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MikeMason wrote:I was disappointed with the ending to your story. I just knew little Johnny and his parents turned their nose up to it,told grandma you had robbed her,and reported you to the bbb

I would not refer to your work here as doing a "crappy" job, but doing a budget job. Not everyone can afford the expensive job, so this is meeting customers at the point where they live, and doing a job that both you and they can live with. Sure, repair technicians like to show off the expensive job that they have worked themselves half to death over for weeks, but because of how much labor and other expenses that went into that job, they are rarely as profitable as doing the ordinary, mundane jobs that pay the rent.

I have told people that I could double my revenue if I had an endless supply of student-grade trombones and trumpets to clean and service, but I'd also start to go mad after a few weeks of endless trumpet and trombone servicings.

I hope the young student enjoys the 700-series Besson.

bloke wrote: solder joints? - a little messy...wiped clean/solid
dent removal? - "good enough"
finish? - "Ha!"
replaced corks/felts? - They didn't need it. :|

Just like "not all playing gigs", "not all repair gigs" are "things about which to post on the web"...just as this was not. :P

You forgot the before shots to show just how bad off it was.

Lee Stofer wrote:I would not refer to your work here as doing a "crappy" job, but doing a budget job.

I sure wish "budget jobs" were done more often in all areas.

I often have 3 choices: $$$ high end version, cheap DIY, or nothing.

bloke wrote:What I "like" about them is the way that they pack a punch with a 13" bell ("secret" = full-size .689" bore...but nothing more than "economy of parts"...same tubing they use[d] on their comp.-Eb's).

They do indeed. I brought my 787 to rehearsal the last time The Section had Alternate Tuba Night (MW32, 787, Piggy instead of the three Alexanders). It astonished everyone, including me- we all thought no one would hear it. Of course, with those horns we weren't anywhere near as powerful as with the Alexanders, and it was a bit harder to get our intonation squared away, but that little tuba's output was a pleasant surprise. AFAIK there was never a 4-valve version- that would have been interesting.

I keep thinking I should sell mine, since the Mahillon is now my small tuba, but something keeps telling me not to.

Biggs wrote: do you have another case of similar size and condition, to perform the exact same function as this one, that you would part with for the right sum?

I have a good newer Besson molded plastic case which fits my Besson 2-20 BBb. The horn is 31½" tall. I could sell this case.

And I have a B&H Imperial Eb Bass which I believe is the same horn as the Stafford. The horn is 33½ tall, and does not fit the smaller case. It does fit in a Yamaha YEB-321 case, which I can't sell. Although I might swap it for a wheelie bag.

FWIW, a Yamaha YEB-103 will fit in a Getzen contra case with about 1/100" to spare.