Posted by Ken Herrick on July 01, 2001 at 05:30:59:
In Reply to: Tinkering with a York "Monster" Eb posted by Robby Nowell on July 01, 2001 at 03:10:00:
Robby,
You could be opening a real can of worms here, and they may not have been well preserved!!!!! If you really do go ahead with this project, make sure you keep all the parts you dont use. Either you may want to go back, or they might raise a few $$$,
If you are going up in bore size, you need to be able to rejoin the instrument at the same size. If you come down in diameter you will hit problems. Matching the bore size and coming up with the correct overall length will require alterations to the leadpipe and/or changes in straight tubing, (or some tapered link) to fill in. In simple terms, you are likely to be rather dramatically altering the taper characteristics in the first 1/4 of the instrument and while you might get very lucky and find you get something good, you might get what sounds like a big euphonium with sinus and adenoid problems and unworkable intonation. The prospects are that you will more than likely go toward the latter.
Even as an experience instrument tech, I would think long and hard before firing up the torch. Keep it in mind that instead of building a great tuba, you may end up with something less than a miracle of modern plumbing technology. There are people who would love what you have in its present form. It might be better to find the ole fella a good home and go buy a new axe which you know works. In the meantime, maybe (assuming you haven't done much instrument building) play around with some old cornets etc to develop your skills, then move up.
It might be far more productive, educational, and in the end less expensive to buy an old 4 valve instrument and concentrate on rebuilding it rather than undertaking such drastic mods.
In the end, it is your decision to take, or not take, the risk, but dontinue your research and consider carefully all facets of the operation.
Have fun and good luck.
Ken