First, thanks to Dave for demonstrating the difference in tone between red and yellow brass bells at ITEC. Thanks to Jeff for offering me a good price, too.However....not being rich (still) ... I just kept waiting hoping to find a used Sterling. Well, I did; one turned up on ebay at a reasonable price. It is the Perantucci model; I called Jeff at Custom and asked if it was the same basic wrap and intonation as the Virtuoso, and he said yes, that the Virtuoso had bells and whistles but the intonation should be the same.So I took a chance and bought the euph off ebay from a seller who had never sold a musical instrument (all his stuff was rock climbing stuff.)It is a little beat physically (some small dents, blemishes, and scratches) but appearance isn't that important to me; I hate that period after you buy something before it gets the first dent or scratch...I'd rather get one that already has that dent or scratch. And the valves were super tight, just like new.So I took it to quintet practice; the response was overwhelming....suddenly I had no trouble matching the intonation of the group (I always struggled with my previous euph) and it actually seemed to play itself in a way, in terms of how much less work I had to do. I had noticed during my play-test the day before, that the high range was a lot easier to play, and that the low range was very un-stuffy for a compensator. Since I play a rotary F tuba, stuffiness has to be pretty bad before I'm going to lament over it. But the quintet said that it sounded like an entirely different person playing (in a good way!) and they wholeheartedly approved of my purchase.So there you have it. What's funny is that three of the slides are still stuck, but as the tuba player told me, apparently they are stuck in the right place. http://www.dwerden.com/talk/forum/i/...mall-smile.gifMA