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my "new" King Eb

Posted: Thu Oct 01, 2009 6:30 pm
by 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-

Re: my "new" King Eb

Posted: Thu Oct 01, 2009 6:34 pm
by 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.

Re: my "new" King Eb

Posted: Thu Oct 01, 2009 8:46 pm
by 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!! :twisted:

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!)? :D

Re: my "new" King Eb

Posted: Thu Oct 01, 2009 9:37 pm
by Dan Schultz
1895King wrote: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?

Re: my "new" King Eb

Posted: Thu Oct 01, 2009 9:53 pm
by Bob Kolada
Yes. Yes I did. :D

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

Re: my "new" King Eb

Posted: Thu Oct 01, 2009 10:25 pm
by jonesbrass
That's a pretty little Eefer you've got there, Bob. In GREAT shape, too . . .

Re: my "new" King Eb

Posted: Fri Oct 02, 2009 12:05 am
by eupher61
whaddya mean by 'side flip'??

Re: my "new" King Eb

Posted: Fri Oct 02, 2009 1:07 am
by Bob Kolada
Bob Kolada wrote:No pictures of it with the slide flip.
eupher61 wrote:whaddya mean by 'side flip'??
If by "side flip" you mean "slide flip" :D 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.