I'll get pictures up when I get a chance, but '80% - 85%' is an attempt to communicate that it presents itself well.
(It looks pretty darn good from a few feet away, and - up close - one can see a few worn spots and light evidence of well-done dent removal.)
There are NO cracks/patches/red-rot.
The first 3 pistons each show about a 1/4" wide vertical streak of nickel plating wear, and I would rate the piston-to-casing fit as "excellent".
Dents-wise the valveset has survived the decades relatively untouched. Even the original not-particularly-stout Olds water keys are still in place.
Someone before me did a darn good job of removing a fairly large away-from-the-mouthpipe side bottom bow dent, as well as having done a good job of removing a dent from the secondary lower bow (in the places that typically get dented. By the time I take pictures, I will have picked over all the small dents and minor bell creases that the instrument has apparently picked up since it was repaired "whenever". There is a shallow depression (ie. DENT) between a couple of the lower bows at a brace. I might fool around with removing it, but that may (??) end up being one really small and hidden dent that I might not end up removing...What's that thing that people say...?? "...has no effect on blah-blah-blah"
These seem to be a favorite amongst trombone doublers (16" bell, 4 front-action pistons, .656" bore) and seem to be considerably more highly thought of compared to the (still made today, competing model) Conn 5J.
They are also a favorite amongst B-flat players looking for a wonderful "brass quintet" tuba.
OK...When putting the final "ready-to-sell" touches on it - and if I decide that the #1 and #3 circuits are too long (ref: old-school "same length circuits as if it were only a 3-valve) I WILL shorten those two circuits to the "appropriate" (for what modern players expect) lengths.
$2000 takes it, and - if purchased by a school (and a hard case is needed) I found a good wooden hard case upstairs (with those quasi-DEG-style wheels (that can be included for an additional $300. I'm not interested in trades (unless absurdly in my favor, so - really - no), and the instrument is in good enough condition (particularly with dollars being worthless) to warrant this pricing.
The buyer pays for any shipping, and - regardless of what some shipping company's boilerplate claims - the buyer agrees that - once I hand it over to an agreed-to shipper - the instrument becomes the PROPERTY and RESPONSIBILITY of the buyer.
It's in western Tennessee in a safe area, and - if a buyer would like to play it first and then pay for it - they are welcome to come, play/like/pay/spend the night/be fed breakfast/drive home with their new-to-them tuba.
FOLLOW THIS THREAD FOR PICTURES (when I have them).
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I MUST complete work on a Hoyer double horn BY SOMETIME TOMORROW, because its owner lives in the town where one of my "freeway philharmonics" (a concert this weekend) rehearses and performs...so I might not (??) get pictures up until very early April.
If someone views my verbal descriptions as adequate, I'll be glad to sell it prior to pictures being posted.
, they seem to like to buy - more than anything else - "because shiny".
