TIP-TOP SUPER-SECRET: improved Holton BB-345 low register !!

[iiipopes]

Aw, Rick -- quit whining. We all know you're actually laughing instead.

[Steve Inman]

All seriousness aside

Rick sent the tuba down here to have the slides precision-aligned and fitted

... and the tubing ...

[MikeMason]

Is this THE Rick Denney holton?Or a newly acquired one?

[Rick Denney]

Is this THE Rick Denney holton?Or a newly acquired one?

I only have one.

When I bought it, it needed some immediate attention, and it worked out that I could leave it with Lee Stofer at the Army Conference and fetch it from him a week later on a business trip. I only gave Lee a week, and specific instructions for minimal repairs.

The first valve slide was a quarter-inch out of whack and virtually unmoveable, and Lee discovered that the end of the tubing had been cut out of square by that much, and just rammed into the ferrule and soldered down. He fixed that, realigned the slides I use most often to "usable", and installed new valve guides and larger valve buttons, but that's all I gave him time to do.

While I would love to restore it to something far beyond what it ever was when new (including silver plating, etc.), for me it's a player not a museum piece. Intonation changed with valve oil which suggested to me that the valves needed tightening, and Joe already had one or two big Holtons getting valve jobs this summer and he could fit it into his normal long backlog. I also wanted his opinion on ways to manage it's relatively few intonation quirks, and he had some suggestions that he will be implementing. And, I found a way to get it to him without trusting it to strangers, etc.

But I've still limited him on budget and am keeping to my normal priorities of working the best that it can first and looking the best that it can second. I've asked him to pull the bottom bow and iron out some dents, and we are discussing prettying up the bell. The bell has been through a dent machine a few times, and the lacquer is crushed and crazed.

Every example of horrible Holton lack of craftsmanship he finds fills me with joy, because I know how good the instrument plays even with those problems. And he's found plenty, not just what he pictured here. NONE of the slide tubes were properly fitted into their ferrules, and that's just the start of it. I'm excited about the bad joint he pictured, because of the potential improvement it makes possible.

He's welcome to post any details he finds interesting, except for the photos of the green goop that I left in there for him to wash out.

Rick "playing the York Master and missing the Holton" Denney

[Rick Denney]

The only notes that were adversly affected are the C,B in the stave.

Mike, how do you solve the problems with those notes? One fear I have lengthening the slide on the Holton is that it will make it impossible for me to playing a tuning note in my band that will be up to pitch. I already sometimes have issues with that. Joe and I are going to finalize that detail when I make my visit to fetch the Holton when it's done.

Rick "asked to play that Bb a LOT more often than the 6th partial" Denney

[MaryAnn]

Sounds a whole lot like my MW 182 F. Hmm.

MA

[Rick Denney]

Rick, have you considered bloke's "B natural mini-cut"?

Um, no.

It should be noted that no tuba is perfect, and despite the discussion of this particular Holton's quirks, it is very good, especially in the 6/4 category. Having one squirrelly not would be no issue if it weren't the note I'm often asked to play as a pitch reference for the rest of the band.

But we are also doing other things, including a valve overhaul and so on. Those things will have an effect that will have to be considered.

Rick "not interested at all in any cutting" Denney

[hubert]

Here is an old trick for altering the bottom bow (used by saxophone players as well): throw a potatoe into it (after choosing the "right size"). Any kind of ball will do, also.

Additional advantage of taking potatoes with you on tour: never hungry

Hubert