Posted by Maybe on September 24, 2001 at 17:08:04:
In Reply to: Cerveny acb 601 posted by David V. on September 24, 2001 at 14:11:53:
First of all, if this is the horn that was on "the auction site" a week or two ago, then it is not hot. This guy has been trying to sell this horn for a long time.
Here is what I know about Cerveny 601's:
They can produce a great sound in the hands of someone who knows how to use them, but they have a lot of drawbacks. The workmanship on Cerveny tubas is not very good. The valves are not fitted very well and they tend to get very clunky. The valves on the large bore tubas have ports that are too small for the bore of the horn so to get the most out of the horn, the valves need to be opened up. This is not a job for every repairman. I only know of a couple of people in the country who do this and it can be expensive. The intonation can be dicey. If this is the horn that I think it is, it has a tuning stick on the main slide (no, this is not Jay B's horn) so that can help the intonation issue, but it is still going to be a lot of work to play in tune.
I don't know your situation, but if you are a developing student then this horn might present more problems than you are willing to deal with. I always think an aspiring student is better served with a first horn that has reliable intonation and consistant response. A 4/4 horn that is not too large, not too small makes a lot more sense. I don't think a big ole' Cerveny fits the bill very well.