to that in no time. So we'll see about that.

The 1st slide now looks like this-
http://www.dillonmusic.com/HeleoCart/Im ... 291-5V.jpg
except it's very slightly angled.