While we're copying tubas

[ppalan]

Here's my vote for a horn to copy...good for summer use to avoid playing sharp.

[EdFirth]

I own and play alot on one of the Bb's, it has the straight up and down valve bridge like Lew's former horn. When I got it the condition of the horn was suprisingly good. NO dents. very recent valve job, and it played pretty well. Until I put it with a tuner and found it had been shortened to somewhere around B natural and the slides had been shortened as well, the fourth cobbled together with three different sizes of tubing all smaller bore than the first three. So we made a longer leadpipe, rebuilt the short slides back to original and it sat at my house until the Candlelight Orchestra at Disney fired up. I had played the show six nights a week for the preceeding eight years and since they kept calling me back I assumed that they liked the sound etc. By the end of the third show I had heard from most of the brass, including the Herald trumpets, cast choir members, and even people in the audience. It made quite an impression. But it is as heavy as any horn I've played and is so tall that you really don't hear yourself that well so I didn't get what all the feedback was about and eventually sold it.The following year I purchased a CD of a non Disney orchestra that I had played it with just to put any doubts/regrets I had about selling it to bed. The sound on the recording was shockingly better than on all the previous recordings. I bought it back that day and played it on the concert the next night.The point is, they're all very old, and in many cases have had bad repair wok or been really abused, or in most cases the valves are shot.Mine plays very well now but I tend to treat it like a Dusenberg automobile, handleing it with extreem care. I'm 60 so it doesn't have to last forever but if Mr Kanstul built a copy of it I'd be first in line, with cash. If the market is there maybe he will but the hard sell would be that there are really few to try that have been restored properly so people don't have experience with them. I played Joe Novotny's C and it was fantastic.Maybe by my next lifetime. Ed

[J.c. Sherman]

I had a King Monster like pictured; I wish I still had it. It was heavier than a Volkswagon, but DAMN that thing played! I sold it because, with the recording bell, I could hardly ever use it. Now, you can buy a straight bell from Stofer and I kick myself constantly for not having my beast. Nimble, huge and interesting sound, fastest valves on the planet, and unthinking intonation. Damn I miss that sucker!

[Uncle Markie]

The upright bell Lee Stofer sold me for my Martin has made me a very happy musician. Worth every penny and Lee is great guy to do business with. Those old Kings could be given a new lease on life the same way; too bad there aren't too many of them around.

Mark Heter

[Heavy_Metal]

I believe that "Big Joe The Tuba" was a "one off" design made for Mr. Tarto; a one-of a kind, unlike the rotary-valved "pit tubas" that King sold in the '30s. Brian Nalepka owns "Big Joe" now, having studied with Mr. Tarto at one time.

The march entitled "Big Joe The Tuba" was actually written by Paul Lavalle, conductor of the Cities' Service "Band of America" and Joe Tarto. The piece always made me think someone took "Them Basses" and wrote it in reverse! Great march!

The "Big Joe, the Tuba" march is on YouTuba, here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=acruyj3E ... ure=relmfu" target="_blank

Maybe the folks at ITEC could get their 30-tuba lineup to play this next year....... pleeeeez?

[eupher61]

http://i286.photobucket.com/albums/ll96 ... 272330.jpg

Never mind the pit tuba...what is that thing that Mr Bell and whoever else is playing???????? A true double tuba??? Double leadpipe AND bell? What a great way to play Fantastique, or Le Sacre! For that matter, what about the baritone type thing in the back? Who ARE these guys??

[swillafew]

Way back at the original post, that is an excellent question. I was going to ask the same thing myself.

[Heavy_Metal]

I could help but notice that it follows almost identically to the structure of "Them Basses"

I wouldn't say it's a knock-off, KT, though there is a resemblance.... anyway, both marches would be fun to play