Posted by pffelps says pfft on September 17, 2003 at 10:56:38:
In Reply to: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Well, wet my knickers...!!! posted by John Cooper on September 17, 2003 at 09:44:50:
You guys and your prejudice against gig bags. I schlepp both of my big horns in the same RB "Grand Orchestral" bag (not at the same time of course) and while yeah I suppose neither horn has fewer dents than when I got them, they still look great for in-use, working and playing horns. I admit it is hard to strike a balance about an issue so emotionally-charged as a dent in a horn (smirk) but to my mind (and lower back) reasonable care doesn't include an anvil case when I am the one handling/transporting the horn on a daily basis for my use playing.
Some readers know I ride (and collect) fine old hand-made bicycles. Tempting as an NOS '71 Italian Masi may be, I am not a showroom, and consider bicycles something to be ridden, so when one of these rare-as-hen's-teeth-in-my-size bikes turned up recently, I knuckled down hard to avoid sinking a tone of money into a bike that's likely get a scratch or a chip despite my reasonable care. With our tubas, the only way to avoid any damage either is a combination of anal-obsessive care and/or NOT using the horn and leaving it locked in a vault, and where's the pleasure in that?
A lot of us old guys carried sousaphones when we were young. A lot of us have bad backs too. I don't like the pain in my bad back, and wouldn't encourage ANY person no matter how young or strong to EVER get a 30-pound-plus crate for daily transport of their tuba. That's what gigbags are FOR. But you can bet if I ever have either of these horns refurbed cosmetically, I will be more careful with it in a gigbag, 'nuff said.
end rant.
dp
dp