B&S Symphonie Buyer's Guide - Brass and Pipes

 

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The Symphonie F-Tuba is perhaps one of the most influential tuba designs of the 20th century.  It is till today the preferred choice of several professionals and an important influence for many modern F-Tuba designs.  This Buyer’s Guide will begin with a brief history of its development and move on to descriptions of what I personally categorize as four chronologically-ordered Series that defined the production lifespan from 1963 – 1985. To be crystal clear, the factory made no official distinction over the production lifespan, the “Series” are based off my personal observations.

After which a range of price-estimates of each Series will be suggested, taking into account factors such as condition and modifications.

Please keep in mind that this is just the opinion of one person to hopefully help you navigate the used Symphonie market.  When in doubt, please use your common sense.  Failure to do so may result in side effects such as depression, leaky valves, cracked bell wreaths and empty bank accounts.  Now that that’s all cleared up, let’s get to it, shall we?

History

For those who have not read it before, here’s an earlier blog post about how it all got started.

Blog Post about the first Symphonie from 1960

TL;DR
The creation of this model came through the impulse of two excellent and motivated people, one a musician and the other an engineer.  It was their collaboration that got the project off the ground.  Other well-known players helped refine the final versions and the incredible craftsmen at B&S brought the design to a working reality.

However after 20 years of production, pressure to cut costs/decrease production time and the influence from tubists outside of the GDR (German Democratic Republic or DDR Deutsche Demokratische Republik) caused the company to pursue a different direction with heavier 2-piece bells and larger-bore, less conical valve blocks. The Symphonie was finally dropped from production in the mid-1980s. What was then admittedly so deemed as progress, in retrospect seems different to our eyes almost 40 years later.

Important Note: watch out for smaller F-tubas that were also produced by B&S during the GDR times, sometimes with the word “Symphonie” engraved on the bell.  They range from 3 to 6 valves.  The distinct difference is the bell diameter – the flagship Symphonies of this guide are 42cm while the “other” Symphonies had a smaller bell of 38cm. They were also of a completely different design. These instruments, while “nice”, are in my opinion, inferior to the true larger Symphonies due to intonation issues.  The Symphonie name was also engraved on certain special BBb and CC and even some Eb tubas, however this guide is only focused on the F-Tubas.

The Four Production Series

After many years of playing and restoring Symphonies, I came to the conclusion that there are 4 distinct series of Symphonies.

1963 – 1965 Prototypes
1966 – 1972 1st Production Series
1973 – 1982 2nd Production Series
1983 – 1985 3rd and Final Production Series

There is a great deal of overlap between the series (gotta use up those spare parts!) but each series has distinct characteristics and this is important to consider before purchase.

Serial Numbers

I’m sure at this point many of you have wondered where the serial number list is to be found.  I have purposely not included it at this moment for two reasons.

First of all, as the factory is still going strong and out of respect to them (it’s their information to control) please write them nicely and I’m sure they will get back to you.  Perhaps in the future sometime I’ll add it…

Secondly, for various reasons, the serial number list is not always the most accurate way to date the actual production of a Symphonie.  For example, the factory usually kept a number of examples of most models on hand to help the workers with measurements and quality control checks.  After a number of years, these “control” tubas would often be lacquered and sold off.  You might see a Series 1 tuba from the early 70s but sporting a serial number from 1978.  In addition, sometimes when tubas came back to the factory for repair, the receiver or bell might have been changed and although the serial number should have been carried over, this was not always the case.  Lastly, the set of stamps used by the factory to stamp the serial numbers was nothing special and a number of instrument makers had a similar set.  For various reasons, a horn might receive a new number, although to what extend this was done is at the time of writing not clear.  TLDR: The serial number is probably accurate, but take it with a grain of salt.

1963-1965 The Prototypes

The prototypes differ to quite a degree from the actual production series.

Standard construction features:

• 5 valves
• Mostly made of yellow brass – tend to be oh-so-slightly thicker metal than later versions
• Usually engraved as a VEB Symphonie without the B&S logo (By 1965 they would usually carry the B&S or Weltklang name)
• Usually prototypes do not carry the famous blue B&S emblem nor a serial number-do not confuse this for a Weltklang engraved version.
• Braces were half-round squared-off nickel-silver stock
• Receivers are a bass trombone size with the receiver in sleeve style
• 3rd valve slides are 2 whole steps rather than the more modern 1 1/2 steps, ie: Dresdner fingering although many were modified in later years and the 5th valve had the famous short whole step length.
• The valve crooks are usually more rounded in form.
• 5th valve was usually activated by a thumb trigger on the left hand.
• The valve casings are also based on the chunkier pre-WW2 designs from the Hess workshop and the paddle assemble braces (Bochstützen) are straight vertical pieces rather than L-shaped and are usually made of brass.
• If you look closer, the braces are in slightly different positions compared to later versions.

The prototypes featured straight brass braces for the paddle assembly

The bracing was made of nickelsilver stock with halfround feet

3rd slide was two whole steps

When you examine the leadpipe closely, the taper is very slightly smaller than the later versions.  I suspect the factory tried a wide range of pipe tapers before settling on what became the production version.  Of the multiple designs I’ve seen, almost all had measurably different leadpipe tapers, although the trend was towards smaller.  The one or two that had a “standard” B&S taper, had obvious been changed at some point.

In addition, the factory was experimenting with different tubing variations and you might see extremely odd looking 5th and 6th valve permutations such as what you would see on the Knoth F-Tubas.  No one actually knows how many there are but just a rough thumb count would be around 30 instruments in total that I know of.

Most of them found their way into the hands of GDR professionals although one example in known to have gone to the UK.

One of the earliest production Symphonies in Goldbrass.  The longer 5th slide, tuning slide trigger and right hand thumb trigger and some braces are not original

1966-1972 The First Production Series

The prototype design was finalized and the tooling was settled on with production commencing sometime between 1965-66.

A colleague of mine here in Berlin received one of these tubas brand new in 1968.  It arrived in a transport crate and at the time the then-very young colleague and his teacher unboxed the tuba together.  Upon opening the crate, the teacher remarked, “Ich dachte Du hast eine F-Tuba bestellt, nicht eine B-Tuba!” (“I thought you ordered a F-Tuba not a BBb-Tuba!”)  Compared to contemporary orchestral F-Tubas, it was a giant.

Standard construction features

• There were two models available: 3099 (5 valves) and 3100 (6 valves).  Both available in yellow or goldbrass although most 3099s were yellow brass and most 3100s were in goldbrass.
• Sheet metal was slightly thinner than the earlier prototypes.
• All bells were of one-piece construction, although some were made with a V-shaped gusset.  All of them carried the engraving B&S “Symphonie”.
• Most of these horns carried a serial number stamped either on the middle of the bell, under the bell brace, or later on, on the mouthpiece receiver.
• The braces were still made from half-round nickelsilver stock, but with smooth-filed points.  The position of the braces became standardized.
• Most receivers tended to be a bass trombone size, but several horns, especially the goldbrass 3100s came with enlarged receivers closer to a modern American shaft size.  The leadpipe dimensions (taper) were finally standardized, larger than the prototypes.  The receivers were either removable or a sleeve with the taper turned into the leadpipe directly.  The receiver brace was a chunky nickelsilver brace with a halfround attachment point.
•  The famous blue enamel badge makes its first appearance.
• The valve block was redesigned with thinner and lighter weight components although the internal bore remained unchanged.  The valve action is noticeably lighter than the prototypes.
• The stoparm/horseshoe plates were still filed by hand and were thus not all exactly the same. Each bumper thus requires custom alignment.
• There were a number of different paddle assemblies available.  The springs were either clock steel or spiral-wound nickelsilver wire.  The paddles themselves were either 1950s style teardrops or the hip modern swan-necked pieces.  S-link arms with steel rivets were still occasionally used, while others had the brand-new “unibal” system of the 60s.  There was no standardization and you might see components mixed and matched in rather strange ways.

• Most of the crooks were bent from seamed lead-filled pipes, including the 3rd and 4th valve tubing, tuning slide and other assorted crooks. They took on a slightly more squared-off look than the prototypes.
• Horns destined for a military or police career came with rings for a belt and usually a lyre box.
• The Symphonies engraved Weltklang were usually destined for Eastern European reparation export such as Poland, Bulgaria, Hungary, Romania or Yugoslavia.  They did not carry the blue enamel badge.

 

Notice the bell to bow brace in halfround nickelsilver

1st production series halfround pointed style bracing

Braces for the paddle assembly in nickelsilver with its extra support brace

 

 

1973-1982 The Second Production Series

As production continued into the 1970s, efforts to reduce the costs/decrease build time/improve consistency were introduced resulting in a slightly different appearance and feel.

Another colleague here in Berlin was reminiscing about when his new Symphonie arrived in 1975 after a long wait.   After uncrating, he took the brand spanking new tuba to rehearsal.  He was dismayed that his small shaft mouthpiece didn’t fit, but a bit of paper around the shaft and all was good for the moment.  Although he still loved his old Knoth F-Tuba, there were intonation issues and suddenly with the new tuba he could play in tune.  “Es war mir eine große Erleichterung”  (“The tuba made my job a lot easier”).

Standard construction features

• Most of the crooks/bows were now made with hydraulic dies or ballout die forms  and the tubes were seamless.  The stoparm/horseshoe plates become standardized (or at least “exacter”) which made fitting bumpers much less time consuming.
• Bracing changed from half round tapered stock to stamped out 2D sheet nickel silver braces without any taper.  They were considerably weaker than the previous versions leading to issues with braces popping off or snapping completely.
• The receivers become completely removable with the standard american shaft and the receiver brace became the modern version which is still used till today.
• Most serial numbers continued being engraved on the receiver although some could still be found on the bell.
• One welcome change was the removal of the uncomfortable bottom bow keel which was replaced with a thinner guard wire that wrapped around the entire bottom bow.
• The quality of the metal deteriorated slightly compared to previous versions (slightly less copper content) and these horns featured a smidge lighter gauge brass than the pre 72 versions.  Dezinkification or “red rot” is not unheard of with those made of yellow brass, but still nothing compared to a modern 10 year old version…
• The nice blue emblem stayed blue, but become plastic rather than enamel.
• Due to influence from the western world, the first of the two piece bell (no kranz) modern versions begin to appear.  The Symphonie engraving is conspicuously absent from the bell and were known as 3099 3100 or Perantucci models.
• There was a 4 valve budget model with a bizarrely long leadpipe available and a number found their way into Feuerwehrkappelle and were almost exclusively yellow brass.

The modern receiver braces makes its debute. The receiver itself looks similar to earlier versions but…

…is removable

 

1983-1985 Third and Final Production Series

The production of Symphonies by 1983 had basically stopped, however there were enough spare parts left over that a significant number were assembled and sold between 1983-1985 although most of the spares were marked for “repair”.

Compared to the earlier versions, there were a number of small but significant changes.

Standard construction features

• The bells although they still carried a kranz, were actually two pieces like the rest of the B&S production line.
• The receiver became a solid nickelsilver piece and was only available in american shank size.
• The bell to top bow brace became the much more solid modern piece.

• The 5th valve slide was extended to a flat whole step and the 3rd valve crook was widened by 2mm, again similar to modern components.
• The bottom bow guard wire shrunk in size to only 10cm long.  Oddly enough the top bow guard started carrying a guard wire as well.
• The paddle assemble was modernized with chunkier paddles, the same as found on the modern versions.
• The yellowbrass versions tend to suffer from redrot far worse than the previous Series.  Even some of the goldbrass ones have been known to suffer from corrosion on the tubing seams (brazing material was closer to 70% copper)
• A few Symphonies and PT1x models were special ordered with either Vienna style fingers or French market style fingerings.  Most of these were standard 3100s but a few carried the Symphonie bell.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

One of my colleagues also received a new Symphonie in 1985, likely one of the last ones.  He said, ” Es klingt super, besonders in der tiefer Lager aber Intonation war nicht so genau wie meine alte (1972 Model). Es war die erste Tuba wobei ich einer Trigger erwünscht habe.  (It sounded great especially in the low range, but the intonation was not as point and shoot as my older horn.  It was the first tuba I owned where I thought, perhaps I could use a trigger.)

After the reunification of Germany 1989, the factory concentrated on modernizing and the Symphonie had no place in their modern program.  As the factory moved to its new location, most of the old tooling was scrapped and spares sold off.  The Symphonie was officially obsolete and consigned to the history books.  To make way for the new post GDR versions, many old stocks of Symphonies were dumped on the market for chump change as in pennies on the dollar.

Unofficial versions:

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If you lived in the GDR, it wasn’t easy or even possible to buy a Symphonie unless you had good connections.  There was however an indirect way to get one.  If you knew some of the workers at the factory and if you asked ‘nicely’, one of them might oblige you by building a tuba in his private workshop at home.  This was common back in the GDR as a way for the factory workers to earn some money on the side.  The worker would over the course of time, sneak home spare parts under their leather aprons or take rejected parts (cosmetic blemishes) until they had enough to make a complete instrument.  How many of these were made, we don’t know, but they do turn up from time to time especially in the former GDR.  Most of them have no engraving or serial number and interestingly enough they usually play better than a factory made version.

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Also from another colleague:
“Ich war in 1974 in Thuringer bei Erfurt stationiert.  Eigentlich durfte ich auf meiner Deinsttuba keine Mücke spielen (Außendienst).  Ich habe aber einen guten Freund von mir der jemand in der Werkstatt (B&S) kannte.  Die haben zusammen irgendwie ein Deal gemacht und 6 Monaten später bekam ich eine Symphonie in Goldmessing für ne faire Preis.  Die war also besser als meine Diensttuba und habe ich die bis zum Ende gespielt.”

(“I was stationed in 1974 near Erfurt in the Thuringer region (Military windband).  I was not allowed use my service instrument for outside gigs (no reason given?).  However I have a good friend who knew someone who worked at B&S at the time.  They came to a deal and 6 months later I received a Symphonie in goldbrass for a fair price.  It was better than my service tuba and I played it until I retired.”)

Supplementary Videos:

To help you in identifying your Symphonie, here are some short videos detailing the various changes.

Symphonie receivers explained

Symphonie bracing explained

Identification Table of the four Symphonie Series

 

How to evaluate the condition of a Symphonie:

Having worked on Symphonies for many years, I’ve seen everything from like-new factory-fresh to instruments not even usable as spare parts(certified wallhanger, modern art, umbrella stand, trash can…).  Condition is almost everything when it comes to buying a Symphonie and there are still enough good ones running around out there to make buying a poor example absolutely not worth it in my book.  So here are some key points to consider:

The vast majority of Symphonies were delivered to orchestras and windbands in the former GDR.  As anyone who has worked in an older professional setting will tell you, a big part of the job involved keeping your instrument looking neat and shiny.  Today with many players playing on unpolished unlacquered instruments, tuba players from 40 years ago would be absolutely horrified at the unlacquered brass in a modern Symphony Orchester!  Back in the old GDR days, once a year usually during the summer holidays, many of the instruments would be sent back to the factory to be overhauled with new lacquer depending on what was needed.  Let me repeat that for you, EVERY YEAR-OVERHAUL-NEW LACQUER.  So there are potentially some Symphonies that have been relacquered multiple times over.   Of course, not every owner treated their tuba like a shit-filled cesspool with some instruments never even having been worked on, but some were very badly abused and you need to know what to look for.

Part of the overhaul process meant lots of sanding, buffing and valve-lapping.  After a couple years of this, many Symphonies ended up as little more than leaky tin foil.  Without even playing a note, take out your little hanging scale and weigh the tuba.  A 5 valve Symphonie should weigh around 8kg and a 6 valve around 8.5kg.  If the tuba is less than 7.5kg, you should assume Frank in the buffing department worked through his personal issues using your tuba.  How does the engraving look?  Is it faint, hard to read, or can you still feel the engraving with your fingernail?

I would start by lightly squeezing the top bow, where most people would hold the tuba with their left hand.  A little bit of give is fine, but if you feel like it’s going to collapse, go look for another horn.  Another place to check is where the right hand rests as very often pits from hand sweat are sanded away, until very little metal is left.   Symphonies will sometimes have patches in these areas and I tend to avoid these instruments as they have been abused or poorly repaired.  Instruments used in military windbands or from the former Soviet Block were often handled worse than others so if possible, ask where the tuba came from.

I shudder to think what horrors lie under this patch

Large patches are a red flag…

Next, run your hands lightly around the bell, bottom and top bow.  Everything should feel smooth and even.  If it feels like a stop-sign or strongly oval, you know Frank’s brother-in-law Georg was in a rush to go home on that fateful Friday all those years ago.  Basically the unevenness of the metal means either someone went all willy-nilly or was not competent in the repair/dent removal, neither of which bode well.  You might be inclined to say, hey, it’s an old tuba, some waves are fine.  But keep in mind, Symphonies are fantastically in-tune tubas, until you squeeze the top bow till it’s just a wee bit oval, and the 1st line G goes flat. Imagine what issues a stop-sign bell can create. If it doesn’t bother you, fine, but be aware of it.  As a last note, if you are a brass maker reading this, please do not use magnetic dent removal tools.  The original metal of a Symphonie is quite hard and thin, and the strength of the magnets will often cause irreparable damage to the metal by overworking or stretching.

In addition, look at the bottom bow and top bow caps.  Even with a few dents, they should fit nice and tight without any gaps and globs of solder.

And don’t forget to look over the bell kranz.  Even with dents and scratches it should sit nicely on the bell.  If there are patches or cracks around the rim, you know the tuba had a rough life, as in “set on its bell-on concrete a lot-rough”

Sometimes bits of the rim crack and disappear into the void…

more patch than kranz…don’t walk, run.

We now turn our attention to the valve section.  First impressions are key.  Does everything move smoothly and evenly.  Does each valve feel the same as the others.  Is there noise in the mechanic. Does it sound like a typewriter (hopefully you know what that is!) Where is the noise located, in the linkage or in the valve itself.

Grasp the stop-arm and pull up-down and side-to-side.  If there is a loud “clack” then the valves will likely need a service at some point.  Now hold the stop-arm tight and move the paddle.  Try to see if everything is quiet.  If not, some attention will be needed.  If possible, try pulling a slide out to see it makes a loud pop.  If not, Georg’s nephew Klaus in the valve department might have lapped the valve to within an inch of its life and you are looking at a very expensive repair(although you should check to see if a valve has been vented which would also have the same effect).  On that same note, there are some red flags to give you a heads up.  If the owner says “I have to run water through the horn first before you play it”, it’s likely the valves are toast.  In addition, some owners have told me they love their old Symphonie because although they “rarely” oil their valves, they never stick, not like that new-fangled crap that hangs every week.  Just for the record, if I don’t use my Symphonie for a week, the valves do stick!  Valves that never hang or stick after weeks of non-use are usually worn out or at the very least need a service sooner rather than later.  If the valves are advertised as having been replated, please have a qualified instrument maker give a second opinion. Occasionally one sees substandard plating work, which can sometimes be almost impossible to rectify if done poorly. Lastly check the paddles themselves.  If the horn has been played to death, the paddles sometimes have a dished out appearance and can wobble on their axis if worn.

Next let’s turn our attention to the braces.  Symphonies use solid braces which means they need to be assembled extremely carefully to ensure a proper fit of the body.  Pay attention to braces that have gobs of solder around the feet or are bent off center.

Bent off center

How it should look

Non-original braces are a huge red flag to some serious past trauma.

An old trick you can do is to try and put your hand between the main tuning slide and bottom bow.  On a completely original Symphonie, a medium sized hand should be able to get at least 1 finger under it.  One that has been overhauled 2-3 times usually only a pinky finger will pass. In the worst case, the tuning slide is almost touching the bottom bow and even a Trump-sized hand will not fit.

This is because when the bows are de-dented and not done correctly, the bows will slightly spread apart from a U-shape to a V-shape and the one-piece braces will no longer fit as they should.  Remember I told you to look for ovalness in the bows?  Usually that’s a sign that something was forced to fit together in an attempt to make the braces fit.

Other issues to consider:  take off a valve cap and check the bumper alignment.  A stuck cap means the valves probably haven’t been oiled in a long time…again along those lines, are any of the slides stuck?  If you remove the main tuning slide, try reinserting it, but only one leg at a time.  How loose is it?  Is it nice and tight or is it wobbly?  Wobbly slide legs lead to leakage which affects response and general intonation.

There are other points and corners to check, but these are the most important issues.  If the tuba you are inspecting doesn’t have any of the issues previously mentioned, it’s probably a well cared for horn.

Modifications:

Although Symphonies are fantastic right out of the box, there are a number of general modifications that the majority of owners have found useful.  Whether or not it affects the value of a particular instrument will have to be taken on an individual basis, but here are a list of general mods that many people have found beneficial.

1. Valve linkage.  Time heals all wounds they say, but it also kills linkages.  Wear and tear is inevitable and at some point, attention will be needed even for the most careful of owners.  One can always restore the original system, however a common upgrade is to use German made Minibal linkage or older 3B linkage from B&S or other linkages from european makers.  Beware of some people using Chinese made linkage (looking at you modern 3B…)which may look nice at first but degrades quite quickly.  Sometimes the entire paddle assembly will have been replaced with various aftermarket solutions.  Again the German or Italian-made versions are usually quite decent and the Chinese versions should be avoided (they tend to bend out of shape quite quickly and will wear even quicker).  On the 5 valve versions, the linkage for the 5th valve could have been moved to the right hand thumb.  As long as it was done neatly and looks factory, all good.  Occasionally I see horns (looking at you USA…) where someone used old tractor parts to fabricate linkage…and along those lines, some tubas in the USA have had plastic Du-Bro linkage installed.  Other than looking completely shit, the plastic flexes slightly which is noticeable during fast passages and extremely annoying.  Do as you see fit, but I will silently judge you, so please don’t put that ugly cheap shit on your horn.

   Yes!

2. Cutting the slides.  Sometimes the slide lengths are a touch too long or too short.  Often the main tuning slide has been trimmed a centimeter or two.  Beware of horns with super-short tuning slides…unlike hair, it doesn’t grow back.  It’s also common to see the 5th valve slide lengthened to a flat-whole-step like a modern version.  Also seen, although rarely, the 1st and 3rd slides can be slightly shortened or even lengthened for some tastes. Bonus points if the cut slide had the trim-rings reinstalled so it looks factory.
3. Leadpipe receivers.  Some owners frustrated by the lack of mouthpiece selection due to the basstrombone sized receiver on some Symphonies have had the receiver changed to a more standard sized version.  Bonus points if they saved the original receiver with the serial number stamped on it.
4. Bottom bow guard comb removal.  Anyone who has had an early Symphonie knows how annoying the bottom comb guard can be.  It can be quite a relief to convert it to a modern guard strip.  As a bonus, it will fit better into the gigbag…

Valuation:

While one suit doesn’t fit everyone off the rack, here are the  price estimates depending on condition.

1. Less than 1% of Symphonies are in this condition.  This is literally perfect, with flawless lacquer and no scratches or dents.  The valves also work flawlessly and valve compression and slide tolerances are as factory new.  Usually this tuba has never or almost never been used and looks like it just left the factory.  Price range 8,000-11,000€
2. Little to no lacquer wear with the occasional scratch or ding (no dents).  The valves and slides work perfectly.  Perhaps the horn has been restored at one point, but it should be so well done, you almost can’t tell. Price range 6,500-8,000€
3. A couple dents on the bottom bow or bell kranz, but nothing should affect the playing condition.  The valves or linkages can make a little bit of noise, but nothing a slightly thicker oil can’t handle.  Small signs of quality repair. Price range 4,500-6500€
4. Everything from 3. but including heavy lacquer loss, multiple dents and dings.   Shows signs of repair (lacquer burns, replaced parts). There might be patches on the larger bows.  The blue logo might be missing. Price range 3,000-4,500€
5. Playable, but needs work. Large dents throughout, broken braces or incorrect braces, clanky valves with possibly weak compression.  Kranz and the bows are patched. Little if any original lacquer left.  You may see signs of dezinkification or red rot/Zinkfraß.  Price range 1,500-3000€
6. Non-playable condition.  Valves and slides are stuck.  Some small components might be missing such as a valve cap or the receiver, but generally should be a complete horn. You may see signs of dezinkification or red rot/Zinkfraß. Price range 500-1500€
7. Non-playable condition where the cost of restoration is beyond the worth of the instrument.  This means a broken kranz, valves without compression, missing crucial components.  You may see signs of dezinkification or red rot/Zinkfraß which may have completely eaten through the tubing.  This is usually only good for spare parts. Price range 100-500€

A few things to keep in mind as well:

Added value in general:

1. Add 10% for Goldbrass
2. Add 5% for 6 valves

Added value to a player:

1. Well-upgraded linkage/paddles
2. Extended 5th valve slide (original 5th slide should be included)
3. Modified receiver
4. Trigger if you deem it necessary

Added value to a collector:

1. Owned by a famous player
2. Original sales receipts
3. Original mouthpiece
4. Original components (in the event something has been changed)

Subtract value:

1. Non original parts such as replacement 2 piece bells, braces or poorly modified linkages
2. Unlacquered although this is perhaps more of a preference
3. Under 7.50kg and a faint bell engraving
4. Missing blue badge
5. Along with the badge missing, subtract collectors value for the Weltklang engraving.  Although mechanically identical, Weltklang was not the premier name like B&S.
6. Redrot AKA dezinkification/Zinkfraß auf Deutsch
7. Not necessarily a bad thing, but be especially wary of former music school and/army instruments as they tended to have been be treated the worst.

In Conclusion:

A few final thoughts.  I based the valuations on my multiple years working in Berlin Germany.  Your country and results may vary, but not by much.  In addition, I took into account selling prices as seen by other workshops and private parties in Germany, USA, Canada, UK, Brazil and Japan (which tends to be a bit higher than most).

The price ranges have a bit of room to go up or down as needed.  As mentioned previously, use your common sense.  If you don’t have any common sense to spare, please bring a trusted friend or brass maker along as we will have usually have no problem telling you what an absolute piece of cow dung you just bought(or maybe the opposite, yay!).  Do not underestimate the costs of putting something into good playing condition.  And if you do need to have your Symphonie repaired or serviced, please take it to a reputable workshop.  Unfortunately several of the Symphonies I have seen over the years were badly damaged or even ruined due to poor quality work.

Some people are probably wondering which series I would recommend.  The answer is not so clear.  I have played every version and have found excellent and poor examples, although even a poor version can have most of the bugs worked out if your instrument maker is up for it.  I admit I am partial to the earlier versions, however I also play on a 1978 model 3100 that is absolutely fantastic.

If you have read this far, thank you so much!  I hope you found this informative.  Perhaps there is another model of tuba you would like to see in a buyers guide format? If you have any thoughts or comments, please feel free to write me.  I am a bit slow in responding, normal life and all that, but I’ll get back to you eventually.  At the moment, I need to go practice on my Symphonie.

 

 

 

 

 

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Hey , I am Tony , General manager of Saintyco and expert in pharmaceutical equipment industry for over 20 years, I would like to share my experience in the field.Saintyco is a leading pharmaceutical machinery manufacturer ,We can provide you one stop solution for all your pharmaceutical equipment requirement.If any questions, freely to reach me,I will try my best to give you good advice and solution.

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