Posted by Dan Schultz on December 11, 2003 at 22:48:37:
... after you select the brand and model horn you want you should play several of them before making your final selection; Due to manufacturing variations, there ARE differences in new horns. I took apart a 1913 Conn 4V euphonium for a guy a couple of days ago to do some dent work and found that two of the slide joints on valves 1 and 2 WERE NEVER SOLDERED! What kept the horn together for over 80 years is beyond me! I went through a B & S stencil today because of a stuffy third valve and found one joint without solder. All horns are not created equal! The difference between a good playing horn and a great playing horn might be one little blob of solder (or not).