Posted by Klaus on May 07, 2001 at 16:51:37:
In Reply to: Meister Gerhard Schneider BBb on Ebay posted by Graham Smith on May 07, 2001 at 15:59:01:
Tricky question to give a good answer to!
The term Meister (master) generally points towards a higher standard of the maker. Titles as anything else were rigidly controlled in the GDR. It certainly belongs to to top series from the workshop in question (which I never heard of in tuba contexts).
The pictures do not tell very much of the linkage, but what I can see points towards the older double-rollers and S-linkage system. I have know this system for 41 years, and my experience is, that it is a bit too vulnerable to wear. Adding a not desirable, but persistent and active, percussion section to ones brass playing.
If the person holding the tuba is not extraordinarily huge, then this tuba to me looks like a smaller 4/4.
I am not in direct touch with the US market, but in my eyes the Buy It Now price is way, way to high, even with the thrown in goodies.
Klaus