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I got back this morning from a trip to Lee Stofer's shop, and I need to talk about what this guy can do! I brought my Getzen G-50 to him to have some work done to make it more like his custom Stofer tubas. He changed the taper of the leadpipe, updated the 5th valve linkage, changed the springs to more quiet Yamaha springs, and changed the bracing, letting me play test my tuba every step of the way. After everything, my tuba plays better than any factory Getzen, period. The low range is easy to play and absolutely monstrous in volume. The instrument is present and even in every range as well, and the valves are light and quiet. Anyone who loves their CB-50/G-50 needs to have Lee Stofer fix the things that Getzen overlooked during production!

Lee also changed the springs on my Conn Grand Orchestral and added a brace to improve my Gb and Db. The extra bracing also improved the low range dramatically. I never believed bracing had such an impact on resonance and intonation, but the evidence is irrefutable!

I also had the chance to try one of the Stofer Geib mouthpieces. It worked better than any mouthpiece I've ever tried with my Grand Orchestral, and I couldn't leave the shop without buying one for myself.

I ended up spending the entire day at the shop while Lee worked. We talked tuba and played tuba throughout the day. I cannot recommend Lee Stofer highly enough to anyone needing expert work and advice!

Iowa, close-ish to Chicago!

Is Lee still in Comanche, Iowa, just outside of Davenport, Iowa?

Mike Marois

Yeah, he is still there.

He's just a couple of miles due west of metropolitan Low Moor, which is the closest town; Camanche is a bit further to the east. His home/shop is on some of the prettiest land anywhere.

Did you play/try anything else he had in the shop?

A visit to Lee Stofer's shop is always enjoyable, no matter how tired I am from the drive. I arrived there Thursday, 9/14, at around 8 AM after a 6 and a half hour drive from Lincoln, NE. As usual Lee was ever so cordial and tolerant as I observed his marvelous play-conditioning on my Miraphone 191 5v and my Rudy-Meinl Bayreuth. They're both now 'like new' again.

Lee is a meticulous craftsman, an excellent musician, and a fascinating source of information about tubas and tuba players. Chatting while he works is one of the pleasurable bonuses of being there with him. Among many other topics he discussed the Getzen tubas and the construction of his Stofer tubas from Getzen parts he acquired. Your experience validates everything he said about the Getzens.

My only regret is that I didn't try the Cerveny BBb Helicon he offered to let me play. I was 'too tired' but also worried that I might be tempted to acquire it. I arrived safely home just before midnight after a 23 hour day.

A number of years ago I too made a pilgrimage to visit Lee. My experience was very similar to the one described here. I decided to stop in a small town about 30 miles from Lee and spent the night. It made the trip less of a physical challenge. I'd recommend this trip to anyone, but please pre-arrange it with Lee ahead of time. He is very busy and his shop is not set up for a lot of visitors at one time.

I was able to try two Conn Donatelli model CC's that were only a few model numbers apart. While they sound very different from each other, the sound they produce when paired together is marvelous! Personally, I preferred the raw brass one with the larger diameter bell. The false tones were spectacular and resonant! There is a Kanstul Eb there as well that was nice. I wish I could have tried more horns, but there is only so much time in a day

I had to double check the spelling because it didn't look quite right.

The town is Camanche, and in case you were wondering, it is only two syllables. Some day when I am up there, I need to visit Lee Stofer myself. Three trips in the last month and a half for funerals.

alfredr ( a hop, skip and a jump as the crow flies )

I met Lee at the Army Conference this year, and he was incredibly helpful to me. He is definitely a master craftsman and a great guy.

Dan Bradley

Update. I got to play my newly modified Getzen at symphonic band. The other two tuba players immediately noticed how much more presence I had. Playing louder was effortless compared to how hard I used to work, and it still spoke at ppp. The 9 hour (one way) trip to Lee's shop was more than worth it! I really can't thank him enough!

When I presented Lee with my newly-acquired Conn 48K Grand Jumbo sousaphone a few years ago, it was black with 30+ years of soot, the bottom bow was almost completely banged in, and there were various other things that needed attention.

Within a little over a day's time, Lee presented me with a horn whose silver finish had reappeared and whose sound was regal, full, and warm.

We agreed upon a fee for the hours of Lee's labor (with assistance from his crew), know-how, and relatively short notice of my arrival.

At the time, Lee said that this would be the last Jumbo sousaphone that he would work on so that he could save his back. But I believe that he has renovated at least one other Jumbo after he did mine.

Thanks, Lee. I'm still enjoying the fruits of your labor seven years hence. That beast doesn't just sit in a corner!

I highly recommend Lee, both as a repair person and a retailer. Lee helped me peddle my F a few years ago, made it very convenient and relatively painless. It's a great trip out to his shop... the nearest "real" town is Clinton, IA.