Posted by Joe S. on January 13, 2001 at 00:22:10:
In Reply to: Re: Re: Re: It occurs to me posted by Chuck(G) on January 12, 2001 at 12:02:32:
Shortening an instrument to CC is a monumental undertaking, and takes a tremendous amount of resources away from "$ure $tuff" type of shop productivity. Matt Walters is in the type of job where he is a TUBA technician. He (as much as one can) has "set himself up" for this type of work (even at this, he can only shave off a few hours of time from each job). I played several of his creations, and most all of them offered more interesting tonal characteristics (and, at worst "just as good" intonation) as most all newly manufactured CC tubas (quite a generalization, eh?). Of course, the BEST HORN in the shop was...
...HIS PERSONAL TUBA, which leads me to my final point:
I have NEVER done a key alteration to any tuba for anyone but myself. In my view, its just too much work to do and then hand the thing over to someone else. Yes, I've sold a couple of them off (stupidly, an Eb that I "recreated") but I would NEVER have undertaken any of the conversions that I did with the original intent of selling them - ' just too stingy to have "money" or "a sense of accomplishment" as the final products of all that work. What I want when I am done is AN EXTRAORDINARY TUBA FOR ((me)). Currently, I am working on two instruments. I (hopefully) have gotten a little smarter over the years. Not nearly as savvy as Matt, but smart enough to ONLY take on projects that offer the promises of extraordinary tonal characteristics, response, and good intonation. (In tune in BBb almost always = in tune in CC, if cut and retapered with care.)
The BBb "historical preservationalist" thing is not only impractical (due to the thousands of "historical" instruments out there that will never be cut), but reminds me of the thinking of (some of) the environmentalists: ("NO, you cannot develop your private property as you wish to its and your best advantage. You must do with it as I say - even though I am not offering to buy it from you and I continue to tax you for owning it.") Buy as many York BBb's (or whatever) as you want. You're free to do that and to hoard them in your back bedroom for the rest of your life. Knock yourself out. (Not YOU, Chuck (G), but the "preservationist" movement spokesmen. I realize that you are not in that camp. Rather, you are a "questioner" of the CC conversion "craze".)