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This horn has a good intonation?

NO! I used to play one of these for Dixieland. It's so-so for that type of 'ratty' work but you wouldn't want to try to match pitches in a concert band section.

TubaTinker wrote:NO! I used to play one of these for Dixieland. It's so-so for that type of 'ratty' work but you wouldn't want to try to match pitches in a concert band section.

I would say they're not even good enough for that; maybe some avant garde jazz. My medium one is kinda bleh (though I have played it in tune in serious playing) but the big one I played the other day had the worst scale I've ever played. It made my Conn Giant Eb seem like a catered picnic with free beer.

The most in tune of the large-ish old Eb's seem to be the 3/4-4/4ish Conns from the '50/60s, the ones with the looped valve slides, the pancake bell, and the main slide before the valves. Those are actually pretty nice. I've played or owned Conns, Kings, a reworked Holton, and an original 3 front valve York Monster. That York wasn't too bad actually though I still would have put a tuning rod on it if I'd owned it. I've never found mouthpieces to have any effect on the tuning- tweeners, Schilke 69C4, Bach 18, PT48,... if a note's off it'll still be off with a different mp. In general the smaller ones and especially the small Conns seem to have better intonation but still try before you buy. I'd like to try the early 1900's 3/4 front valve Conns (the leaner ones) with the main slide before the valves as bloke says his top valve one is pretty spot on. The small Conns I've owned have all been the short squatty ones. I've not yet played a small stock York or any Martin.

Bob Kolada wrote:I've not yet played a small stock York.

The one i have is decent (WAS decent, considering it's a pile of parts now). The bigger the mouthpiece, the foggier the horn and the worse the tuning. It was good enough that i decided to try cutting it (but that's a ways away before completion)