John Packer 377 Eb

[phaymore]

Does anyone on here own a JP 377 Eb? If so, what are your thoughts and impressions. Do you feel like it feel like it was worth the extra money over a Wessex or Mack? I hope to be in the market for an Eb in the next couple of months and Bloke's reviews of the 377 have me intrigued. Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks!

Patrick

[Dan Tuba]

I owned a JP 377 for a while and at the time I also had a Besson 981(German made). The JP 377 is awesome! The JP imho is just as good if not better than the Besson 981. The Jin Bao Compensating EEb (19" bell) offered (Schiller, Wessex) are good intruments and play well, but the JP 377 is a step up imho. The JP 377 is one of the best compensating EEb tubas on the market. Why did I sell it?... because I was stupid!

[phaymore]

Did you find one in stock and get a chance to play yours before you bought it or did you order?

Patrick

[Dan Tuba]

I bought mine from Dillon Music. I played it before I purchased.

[ken k]

- amazing workmanship
- just as with the rotary JP top-line instruments, possibly better workmanship than the instruments they reference
- not dirt-cheap, but around half the cost of European instruments with no (as with some others) quality compromise
(Admittedly, to be able to move them, mark-up has to be lean, as dealer cost is not low.)

Stuff like Wisemann, JP, and Eastman, possibly (??), are a bit harder to sell, because many prospective customers seem to overlook (not be completely able to discern...??) the extraordinary build quality, and only notice that they cost more than the cheapo Chinese-made instruments...
...and the lowest-priced anything (as long as it works when it is first purchased) is always going to sell the most.

I played an Eastman tonight and was very impressed with the instrument. The horn I played was a sort of copy of the old Conn 52J. extremely well made and very hefty, not a thin metal "cheap" horn at all. Valves were like butter...

[Wyvern]

I never even look at the "buffing"...
Other people point out (to me) ragging streaks on less accessible tubing surfaces.


.

normally I don't either. But it's bad. I had it in my lap today, looked at the bell, and you just can't help wonder if the person who did it had poor equipment, or just didn't care.

again, we're talking about the bell and bottom bow. Hardly less accessible surfaces

Bloke, you talk like a true professional! My observations are professionals care mostly about how tubas play, and little about the finish. I remember one London professional tried a batch of tubas. The one he selected had quite noticeable dent which I pointed out, only to be told, "I don't care how it looks, I care how it plays and that one plays the best"

Mark, They would certainly not get away with that today! Your tuba was built at time prior to Wessex quality checking at factory. Over the last 18 months I have steadily raised the acceptability standard, to the extent that now a ¼ inch scratch, minute ping, rough joint, or bad polishing is enough to get tuba rejected and have to be re-finished. Every time a new issue is brought to my attention, we zoom in to ensure that problem does not re-occur in future production. As the workers only get paid for the work once we accept the tuba, rejections soon raise the standards...

[Wyvern]

How an instrument plays and mechanically works should be the main considerations. Which is why in quality check Wessex also check every horn with tuner, take out and examine all valves and slides, check valve alignment and even look inside with torch or bore scope to assess the quality of the joints (next time to factory I am taking torches for all the tuba factory workers, so they can better make internal checks themselves)

I am working to keep the price 'lower-end', but make the quality 'higher-end'. I am sure it is possible! The effort to make a tuba to high standard, is not that much greater than making shoddily. What is required is the attention to detail by workers at every stage of the process.

[Wyvern]

blookle translate

English:...American:
torch.......flashlight

Thanks Joe - what would we do without you!

Look forward to seeing you at ITEC...

[Wyvern]

I'm more concerned about the feel of the linkage and the valves than I am the buffing. I'm hoping this summer I can get the valves to feel less stiff. Might be the springs, most be the valves themselves, I don't know yet

You have got to remember your tuba was in demo use in showroom for over a year. In such use the valves repeatably get wet inside from someone play testing, to then dry out afterwards. In my experience that is not so good for smooth rotary valve operation (they like being kept wet from regular playing) - my guess is crud has built up inside.

Anyway, hope you get working to your satisfaction.

[GC]

What if a singer makes a "pretty sound" but sings all out of tune?

Makes me think back to the disco era.