I left Evansville/Newburgh about 4PM and reached Washington, MO about 8PM, spent the night and returned to Dan's shop at 11:40AM on Friday. True to his word, Dan was able to take out most of the dents, even though some were obscured by the nickel silver protectors (??) soldered to the bows. He aligned the valves, which were out of line even though the bumpers were new, and gave me some replacement bumper material which he said would leave the valves aligned perfectly. He also tightened up the valve linkages, which required disassembling the clock springs and resoldering the valve pads into the spring housings.
Dan and I spent some time talking tuba...I learned that he plays about five or six days/nights a week, sometimes at assisted living facilities, sometimes with two community bands which he founded years ago and also with a British Brass Band and a wind octet. He gave me some recommendations for home brew valve oil and showed me his 5/4 Rudy.
I had a great time with Dan and particularly appreciated his willingness to accommodate my schedule and his practical approach. He didn't try to upsell me on an expensive ball and socket valve rebuild or a disassemble to repair dent removal option. The total bill for a valve align, dent removal and valve linkage repair was $120. Dan said the Ziess was a nice horn.
I was anxious to get on my way, so I didn't play the horn until I got home. I immediately noticed that the low notes were very big, much better than before! I assume this was due to the valve alignment.
In summary, it was great to meet Dan, who is quite a personality (and I mean that in a good way), and to get my horn adjusted at a very reasonable price and on short notice. Once you reach Dan's address, he's easy to find, as there's a Sousaphone on the mailbox! Thanks for your help, Dan!
royjohn
