The rebirth of a Holton 345 has started...

[bort]

Dan, as a delicate flower, might not admit it, but I would be willing to bet (since there is no way to prove me wrong) that the hollow material is what Dan had available.

Huh?!

This isn't a Girl Scout project. I didn't use macaroni because thats all we had in the kitchen. Its obvious that Rick has never been in my shop and seen my material stock. I always have plenty of bar and rod stock in rounds and hex, plate and sheet in yellow, gold and red brass as well as nickel-silver and plenty of tube and heavy walled brass pipe. I am fortunate that I am in Seattle where the large firm, Alaska Copper and Brass is located. I think I was pretty clear in the previous post as to my reasoning.

Daniel C. Oberloh
Oberloh Woodwind and Brass Works

Now THAT"S what I call delicate!

By the way, this is going to be an amazing tuba!!

[Rick Denney]

This isn't a Girl Scout project. I didn't use macaroni because thats all we had in the kitchen. Its obvious that Rick has never been in my shop and seen my material stock. I always have plenty of bar and rod stock in rounds and hex, plate and sheet in yellow, gold and red brass as well as nickel-silver and plenty of tube and heavy walled brass pipe. I am fortunate that I am in Seattle where the large firm, Alaska Copper and Brass is located. I think I was pretty clear in the previous post as to my reasoning.

Dan, when it comes to jokes, do not send faster than you can receive.

Rick "not delicate" Denney

[Ken Herrick]

Now, Now, BOYS,

Let's let Dan get on with finishing his work of art.

Yes, he probably had that tube available among all the other good material a well equipped shop has and used it for good reason.

And, by the way, what is your new gig Rick?

[Daniel C. Oberloh]

Dan, when it comes to jokes, do not send faster than you can receive.

Rick "not delicate" Denney

Sorry Rick,
I am afraid my ability in keeping up with your immense sense of humor is a tad lacking. I guess something is lost in translation between a super-genius like you and a lowly craftsperson such as myself (sigh).

Daniel C. "who probably takes some things more seriously then he should" Oberloh

[Rick Denney]

I am afraid my ability in keeping up with your immense sense of humor is a tad lacking. I guess something is lost in translation between a super-genius like you and a lowly craftsperson such as myself (sigh).

My point was that not everything requires the depth of alternative-weighing and many things are done by superior craftsmen such as yourself as a matter of instinct and not as a result of a lot of analysis. You reach out, grab the hollow tubing without thinking, because you don't need to think about it. You grab it because that's what you have handy, and make it work to a high level because that's what you consistently do.

You took it as an insult that I obviously did not intend, which seemed to me to be taking things rather seriously after going out of your way to poke fun at yourself with your delicate flower comment. When go out of your way to lighten the mood, and the come down on someone for following you into lighter terrain, they might react. I did, but I shouldn't have, and now I don't know how to take the above comment. But I'll offer an apology just the same, because I do not want to offend you or make light of your abilities.

Rick "realizing that living a public life sometimes means misunderstandings" Denney

[Daniel C. Oberloh]

Well, after a late evening in the polishing room and some very welcome assistance from Paul on the final cleaning and degreasing, we are ready to plate. Of all the involved stages of this project the one I dread the most is the final polishing. The 345 is a tad awkward because of its size and this puts a lot a strain on my neck, shoulders and lower back. With all the pain and expense involved correcting my injured spine and healing things up after my misfortune a few years ago, I really did not want to injure myself during the last pre-plate finishing. The gods of fortune were with me last night and the instrument was buffed and cleaned without incident. Here are a few final pics taken before it went into the bag.


Ahh, purdy and shiny.


New nickel-silver mouthpipe, receiver and that fancy thumb-ring.


Valves. What a royal pain in the backside. But with the new stems, buttons, retrofitted pistons and new top-casing screw-threads, they are now better built then when they were new.

We will be packing it up this afternoon and arranging transport to Indiana for a heavy coat of silver plate. Stay tuned for the finale.

Daniel C. Oberloh
Oberloh Woodwind and Brass Works
http://www.oberloh.com" target="_blank"

[bigbob]

That is surely a work of art in the highest degree!!! as is the Helicon you finished recently!! You are a very accomplished metal smith and artisan Thank You for the pics of a great restoration!!..........................................bigbob

[k001k47]

'Grats on the completed project. I've been wanting to see one of these old holtons all nice and shiny.

[tubaforce]

You should consider yourself lucky! The wait will be well worth it! Dan restored a euphonium for me a few years ago, and the axe plays better than an original I tried! Hopefully the new apprentice will turn out to be at least 1/2 the Craftsman as Mr. Oberloh, because there is a shortage of master level repairmen!

[Bandmaster]

OK... its getting really close now... and I can't wait! Dan sent me a couple photos this morning of my Holton just after he took out of the crate. It just came back to the shop yesterday afternoon after being silver plated at Anderson's. He still has the color buff it, finish up the valves and put all the pieces back together. I'll be going up to Seattle to pick it up the second week of May.






... and just a reminder of what it used to look like!

[jameseuph642]

Beautiful.

[tofu]

I bet Holton never built one that looks that nice, or is put together as well as that one is now and maybe even play as nice as I'm guessing that one does now. I now have a bad case of tuba envy!

Please refresh my memory - is that the original bell with the patches or a replacement bell?

[Bandmaster]

Please refresh my memory - is that the original bell with the patches or a replacement bell?

It is a replacement I got from DP, a member of the this forum. He got two of them somewhere for a couple of Holton projects he was planning, but one project fell by the wayside so he offered one bell to me. DP's price was way cheaper than what Dan quoted me for repairing the original bell. But Dan was prepared to make the bell as good as new if he had no other choice.

[Bandmaster]

I got to play this Holton today in Dan's shop. This horn is one of the best 6/4 tubas I have ever played! It blows many high end horns out of the water

After all the custom work, it *is* a high end horn!

If you think about it, the Holton 345 was designed to be a tuba for students, Arnold Jacob's students , but students all the same. My Holton was rescued from a high school in Utah by Steven Call, the Tuba Professor at BYU, so it started out in life as a student model horn. Not exactly the status or the glory given to a tuba made by Walter Nirschl, Meinl-Weston or Hirsbrunner.

Professor Call said it had been worked over quite a bit before he got it, most of the patches were already present. He did have the dents removed and the valves redone by Anderson's. He told me he used this Holton to play in Dixieland ensembles and even took it to Europe to play at a Dixieland Festival in Italy. It definately looked the part for Dixieland, all beat up and patched, but it played really well.

He finally put it up for sale on eBay in February of 2004, when he no longer needed it. He displayed photos with all the patches on the bell and nobody bid on it the first go-round. I followed the auction the second time round and I was the only bidder at $2900. At the time, the cheapest Holton I found for sale anywhere was $6500, so I figured I'd gamble on it.

It played so well after I recieved it that I decided it was worth the effort and money to fix her up. I was lucky enough to find my York-Master on eBay really cheap, so I had something good to play while I waited for the Holton.

Now you know the rest of the story....

[Mark]

I'll be going up to Seattle to pick it up the second week of May.

Why go to all that trouble. Just have Dan put it in a large manilla envelope and mail it to you via the United States Postal Service.

[MileMarkerZero]

I need a napkin...

[The Big Ben]

Ya know, all the tuba goons in the Seattle area should throw a party to celebrate this horn. Bandmaster could run it through a few pieces, beer could be drunk, enjoyment could be had...

[sloan]

Ya know, all the tuba goons in the Seattle area should throw a party to celebrate this horn. Bandmaster could run it through a few pieces, beer could be drunk, enjoyment could be had...

And risk a dent?

[The Big Ben]

Ya know, all the tuba goons in the Seattle area should throw a party to celebrate this horn. Bandmaster could run it through a few pieces, beer could be drunk, enjoyment could be had...

And risk a dent?

I certainly hope Dave isn't planning on leaving this horn in a case in the closet. That's the only way to avoid the risk of a dent.

[bort]

I think Dan O. should have the honor of the first dent.