A question about a stupid thing I have done. Awhile back I moved all my expensive horns inside the apartment from the garage before the big freeze started, or at least I thought I had I haven't been playing so all had been stored under the bed. When I went to pull out the euphonium to oil it up and warm up a bit for the Holiday Tubas concert this evening I discovered that the euphonium was still out in the garage, where the outside temperature has only been above zero for two out of the last 14 or so days. Other than letting the horn sit outside of the case and warm up to room temp, is there anything else I should, or should not, do other than wait a bit and hope for the best?
The sousaphones are still out there with no other options to store them this season so I'm just going to keep my fingers crossed and hope for the best. They were completely dry so I won't have to worry about moisture freezing in those, but it still worries me a bit.
They should be fine as long as they are not full of water!
Dan Schultz
"The Village Tinker" http://www.thevillagetinker.com" target="_blank
Current 'stable'... Rudolf Meinl 5/4, Marzan (by Willson) euph, King 2341, Alphorn, and other strange stuff.
I recently got a sousaphone from a friend. That horn had been stored in the garage for 20 or more years in Northern Minnesota. The valves worked fine, but some the slide were a little stuck. If you put your horn away dry, I wouldn't worry very much. Merry Christmas.
My horns travel in my van all year long, experiencing quite a range of temps as you
also know. The key is to drain all your tubes before taking it out to our fridged world.
See you tonight... really, Euphonium versus Tuba. Are you a non believer now
My horns travel in my van all year long, experiencing quite a range of temps as you
also know. The key is to drain all your tubes before taking it out to our fridged world.
See you tonight... really, Euphonium versus Tuba. Are you a non believer now
I let the euphonium warm up to room temp and then lubed and oiled everything so it should be all good to go.
Sorry David, last time I was there, there seemed to be a shortage on euphs that could play the first part, plus, I haven't touched my tuba, or any tuba for that fact, since last winter so there ya go
Back in the 60's when I was at NU studying with AJ, I was doing a club gig and we had a bloody cold winter. I was lugging the ole King Monster back and forth and always had to get to work early so it could warm up. THE problem was the car battery; if left in the old Merc it would be totally flat, if not frozen, by 1 or 2 AM. Solution: carry tuba over the right shoulder and the battery in a strap in left hand.
After a while, I got smart and used Bob Bauchens Huttl, which he left at the club so I only had to carry the battery.
I have left a horn in a vehicle parked outside overnight and had no ill effects. Here in Western Canada, it does take a very long time to warm up the horn if you forget to bring it in. I now play a "Boosey and Hawkes" 3 valve BBb that is stored at our band hall in the trunk it came from England in over 50 years ago. Now I just bring my music, mouthpiece, and other stuff in a backpack and life is much easier. The other horns are happy to stay at home where it is warm.
1930 King "Symphony" Recording Bass BBb
1916 Holton "Mammoth" Upright Bass BBb
1994 King 2341 Upright Bass BBb
Wedge H2 Solo mouthpieces
Stofer-Geib mouthpieces
Ken Herrick wrote:Back in the 60's when I was at NU studying with AJ, I was doing a club gig and we had a bloody cold winter. I was lugging the ole King Monster back and forth and always had to get to work early so it could warm up. THE problem was the car battery; if left in the old Merc it would be totally flat, if not frozen, by 1 or 2 AM. Solution: carry tuba over the right shoulder and the battery in a strap in left hand.
After a while, I got smart and used Bob Bauchens Huttl, which he left at the club so I only had to carry the battery.
I haven't been playing so all had been stored under the bed. When I went to pull out the euphonium to oil it up and warm up a bit for the Holiday Tubas concert this evening I discovered that the euphonium was still out in the garage, where the outside temperature has only been above zero for two out of the last 14 or so days. Other than letting the horn sit outside of the case and warm up to room temp, is there anything else I should, or should not, do other than wait a bit and hope for the best? 
