TubeNet

cool Bloke ! - A couple yrs back, I had an old Besson Imperial , picked up for next to nothing on EBAY- ex of the Charlotte,- Mecklenburg School district, the horn and the case were in pretty rough shape . I gave the horn over to some genius in NJ ( Matt somebody or other ) but did the case myself. Down to the local boat yard for some Marine fiberglass and out to the backyard I went. Well, suprisingly, it came together incredibly well and relatively easily. New piano hinge, new handles, a couple of coaster wheels- and some black spray paint , had this case looking , and working like new... I also hit the fabric store for a non reactive cloth liner . The $30 bucks I spent on materials left me with a case worth more than the horn...just dont mess with that fiberglass and epoxy unless you are out of doors !!! nasty stuff !!
Happy New Year Guys !!!
jamsav

Ya know, occasionally even a blind hog finds an acorn.

Nice find.

My vintage Alexander case, although presumably German made and from the late 50s or 60s, is very similar to your case inside and out, though my case is decked out in brown fake alligator skin.

While the gator skin covering has gotten a bit crumbly over the years, the case is very well made and wood shell is strong and in great shape. I really like the slimmer, contoured design. I've found that I can fit the case in the trunk of a typical sedan...the only worry is that Alexanders are long, so my case is too. The overall bulk is not an issue.

I wouldn't fly with mine, but it's great for a bus/equipment truck situation. Hardware was redone years ago when this case belonged to the elephant.

Wouldn’t a live gator leashed to the case moderate the olympic efforts of the airline luggage monkeys?

K

The multipurpose (model- & brandwise) tuba cases are easier to stock, as there is a more likely turnover than with very specific contoured cases, which usually were made in the tuba maker’s own workshop. At least the large US makers had their own case departments.

But isn’t current technology at a level where dedicated case makers fairly easily can make specific cases, if they get the outlines of the tubas from the various makers. In a digital format of course.

My thinking comes from a recent asking here on TN for a certain Danish composition for tuba. I know the Danish editions, at least Hansen, used to be very much less than dedicated in their attitude towards customers. Yet I still know to find their phone number, as the music appeared being out of print. Their reply surprised me positively. If they get an order for something out of print, then they will print it with very short notice. The road from computer file to bound score appears being very short, even if the run may be down to one sample.

I am not at all into building ship’s or aircraft’s models. Yet I see TV advertisements with wooden elements laser-cut from plywood. If a case producer had the contour of a given tuba model in computerized formulas, why couldn’t they make a case in a single sample from parts cut under guidance of a computer? Assembly likely should be done by hand, but if the parts are ready, a skilled worker could do that quite fast.

Klaus

bloke wrote:Further, large wood musical instrument cases (in general) seem to going the way of the dial telephone.

I thought you made a strong case for them (how to avoid that pun?).

Klaus

bloke wrote:This case may be older than my estimate...It arrived to me with a '60's-vintage 345 within. All of the styling detail, though, completely matches a case that I bought new in 1977 (to fit a 186).

Well, it looks just like the case that my 1966 Holton 345 was packed in when it was shipped to me. I was told it was the original case and the horn was recused from a high school in Utah. My bell had been crunched several times, but probably not while it was in the case, students most likely dropped the horn on it's bell. The case I got was not in great shape, the seams had come unglued. But it was easy to repair with some wood glue and some clamps. I also fiberglass reinforced all the seams from the inside. I discovered that the valves and the thumb ring pushed against the side of the case harder than I liked, so I used a large oval paper plate as a pattern and cut a hole in the side of the case and fiberglassed the plate into the hole to create an extra inch of room for the valves. I created my own brackets with self-locking nuts that I mounted inside to receive bolts for wheels. They work pretty slick. I am getting it recovered in leather, so I'll post photos when its done.

What about a pimp-o-case?

Or you could plaster it with tourist stickers from Williston.

Or stickers indicating transportation of a gator or of a skunk?

K

Could we please avoid these suggestive posts. There might be children on here. Or at least second childhood.

Does it discolour whatever it bumps into?

Klaus

LJV wrote:

imperialbari wrote:Does it discolour whatever it bumps into?

Klaus

Well, I've never bumped the bed of a truck into anything, but it never rubbed any color (black) on to anything moved in and out of the bed of the truck...

I was aware about you having a less athletic approach to your truck-bed than bloke has to his possum cage.

Klaus

Don’t get that astro reference, so no cigar.

K

AstroTurf in a camino? Add a cigar or two to that, and you would want some whitewater as back-up safety.

K

Your true love apparently sits on top of your mind. Only her colour tells you served the wrong stuff at your pea party (or is it pee party?)

K

Yet another USA-ism whizzes 5meters over Klaus's head.