Posted by js on July 01, 2003 at 20:28:39:
In Reply to: 2341 King tuba owners....HELP posted by Perplexed on July 01, 2003 at 12:34:26:
I'm likely stepping in doo-doo here, because I have a very good relationship with UMI and with your vendor, and I believe that BOTH work extremely hard to very successfully take care of customers.
All that being said (and with sincerity), I really don't think you're going to end up with super-super (as in "ultimate") close piston tolerances with an Ohio-made instrument. Quite acceptable? Yes. State-of-the-art? Perhaps not.
Weril brand instruments, which I sell, have "acceptable" piston tolerances, but far from state-of-the-art. The Weril NOT-state-of-the-art pistons do not seem to have any effect on playing characteristics, and I actually prefer the sound and response of the (cheaper) Weril instruments to the (more expensive with better piston tolerances) Yamaha that the Weril has copied.
ALL OF THAT BEING SAID, if you REALLY are looking for "state-of-the-art", you might consider having the valve section unsoldered from the tuba body and sent to state-of-the-art guy, Dave Secrist. Your finish won't suffer much (if unsoldered/resoldered carefully by an expert) and your repair-guy out there can hit the small distressed silver spots with "touch-up" silver plating.
With a possible Return Authorization, UMI would likely offer great improvement...I'm not certain though it would be as good as Dave Secrist would do for you...and I really don't think UMI has ever - as a general practice - made piston valves with as close tolerances as Dave could do for you.
I probably shouldn't have commented someone else's deal. Again, I know that the vendor and UMI will offer you great improvement and satisfaction with your situation, but for the "ultimate" (if you're one of those "unreasonably picky" people - like sometimes I tend to be) you might want to have you horn pulled apart (at YOUR expense - you ABSOLUTELY CANNOT expect your vendor or UMI to pay for this!) and sent to "The Man".
J. "who has considered doing just that with a new Weril euphonium that I often grab and use for gigs, but has not yet done so" S.