Re: St. Petersburg Tubas---What Do You Know?


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Posted by marty on December 10, 1999 at 23:06:01:

In Reply to: St. Petersburg Tubas---What Do You Know? posted by T on December 10, 1999 at 19:26:36:


I have owned my St. Pete for almost two years now and feel like I know my instrument pretty well now. Here are some things I like about the horn and a few things i am sure are better on more expensive horns. First off I really feel the horn overall is constructed very nicely, a few blemishes in the plating but for the most part very well done. It plays in tune very well, I have sat down with a meter and tuned the horn, I tend to pull a little on the first valve slide in the lower register but that is probably me and not the horns fault. I have a horn that was purchased thru Tuba Exchange, so all of the valve work and a new paddle system was already on the horn when I got it. I have done a little valve work on my own ( I am a repairman) just to tweak the horn to my satisfaction, but it is really sound otherwise. I am very fussy about the valves so I tend to pull them when ever I start to feel them get gummy from old rotor oil and give them a good wiping off. I used to think that this would be a good horn for a highschool to purchase, but after having mine for a while I am afraid it is to fragile of an instrument to be slinging around a band room. A Miraphone or VMI is built with a little heavier metal and probably would stand up to abuse a little better.
Having said that, I do think that for the money, this is a really good buy. I know that eventually I will have to have an expensive horn, but bein a daddy and payin a mortage have told me, buy cheap!! But as many of the posters here will tell you, try to play a few different horns in a price range that you are thinking of and THEN make a decision. Some people, like me, really like the St. Petersburg, others dont. YOU make the final decision because you are the one who will have to live with this horn once you get it!
Good luck!


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