Pretty Tuba vs Ugly Tuba

[Wyvern]

Use it. Take care of it. Enjoy it ...and if you're very, very lucky indeed: Wear it out!

I agree with those sentiments! Very much how I work with cars and most things and would like to with tubas (once I have fine tuned my roster).

My mother was in the 'keep things for best' camp and died with enough unused clothes to fill 80 sacks! Which has taut me to use and enjoy anything new and not hold back for 'best'.

[The Big Ben]

On a broader scale (and wandering farther off topic), I believe the goal with one's resources is to die having just spent the very last penny...

Or, as a friend's father used to say:

"I think I have enough money to last until I die but it looks like I'm going to have to die next Tuesday"

[Rick Denney]

I like a shiny tuba as much as the next guy. I've even polished up my (unlacquered) Miraphone once or twice in the 20-ish years I've owned it.

My Yamaha 621 is shiny and the signs of experience on that instrument aren't visible from more than a few feet away. It came that way.

But the shiny tubas often don't come my way. They often look like my Holton looked when I bought it--a large mass of school dents approximately minimized with a Dent Eraser. So, the choice is: Ragged old Holton that plays fantastically, or shiny fully restored Holton that I can't afford? Easy choice, obviously.

The other possible choice is: Ragged old Holton that plays fantastically, or new King 2341 that plays well and looks pretty good? That is also an easy choice. I've paid money to bring instruments to a state of good repair and maintenance, but I'd rather have that state with a bigger collection of great tubas than have better-than-new beauty with a smaller collection of lesser instruments.

I don't have many dents in my tubas, not even the 14K that is mostly dark brown. They display the experiences they have endured, just as I do, though with as many repairs and with as much care as seems reasonable, as with me. Trying to eliminate the appearance of those experiences is fine for those who go that way, but the story of the instrument is prettier to me than shiny brass.

And for those of you who wipe all that tarnish off the silver all the time, what do you think the black stuff on your rag is?

Rick "who thought it was Americans that Europeans thought were interested mainly in appearances" Denney

[Donn]

Rick "who thought it was Americans that Europeans thought were interested mainly in appearances" Denney

? I don't know, maybe it's Americans who think that it was Americans that Europeans thought ...? My casual impression has been that people in Europe are very careful about their appearance, perhaps more than in the US. In fact it's common for travel guides to practically anywhere in the world to put their US audience on notice that dress standards might be less casual where they're going. That's not exactly the same as `interested mainly in appearances', but then I didn't see where you got that from.

[Rick Denney]

but then I didn't see where you got that from.

I was mostly poking Jonathan in the ribs.

Rick "having his suits pressed for a trip to Dubai" Denney

[Bob Kolada]

My main preference is that the horn look/be clean (few dents, little to no scarring,.....). There is a ratio of appearance to cost for me, though. My "new" King Eb looks great up to about 2 feet away and the little dents and such are noticeable. But it is still clean enough for me for what I paid even though I really wanted an immaculate one.

Perfect example... A couple years ago I was looking at replacing my factory-screwed up 1062. I had 3 people selling one contact me-
-fairly new 1062, but lots of scratches on the slide; I think this one was around 1800
-older model 1062 in great shape (no removable leadpipes which I didn't care about, Edwards/Bach slide connector as the first ones had); oddly enough he never responded back to my reply but I think he wanted about a grand for it
-Alex F's 1 year old, super clean 1062 which I picked up in person for $1700

I wanted the second one, did NOT want the 1st one, and got the third one.

What really makes me happy about my King is that my hands don't get black anymore when I hold it. I gave it a decent bath when I got it and my hands were a mess when I played it for about a week.

[Rick Denney]

Most all folks come to terms with their tubas' changing cosmetics as they do with the oncoming reality of their own eventual deaths:

Opportunity: Rick, holding Sanders-branded Cerveny, talking to Unsatisfied Young Future Pro Wannabe, holding dented Miraphone 186, "I'll trade you this tuba and a Musica F tuba for your Miraphone, straight up. Instead of bitching about your Miraphone, bitch about this Cerveny and learn to play F for free." (I was surprised that deal was accepted, but it was.)

Remorse: This Miraphone really is dented all to hell.

Hope: Hey, Beto, how much to overhaul my Miraphone?

TRVTH: That much?

Compromise: How much with no filing, no sanding, and no lacquer?

Satisfaction: Now, THAT'S the way a Miraphone is supposed to play.

Rick "who gets what he pays for" Denney

[Rick Denney]

Compromise: How much with no filing, no sanding, and no lacquer?

I didn't do any filing on your Holton...I used Kitty Hair®.

Dammit! And I TOLD YOU to use only gen-you-wine Bondo!

Rick "who has his loyalties" Denney

By the way, that was "filing", not "filling".

[tubatooter1940]

A beat up tuba seems to be an asset in a rock band.
It is a great conversation starter when an audience member walks up for a word with me.
I'm 68, my Eb King (former student horn) is 69. We look like we fit together. It's too late for me to look young and also with my tuba.
I love my King's warm sound and the valves are fast if I get enough ultra pure lamp oil with 30 weight added on them.
Looks like we're stuck with each other.