Repair or Replace?????

[Okiedokie of Oz]

On Valentine's Day, I suffered a tragic loss, as did brass bands all across the state of Queensland.

My E flat bass, Bessie, was involved in a nasty accident on a streetmarch.

As I do not play her much currently, I had loaned her to the band president, a responsible, mature adult, who knew the cost of a Besson Sovereign 981GS and looked after her. However, while attached to her, he was walking to the marshalling point when he did not see a park bench. Over he went, and onto my beloved Bessie....

Her injuries appear to be fairly severe, but the instrument doesn't look mangles in any way. All the front tubing has been compressed into the main Body, and, as a bandsman put it to me, the slides which are "honeycombed" into the valves, locking them down.

She has been sent to Brisbane, some 600km south of here for assesment and possible repairs. My big fear, however, is if she is repaired, she will never be quite the same.

Should I be concerned?? Should I just let the insurance man replace it with a "better" 982?? Am I idiotic to worry about such a stupid instrument, but be greatful that the band president was unscathed???

 

[Naomi McFadyen]

If the repair to the damage on your Bass is gonna cost as much as when my car was ridden off in December then replace it...
But it's whatever works out cheaper- and your bank balance- at the end of the day ;-)

 

[Despot]

Replace, the valves may never be quite right again!

 

[Di]

She has been sent to Brisbane, some 600km south of here for assesment and possible repairs. My big fear, however, is if she is repaired, she will never be quite the same.

Should I be concerned?? Should I just let the insurance man replace it with a "better" 982?? Am I idiotic to worry about such a stupid instrument, but be greatful that the band president was unscathed???

Definitely replace (well, the Band President anyway! :twisted: :wink: ).

If you've sent Bessie as far as 600km, I'm assuming you know this guy is good. He surely wouldn't tell you he could fix it unless he could make a good and proper job of it.

Here's wishing poor Bessie a full and speedy recovery.

If this is not possible, have you a signed a donar card for her bits to be used as "spares and repairs"?.

 

[Seedhouse]

I'm going to have to go with replace, it'll cost heaps to replace it, but at the end of the day it's up to you. Would you rather spend loads repairing it, or spend loads buying a new bass?

 

[skweeky]

well i, also, would have to say "adopt another". If her valves are not working correctly then there is a 99% chance that they will not sit right when fixed and bessie wont blow right no more! its pointless really to try and mend her :cry:

sorry mate

 

[Jo Elson]

Well if Bessie was mine I'd probably want her repaired anyway. But i guess a replacement would be better because of the points everyone else has already stated, an i'm guessing as a student you haven't got that much money.

 

[carlwoodman]

Should I be concerned?? Should I just let the insurance man replace it with a "better" 982??

Really unfortunate accident. Years ago, one of our BBb players tripped in a pothole in the road and, having it strapped to him, landed on top of the instrument. Nasty!

I may have got the wrong end of the stick here but is someone suggesting that a 982 is better than a 981 or do they just mean that a new 982 is better than your smashed up 981?

 

[EIBB_Ray]

not advocating any particular action, but I remembered seeing a website that showed what I thought were rather remarkable tuba repairs and thought I'd pass it along, for what it's worth.

http://www.oberloh.com/gallery/tubaoverhaul.htm

 

[Okiedokie of Oz]

I may have got the wrong end of the stick here but is someone suggesting that a 982 is better than a 981 or do they just mean that a new 982 is better than your smashed up 981?

As with all players, everyone has an opinion of what is a better instrument, but the current consensus I've had from other players is the 982 is a little more freeblowing than the 981 and the GS. The 984 (backwards) is also apparently exactly the same to blow as the 982.

 

[jameshowell]

I feel for you; I am in a similar position.

Thanks to someone's incompetence (never found out who, though for the sake of their staying alive that is probably a good thing :twisted: ) my trumpet bell was creased, so I've got to get a new one fitted and then a complete relacuer.

I've only had the trumpet a couple of monthsq, just to add insult to injury!

It's going to take 3 weeks... NOOOOOO!!!

I really feel sorry for you, because if your bass is repaired, it will probably be gone a lot longer :cry:

 

[ted]

Replace...

If you repair it, it just won't be the same and you'll want to buy a new one. Eventually you'll go and buy a new one and offload the repaired instrument to a school or the no.2 band or junior band.

Since you said that you weren't playing the bass much anyway, why don't you wait a while and save up for a new one?

Ted

 

[Okiedokie of Oz]

Because:

1) as the only person in town who knows anything about tubas, I'm always called in last minute for workshops, or filling a bass line. I need access to a tuba.
2) competing in the Open Eb at Qld states this Easter.
3) My parent's will spew if they find their investment down the drain

Insurance is covering it, thank God. Greg at BMS has said slides can be fixed, valves will never be perfect, and the silver plate is scratched to all buggery.

So that's THAT question answered!!

Now, what do I replace it WITH??

 

[carlwoodman]

Now, what do I replace it WITH??

In the UK, there is a lot more choice of 'top-of-the-range' Eb now;
Sovereign (980, 981, 982 or front-action 983)
Yamaha Maestro
Courtois
Mirafone
Willson

I'm not sure if all these makes are available to you in Oz.
I can feel a separate thread coming on as to the relative merits of these instruments.

 

[Okiedokie of Oz]

We have all sovs, and the miraphones are also lingering, but mainly in the CC varieties.

I have started a new topic on this to openthe discussion more, plus so there is ALWAYS something around for future Bessie breakers and other tuba players.