My new Doubler

[JoeMin]

Hi all,
Enjoying my new doubler. I replaced the stock "whatever" mouthpiece with a Bach 5G. Getting used to the deeper cup...happy with the sound. My intonation still needs work, but I'm happy with the progress. My endurance isn't too bad, I can go for about 1.5 hours now. Maybe someone could offer their advice on storing the horn when not in use?? I purchased a stand and it has become the somewhat permanent home for it, but I do worry about an accidental drop or bang against it. I cover it with the dust cover they shipped it to me in. Just curious if most put their horns away in the case, My Doubler came with a hard case and would certainly be safer in there, I think. Thanks for any input or suggestions you can offer.
Joe

[guidocorona]

Hello Joe, I religiously store my Wessex Festivo EP104 back inside its hard case after every practice session.... I am horribly "allergic" to accidents involving horns I love *Grins!*

Regards, Guido

[John Morgan]

Hi Joe,

Glad you are enjoying your doubler. It is a fine horn. As for storing, I play a lot and I leave my Adams E3 in the K&M stand in a corner of my study. Here is a picture:



The Adams is to the right of my desk. I have a cloth I usually put over the top of the bell. I play everyday and I find it handy to have it ready whenever I feel like playing. Plus, I have a very accommodating wife, which helps, too. The trombone and tuba you see in the picture are not always out, in fact, the tuba is put away most of the time. I do sometimes have my bass or tenor trombone out, but not all the time like my euphonium. I have no dogs or other varmints (although we love dogs, just don't have any now) that could cause a problem, nor do I have any children living here either. Just Linda and me. So, pretty safe. I like keeping it out because after playing, it gets a chance to air out and dry out. I empty the water from the horn when finished playing. I also like keeping it upright. Never on the bell, never. I see so many pros who will set their horn down on the bell on stage between numbers. Yuk!! Don't do that. When I perform (in a band, orchestra), I have a horn stand by my side, always. If I am in front of the band doing a solo, I usually don't have the stand, because I hold the horn the whole time. One time when doing a solo, I needed both hands, so I handed the horn to the conductor, much to his surprise, and admonished him not to drop it while I did what I needed to do. The audience was amused, and he didn't drop it, so I was pleased, too.

You say you purchased a stand but do worry about an accidental drop. Sounds like you don't have the K&M stand. There is another stand I know of where the horn sits a couple feet or more from the floor. Not my choice in euphonium stands. The K&M is close to the floor. The bottom bow of my horn is maybe 3 or so inches from the floor in this stand which I like, have used for many, many years and won't be using anything else. About the only time my Adams sees the inside of the Marcus Bonna case is when I take it somewhere.

[JoeMin]

Thank you Guido and John for the input! I can relate to both takes on the subject.
It is very easy to just take it off the stand and start playing! On the other hand, I can be very "prone" to the accidents you refer to Guido!

John, Your study looks like a band room from my HS days. Ha! Very nice set-up. I do have the K&M stand and the bottom bow of the horn is very close to the floor. I find it very convenient and plan on bringing it along with me wherever the horn goes. I wouldn't want to set the horn bell-down anywhere.

Here's a pic of my horn sitting in its' K&M stand:



Joe

[dsurkin]

[snip] You say you purchased a stand but do worry about an accidental drop. Sounds like you don't have the K&M stand. There is another stand I know of where the horn sits a couple feet or more from the floor. Not my choice in euphonium stands.

John -

I have the Hercules stand, which may the one to which you refer. It is heavy steel construction with a very wide-spread base. My euphonium rests in it on a 60 degree angle, and I am confident that the horn won't fall. My trombone sits on a stand next to the euphonium. I do have two dogs, and I guess I'm lucky that they never go into the music room except when I go in to practice.

[davewerden]

John -

I have the Hercules stand, which may the one to which you refer. It is heavy steel construction with a very wide-spread base. My euphonium rests in it on a 60 degree angle, and I am confident that the horn won't fall. My trombone sits on a stand next to the euphonium. I do have two dogs, and I guess I'm lucky that they never go into the music room except when I go in to practice.

That's the one I use as well. It holds the horn very securely, in my experience.

[highpitch]

Nice Philco, JoeMin!

DG

[John Morgan]

Joe, that's a cozy room, a nice looking euphonium, and I want that old time radio right now!!

I know, I know, about the Hercules and that folks also swear by that stand. But, the higher they are, the harder they fall is the old saying. I suppose I could just as easily walk into my horn and stand set-up, but my horn sits in the K&M stand, smiling at me for keeping it from getting altitude sickness (ha-ha).

[JoeMin]

Hello again,
Thanks for the input. ...and DG and John...I love that old Philco...I used to be in the hobby big-time. This room in the basement is now for my horn and for my wifes
sewing. In the past it housed nothing but my antique radios. I'd pick them up anywhere I could find them, and restored them electically and cosmetically as best I could. I sold just about all of them except 4 radios. We were planning a move about 5 years ago and I was "downsizing" Well, long story short- We stayed here. So, the radio hobby is over. I miss them sometimes, but on with life...and it's good to get back to the music. This has been missing for the past 25 years and I'm enjoying playing again. Especially with the new horn. Haven't owned a "NEW" horn since high school. So, it's a new toy!!

I'm going to include a pic of what this room used to look like - with some of my old radios and phonos.



Used to be fun...but got to be an expensive hobby, now retired and broke! Ha!

Joe

[John Morgan]

Hello again,
Thanks for the input. ...and DG and John...I love that old Philco...I used to be in the hobby big-time. This room in the basement is now for my horn and for my wifes
sewing. In the past it housed nothing but my antique radios. I'd pick them up anywhere I could find them, and restored them electically and cosmetically as best I could. I sold just about all of them except 4 radios. We were planning a move about 5 years ago and I was "downsizing" Well, long story short- We stayed here. So, the radio hobby is over. I miss them sometimes, but on with life...and it's good to get back to the music. This has been missing for the past 25 years and I'm enjoying playing again. Especially with the new horn. Haven't owned a "NEW" horn since high school. So, it's a new toy!!

I'm going to include a pic of what this room used to look like - with some of my old radios and phonos.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]8299[/ATTACH]

Used to be fun...but got to be an expensive hobby, now retired and broke! Ha!

Joe

THAT is some collection of radios. What a fun hobby to have. I do have a SONY receiver from 1971 that I still use, but guess that is nothing like you have (had). It is visible by looking (at the picture I posted above) at the Manhasset music stand and then just to the left (all the silver knobs). That receiver has some history. I had been accepted into the U.S. Army Band in April 1971, and then in December 1971 I did what they call, take a short and re-enlist for 5 years. With that I got a chunk of change, so a few days before my first son was born on December 16, 1971, I spent my new found re-enlistment bonus on a complete stereo system, including Bose speakers (they were the thing back then). Then realized that I had just sold my soul down the river for 5 years for a stereo system!! Oh well, wasn't a bad place to spend the next 5 years.

[Snorlax]

Joe,
Enjoy the Doubler! I enjoyed play-testing it
I had a collection of 25 or so amateur radios from the 40s and 50s--Hammarlund, Hallicrafters, National, Johnson, etc...still have a couple in addition to my more recent issue ham gear--mostly Kenwood. Love those old Philcos, RCAs, Crosleys, etc. I also have a Bakelite or two from the 50s--loved those Bakelite cabinets!! Still have a huge box full of tubes & other parts as well.
Jim

[JoeMin]

The doubler is a pleasure to play! It more than replaces my antique radio collection.
I spent about a decade restoring old radios though. All were recapped/rewired and, of course, lots of cosmetic work to do. The wood cabinets were my favorites. It always required re-gluing veneers. Most old fashion resistors had changed value over the centuries and required replacement as well.
Jim, your interest in Ham gear sounds like a fun hobby! I never got into that part of the radio world, except while in the Air Force. I was a Morse Intercept operator! Not much of that these days!

Oh well, it was fun while it lasted...but change can be good too. I've now made the necessary purchases to get back in the music game. Glad I did it. Diane and I will enjoy going to concerts together (hopefully soon if this darn virus will go away) Of course I have to get my chops back in order first. I find keeping up with the speed of some songs a challenge. The band I've joined are doing Zoom rehearsals, and some of the pieces they play... I have to sit back and let those passages go by for now. I need to practice them at a slower rate first and work up to the performance speed required. I suppose the challenge is good for someone my age..keeps the mind working, y,know?
Joe

[Magikarp]

Surely in the case is the best place for it? Unless it's being played my euphonium is in its case. No reason for anything other than that, unless unzipping a bag or undoing a couple of latches is too time consuming, of course.