Re: Re: Ho Ho Holton!


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Posted by Rick Denney on December 21, 2002 at 01:48:29:

In Reply to: Re: Ho Ho Holton! posted by OUTSTANDING!! on December 21, 2002 at 01:30:28:

Where's the serial number?

As a test, I played a low Bb with all the free stuff available to me, which was indeed about two seconds' worth from full lungs. No edge. On the YM, the sound started to lose focus and spread, and pitch went to hell--it was beyond what I could do and hold together. The Holton just laughed.

And I played through The Ride for Karla this evening (something I never, ever do in a music store, even if it's just me and the guy minding the store). The problem I had was that I kept giggling halfway through it.

But it's the soft touch that really impresses me. This beastie has two or three times the dynamic range of any of my other tubas--more on both ends.

A full restoration is in this horn's future, but well into the future. It will take a while to recover from buying it in the first place, and it's playable as is (at least once I get new valve buttons on it). It would be quite pretty with no dents and shiny silver. Maybe before then I'll run it up to Dillons and see if I can get Matt to pull off the bottom bow and do some econo-dedenting. For now, though, I don't want to let it out of my sight.

An interesting thing: I compared mine with the picture of the one currently on ebay, and they are basically identical, except for the valves. Mine are like a Meinl-Weston set, with the first valve offset from the other three, while the one pictured all four valves are in circular arc. I wonder if one or the other had the valve block replaced at some point. The way mine has ferrules at the valve ports, it would not surprise me.

Rick "who just took some interesting side-by-side pics with the 20J" Denney


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