Here is a before photo:
And here is a (not great) photo I took of my tuba yesterday evening:
I'm not totally sure I can call this the "after" photo, more like "in progress."
Work that was done:
-- Remove and replace linkages, stop arms, paddles, paddle bar for valves 1--4
-- Remove and replace thumb ring
-- Remove several aftermarket parts and brackets for a 2nd valve kicker that I never used
-- Clean up multiple messy solder spots from previous repairs
Work that needs to be done:
-- Level out the 4 paddles; they are uneven right now (minor issue, just ran out of time right now)
-- Replace the 5th valve linkage.
Unfortunately, the part that Willson sent to me for the 5th valve was not machined properly. The hole that is supposed to be drilled straight through for the threaded pin is not straight (and apparently not even close). So, for now, it's still the old part installed on the tuba, and I need to get in touch with Willi K. Really bummed about this, because the old 5th valve linkage is really cobbled together.
That said, I've only had a few minutes to play, but here are my first impressions:
-- Looks great, no more raw brass strips holding the paddle bar in place (yuck!). Initial reaction is that I'm glad I didn't spend an $ to get things silver plated first.
-- Feels great, very solid and direct action. The new paddles are slender and solid. MUCH different and better feel than before. Feels like a totally different tuba under my hand.
-- The part that Bloke is waiting to hear, it's not a "light" feeling to the linkage. But neither is it heavy and clunky. I like it.
-- Perhaps most importantly, the position of my hand is FAR better than it was before. I don't have to reach as far around the front of the tuba as before, and the old thumb ring (too high, too large, always in the way) is replaced with a smaller adjustable thumb ring. I will probably remove it altogether, but will give it a try.
So, that's it for now... it's a LOT better, and at first glance seems totally worth the investment to get this fixed correctly. Once I get that 5th valve fixed, this tuba will be in great shape for many years to come.
