Death of a tuba :(
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Death of a tuba :(
From the boys up in D.C. comes this unforgettable vinnette of how a old tuba gave up it's life to help honor the career of retiring Army tubist.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gfbEiQHrqjk" target="_blank
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gfbEiQHrqjk" target="_blank
Last edited by oldbandnerd on Tue Jan 12, 2010 7:28 am, edited 2 times in total.

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Re: Death of a tuba :(
Gotta love Tom Rotondi. A better musician, and greater sport, I have never known.
Chuck"tickled"Jackson
Chuck"tickled"Jackson
I drank WHAT?!!-Socrates
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Re: Death of a tuba :(
We have been through this load of crap before. If this is the best you can do, well frankly, as far as I am concerned, you can stick the whole thing up where the sun don't shine.
This sort of absolutely childish crap is a good reason why a lot of people who would willingly help the kindergarten can not be bothered with trying.
Ken
This sort of absolutely childish crap is a good reason why a lot of people who would willingly help the kindergarten can not be bothered with trying.
Ken
Free to tuba: good home
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Re: Death of a tuba :(
Kindergarten? Are you kidding? KINDERGARTEN?Ken Herrick wrote: This sort of absolutely childish crap is a good reason why a lot of people who would willingly help the kindergarten can not be bothered with trying.
Ken
I am fortunate to have a great job that feeds my family well, but music feeds my soul.
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Re: Death of a tuba :(
This topic has been posted before.. I hate to see a tuba that could go to someone be waisted like that! There are a number of sponcers that could have fixed that horn to perfection and gave a quality gift to someone... I know they were just trying to be funny but it's sad to me bigbob
- KevinMadden
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Re: Death of a tuba :(
From the video's description:
"When CSM Ross Morgan retired from The Army Band some of us decided to give him an appropriate gift which we could make ourselves. Charles Giannelli is the 'voice' of the tuba. Please, don't be alarmed. The tuba had been deemed unplayable and irreparable by several repairman and many professional tuba players. It was never going to play again no matter what happened. The government would have given it a far less distinctive ending. At least this way, our tuba went out doing what tubas are often famous for, making people laugh. Additionally, it will hang with honor on the wall of the highest ranking sergeant to ever retire from The United States Army Band."
I found the video amusing.
"When CSM Ross Morgan retired from The Army Band some of us decided to give him an appropriate gift which we could make ourselves. Charles Giannelli is the 'voice' of the tuba. Please, don't be alarmed. The tuba had been deemed unplayable and irreparable by several repairman and many professional tuba players. It was never going to play again no matter what happened. The government would have given it a far less distinctive ending. At least this way, our tuba went out doing what tubas are often famous for, making people laugh. Additionally, it will hang with honor on the wall of the highest ranking sergeant to ever retire from The United States Army Band."
I found the video amusing.
Ithaca College, B.M. 2009
University of Nebraska - Lincoln, M.M. 2017, D.M.A. 2020
Wessex Artiste
Wessex "Grand" BBb, Wessex Solo Eb, Wessex Dulce
University of Nebraska - Lincoln, M.M. 2017, D.M.A. 2020
Wessex Artiste
Wessex "Grand" BBb, Wessex Solo Eb, Wessex Dulce
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Re: Death of a tuba :(
I have spoken to the guys, and apparently now the tuba's tuning is extremely flat...
- kegmcnabb
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Re: Death of a tuba :(
I have no problem with the flattening of an old horn to place on the wall of a retiring service man. Quite frankly, I thought the end result looked pretty cool and seems like a fitting "trophy" of sorts for "the highest ranking sergeant to ever retire from The United States Army Band."
Heck, I'd hang it on my wall.
That said, video (IMHO) is merely a lame, middle-school level attempt at humor. You guys really find this funny? Please...
Heck, I'd hang it on my wall.
That said, video (IMHO) is merely a lame, middle-school level attempt at humor. You guys really find this funny? Please...

- tubaguy9
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Re: Death of a tuba :(
well...unplayable, yes...irreparable, if you had enough money, it would be repairable...but money wise, it probably wouldn't be worth the money it would've taken to fix itKevinMadden wrote:From the video's description:
"When CSM Ross Morgan retired from The Army Band some of us decided to give him an appropriate gift which we could make ourselves. Charles Giannelli is the 'voice' of the tuba. Please, don't be alarmed. The tuba had been deemed unplayable and irreparable by several repairman and many professional tuba players. It was never going to play again no matter what happened. The government would have given it a far less distinctive ending. At least this way, our tuba went out doing what tubas are often famous for, making people laugh. Additionally, it will hang with honor on the wall of the highest ranking sergeant to ever retire from The United States Army Band."
I found the video amusing.
I think I might end up as a grumpy old man when I get old...
- Todd S. Malicoate
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Re: Death of a tuba :(
Yeah, I don't believe them. I don't really have a problem with them destroying their own tuba, but I find their excuse really lame.
"Deemed unplayable" by SEVERAL repairmen and MANY professional players? It honestly didn't look that bad. Dan Oberloh could have made this "like new" with no problem. Even just for parts the old tuba was worth something to someone.
The only sentence I do believe from the often-quoted paragraph in this thread is "The government would have given it a far less distinctive ending." Of that, I have no doubt.
Government agencies have legitimate venues to dispose of their surplus equipment...online auctions is one such venue. Google "government surplus auction" if you want to see for yourselves. They should have offered this instrument up for auction. Maybe they did, and nobody was interested...but they should have said so if that was the case.
"Deemed unplayable" by SEVERAL repairmen and MANY professional players? It honestly didn't look that bad. Dan Oberloh could have made this "like new" with no problem. Even just for parts the old tuba was worth something to someone.
The only sentence I do believe from the often-quoted paragraph in this thread is "The government would have given it a far less distinctive ending." Of that, I have no doubt.
Government agencies have legitimate venues to dispose of their surplus equipment...online auctions is one such venue. Google "government surplus auction" if you want to see for yourselves. They should have offered this instrument up for auction. Maybe they did, and nobody was interested...but they should have said so if that was the case.
- The Big Ben
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Re: Death of a tuba :(
None of the horn jockeys here would have had a problem fixing those horns. I bet lesser hacks could work 'em, too.Todd S. Malicoate wrote:Yeah, I don't believe them. I don't really have a problem with them destroying their own tuba, but I find their excuse really lame.
"Deemed unplayable" by SEVERAL repairmen and MANY professional players? It honestly didn't look that bad. Dan Oberloh could have made this "like new" with no problem. Even just for parts the old tuba was worth something to someone.
S'pose he's just tryin' to be 'edgy' and humorous.....
- Matt Walters
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Re: Death of a tuba :(
I think it was very funny. When the day comes that I can't ever play tuba again, I just might "steam roller" my own collection of tubas.
That small 3 valve Eb clunker may end up being worth more as wall art than what it was worth on the open market.
That small 3 valve Eb clunker may end up being worth more as wall art than what it was worth on the open market.
Matt Walters
Last chair tubist
Who Cares What Ensemble
Owns old tubas that play better than what you have.
Last chair tubist
Who Cares What Ensemble
Owns old tubas that play better than what you have.
- jamsav
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Re: Death of a tuba :(
Matt_ I know you could have fixed that bad boy....I 'll be bringing one into you soon in similar condition. If you say steam roll, I say, " let it rip "( or RIP ) as the case may be...jim savage 

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King 2341-MAW valves, GW Taku, Sellmansberger Symphony
Conn USN 20k, PT-44
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Re: Death of a tuba :(
I gave my Soviet Army issue Eb tuba to my best buddy for a wall hanging and made him promise to put a fern pot in the bell that got rumpled by Alaska Airlines.
That crummy tuba was never designed to really play music and the Russians ought to be ashamed of themselves for designing and producing such a piece of crap.
It would probably be worth more money if a bulldozer ran over it.
I also donated him, to hang on his wooden fence, a nice looking Danforth anchor copy that will not hold a boat in a 30 knot breeze and put me aground twice in one night.
That crummy tuba was never designed to really play music and the Russians ought to be ashamed of themselves for designing and producing such a piece of crap.
It would probably be worth more money if a bulldozer ran over it.
I also donated him, to hang on his wooden fence, a nice looking Danforth anchor copy that will not hold a boat in a 30 knot breeze and put me aground twice in one night.

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