Posted by Klaus on January 21, 2003 at 16:56:16:
In Reply to: Re: Re: Re: Re: Valve bore variations posted by C(G) on January 21, 2003 at 16:21:39:
I have told of my old companion the boatswain, who you know as Ove. He is a very dedicated person, so I trust him, when he reports from a trip to Praha, that there is virtually nothing to be had, if one shops for large brasses.
We can all have our opinions on Czech instruments ( I have at least 3, that represented high levels of technology, when they left their 3 different factories: Cerveny, Zelenka, and Lidl). But we must understand, that the Cerveny/Amati/Denak conglomerate is not run to service Czechs and their occasional brass interested visitors. That company is matter of getting $$$ and Euros to an economy still struggling to catch up with Western European standards.
I understand that some players like the St. Pete. I have had the chance to try one of Frieders top versions, that had had its valves cleaned up by its engineer owner, a third of my countrymen, name sadly forgotten. The factor putting me off was the narrow leadpipe. Not the valves, that ran so well, that they bounced repeatedly, when returning to open position.
Still I acknowledge, that the St. Pete offers an outlet of sound for players with a different playing style than mine, which best thrives on large bore piston instruments with open leadpipes..
Without giving guaranties my monitoring of the German auction field gives me a sense, that one can have a huge and used German BBb for about 2 or 3 times the costs of a renowned valve section. Again everything is a matter of Fingerspitzengefühl. One can be cheated, but after all I have come out on top in my collecting. While I was teaching, I never were in doubt, when buying for students, having a failure rate down to 1 or 2%. But today I am reluctant taking decisions involving any wallet but mine.
have
Yet I dare out the main direction of my opinions.
Klaus