jacobg wrote:Why is it so hard to find a working one, when everyone seems to admire their light weight and balance?
The only thing I can figure out is that to my knowledge there is only one company that still makes a Helicon. They go for around $3800 at Woodwind and Brasswind and I've heard differing views about their quality and playability. I'm sure there are more factories making good ones in Europe, but they don't seem to be making it across the Atlantic.
I wouldn't count on it - I'd bet Amati/Cerveny is the only one left with new helicons coming off the line.
When they're right there at WW&BW about as cheap as any tuba, and people are asking "why is it so hard to find a working one", that's a self-answering question - people only want old helicons, and that can't last. I can't be too critical, since I never bought a new one either, but if I can offer a little encouragement - I have a Czech Eb like this that for me is a pretty fine tuba, sort of in the Monster Eb category. The ergonomics are a bit of a squeeze, and the intonation probably isn't perfect, but I would guess it's comparable to old US designs in both respects. I have never seen a picture of the Cerveny Eb, and can't say for sure it's built along the same lines, but it likely is.
Well, it's not like a helicon painted like that has a lot of other productive uses...
But a helicon is a honkin' (excuse the pun) big item... they might not have realized just HOW big until the auction was over. This ain't easy to ship. May take a while to find that out. Maybe they're trying to find something reasonable, figuring how big a box to get, or discovering the joys of Grayhound... You may want to mention that to them.
Or maybe not. Good luck, either way!
Instead of talking to your plants, if you yelled at them would they still grow, but only to be troubled and insecure?
I would suspect that if you wanted to, a new bell section fashioned from an upright could be found very easily, and cut to size (look at beautiful work Herr bloke was able to accomplish with his!). Then again, perhaps you could build an effective Texas fire lookout from it!
Instead of talking to your plants, if you yelled at them would they still grow, but only to be troubled and insecure?
schlepporello wrote:Whatever I decide to do with it, the cracks and tears are gonna have to be fixed first before they either get worse or somebody gets hurt just handling the horn.
Hey Schlepp,
Tear that danged bulldog off your hood and mount it there!!!
