Posted by C(G) on January 20, 2004 at 19:36:27:
In Reply to: Re: Re: Re: CSO York Condition? posted by Rex Roeges on January 20, 2004 at 16:45:27:
All of this assumes that the CSO instruments posess some mysterious unknown quality, akin to the treatment of the original spruce used in a Stradivarius or Guarneri violin. Or perhaps something having to do with the mysterious qualites of the varnish used.
But the CSO York is relatively recent history. All of its dimensions are measurable, the composition of the brass and the solder can be determined by a student-level metallurgist. A few X-rays should show up invisible details of its construction. So, making dead-on copies of these things should be quite easy in the scheme of things.
No magic here, I suspect. As others have mentioned, there are a lot of fine tubas that play as well as or better than the "real thing".
If and when the CSO Yorks become unmaintainable, perhaps the best thing might be to donate them to a museum or hang them on the wall of a steakhouse.