Hirsbrunner Help

[Todd S. Malicoate]

I agree with Ian...it sure looks like an HB21 to me. Very similar to a horn I was able to play on some in graduate school (thanks, Jarrod).

The third valve stem is probably angled just a bit from true, causing the stickiness. There doesn't even appear to be any sizable dents on this horn, and the bad finish isn't hard to fix. I'm going to guess that $500-600 gets that horn into superb, playable condition. Any disagreement from the TNFJ?

People give away tubas to good homes...wow. Hirsbrunners, even. In C. To guys who don't even play tuba anymore. Well, bully for you, sir. The fact that you are going to play this horn rather than sell it is, I suppose, admirable. I'm still blown away by the whole story. That horn is just in too good of a condition to be in a scrap heap...what kind of crazy people do you know, anyway? That's a pro horn that just needs a bit of repair to be very, very nice and usable by a professional.

Please forgive my jealousy...also, please post the location of this scrap heap. I'd love to do some prospecting.

[Chuck Jackson]

Does this surprise you? I can hardly locate my own butt most times…

That's why I got married. I usually find mine, but with a big chunk taken out of it. And it always happens when I forget to unload the dishwasher. Go figure.

Chuck

[Todd S. Malicoate]

If you don't care about the appearance, the cost of bring it into playing shape will be, of course, much less than my earlier estimate.

You can do the basic disassembly/cleaning yourself...since you majored in tuba performance before you surely must know the basics of how to clean a horn. What's wrong with it besides one sticky valve and two missing valve guides?

[Rick Denney]

Even if the valves stayed in line, the third valve comes back up only intermittently despite a liberal application of valve oil.

If it is coming back up intermittently, then it's not bent or deformed, and most likely just needs a good cleaning. Valves (or casings) that have been deformed don't work at all.

And replacing the valve guides is not a difficult job for a tech.

My suspicion is that a normal chem-clean (which will include new felts and corks) and replacement of the valve guides will get the instrument in playing condition. If that's the case, it will be less than the number you presented here.

I don't know who in San Antonio I would take a tuba to these days--the person I used (15+ years ago) has seen a change in circumstances and may no longer do such work. Ray should be able to answer that (and he knows who I'm talking about). Look up TubaRay and PM him.

As to Bloke's post: If you feel unable to turn the tuba into case, then fix it and play it. You might, however, find someone to trade with you, and trading might not cause as much discomfort. These instruments have qualities, but they also, by nearly all accounts, make significant demands on the player.

I'm assuming that you know that the tuba was not stolen.

Rick "adding that last bit just in case" Denney

[J.c. Sherman]

God, I would murder for a horn like that...

Congrats on a great find. I am more jealose than imaginable...

J.c.

[Chuck Jackson]

There are probably many more like it languishing unplayed in band rooms all over the country.

Are you inferring from this remark that the aforementioned horn was an inventoried instrument from a music program? Hopefully the person who gave it to you was smart enough to take such an asset off said institutions inventory so as not to have said horn, and your aquisition of same, come back and bite you in the ***, quite possibly after you have done some expensive work done to it. I would be VERY leery of such a "gift". I have known one person who took someone up in this manner only to be arrested after being accused of theft. Seems that the bequethor offering the horn said it was stolen to get money for another product and through a not so spurious set of circumstances it was found out that the product was in this bequetheds possession. The person bequething said "gem" never stood up and did the right thing, thus leaving the person with the "goods" holding the bag. Messy situation that took 6 months and many pesatas to rectify.

Chuck"Beware Greeks Bearing Gifts"Jackson

[Todd S. Malicoate]

There are probably many more like it languishing unplayed in band rooms all over the country.

Perhaps, but there are very, very few given away free "to good home."

You should consider yourself extremely lucky to be given such a gift...your cavalier attitude about this amazingly unusual story is troubling.

[k001k47]

There are probably many more like it languishing unplayed in band rooms all over the country.

Perhaps, but there are very, very few given away free "to good home."

You should consider yourself extremely lucky to be given such a gift...your cavalier attitude about this amazingly unusual story is troubling.

I wouldn't have posted this story on tubenet...
I can just imagine how many messages the OP must be getting.