Posted by John Swensen on April 07, 1999 at 18:03:01:
In Reply to: Still looking for info on St.Pete's posted by Paul on April 07, 1999 at 17:13:10:
Bought from www.tuba.com in raw brass form, the St. Pete is a pretty good bargain.
Its low register is very good, but with a 16.5" bell, you will not get the same sound as you might with a bigger horn.
At about 17 pounds, this tuba feels delightfully light in weight on your lap.
Construction quality is on the rough side; none of the polishing is up to the best German standards, and the hard-to-reach parts are a bit rustic in appearance.
The worst thing about the St. Pete is the valves, which are noisy and sometimes leaky.
The noise is due to sloppy clearances at the bearings, and can be reduced by swadging the bushings down. The leaks can be helped by using heavier oil (like mineral oil).