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I'll be restoring TWO big fat Holton BB-345 tubas soon...
> one for a customer who owns it
> one that we own - to offer for SALE

The plan (right now) is to put a satin-silver finish (per factory tradition, with these) on both.

first...
> I have to finish the current hybrid 186 restoration (bought by a local school).
> I have to get a 2341 fixed up and shipped off to it's (out-of-state) buyer.
> I have a few misc. smaller jobs to knock out (pieces/parts for frankentubists, misc. smaller repair jobs, a day-trip to do some pre-discussed tuba-tradin', etc.)

This post serves a place-keeper and heads-up to what's coming.
My comments are never as extensive as Wade's...
His are far more informative and interesting.
I take far fewer pictures. Again: Wade's are more extensive/informative.

I will post some pictures, and my goal is to proceed in this way:
> bell/bell
> bottom bow/bottom bow
> upper bow/upper bow
> inner bows/inner bows
> slide alignment/slide alignment
> finish/finish

My HOPE is to get going on (begin) these in less than a month.

Am I attempting to generate interest in the one that I'm going to be offering for sale?

why yes...Yes, I am.

...like this one...That I did several years ago...

Will it have MAW valves and a fifth valve?

If someone throws enough dough at me, it could have a 5th valve...

Take a look at the epic #1 slide length:

That sorta makes the 5th valve issue moot.

Not only the first valve slide length, but it’s position...

As opposed to a fifth valve, a long-throw kicker thing on one or four would be sweet and get around most of the low register fingerings, not add as much weight to the horn, and not put another deviation in the tubing.

Wow! Do you have an idea of price? High x,xxx or even 1x,xxx.

LargeTuba wrote: ↑Fri Mar 19, 2021 3:27 pm Wow! Do you have an idea of price? High x,xxx or even 1x,xxx.

The one I'm selling is pretty special...
It features a never-dented bell, a never-dented upper bow, and not-in-need-of-rebuilding valves.

I'm sticking it in a new/old stock hard case (GWW wood), unless the buyer doesn't want it...
...but I sure wouldn't stick something like this under a bus (for a community band or orchestra run-out) in a friggin' bag.

bloke wrote: ↑Fri Mar 19, 2021 3:37 pm

LargeTuba wrote: ↑Fri Mar 19, 2021 3:27 pm Wow! Do you have an idea of price? High x,xxx or even 1x,xxx.

The one I'm selling is pretty special...
It features a never-dented bell, a never-dented upper bow, and not-in-need-of-rebuilding valves.

I'm sticking it in a new/old stock hard case (GWW wood), until the buyer doesn't want it...
...but I sure wouldn't stick something like this under a bus (for a community band or orchestra run-out) in a friggin' bag.

Wait... Needs half the work and same big ol price? :)

You know I'm obviously kidding. It's gonna be gorgeous and play like a million bucks. And only cost 10,000 bucks.

For an extra charge, I do have one other 345 bell (not for sale… It’s with another tuba) which COULD be substituted - whereby I’ve brazed closed around eight little spider cracks, if anyone is seeking a more authentic/rustic look.

Put me in line for the Holton 345 for$10,000
FT I have a Kidney FS on THe Kidney Forum
An Eye on THe Eye Forum
I have a slightly Used X Wife.... well we were together 10 years
So She's Slightly more than Slightly Used... although I'm the one who received the abuse
Maybe a Mirafone 5/4 BBb 5valve Kaiser w/19" bell
Wessex Dolce Euphonium in Silver
Mirafone BBb Contrabass TRombone
although I was thinking of having you help me find a larger bell for it
Some Vintage Trombones
johnmckevitt60@gmail.com

I’m amused that others have decided to price my (future) merchandise for me.

bloke wrote: ↑Fri Mar 19, 2021 9:08 am I'll be restoring TWO big fat Holton BB-345 tubas soon...

My HOPE is to get going on (begin) these in less than a month.

Am I attempting to generate interest in the one that I'm going to be offering for sale?

why yes...Yes, I am.

...like this one...That I did several years ago...

That is one gorgeous horn, Joe.
Just curious - is there a gold brass/red brass/whatever others call it bell that fits the 345? I've never seen one (that I can remember), and am a fan of the look.
Will be following your thread here.
Tim

I thought that was you pricing .
I'll look closer at the person posting from now on
My apologies.
John McKevitt

johnmckevitt wrote: ↑Sat Mar 20, 2021 10:19 am I thought that was you pricing .
I'll look closer at the person posting from now on
My apologies.
John McKevitt

no apology necessary at all… I say a lot of things tongue-in-cheek; it’s very difficult to offend me, even when trying really hard, and you certainly were not...or: try harder next time.
(To make it even more clear, you and I are just fine, and you may (??) well be about right on the price, I haven’t decided….

==========
I’ve never heard of Holton making any of those out of anything but regular “yellow“ brass.
Several years after they stopped making those, they did introduce a double horn made of “gold” (high copper) brass...
I believe a USA firm was making some aftermarket bells out of bronze, for a while…(??)

NOT promising this, but MIGHT (rather than some 5th valve - which isn't particularly needed with this model) consider a main-slide-to-right-thumb trigger, which would free up the left hand for the #1 slide...These would allow for a whole bunch o' micro-tunin'....

bloke wrote: ↑Sat Mar 20, 2021 4:29 pm NOT promising this, but MIGHT (rather than some 5th valve - which isn't particularly needed with this model) consider a main-slide-to-right-thumb trigger, which would free up the left hand for the #1 slide...These would allow for a whole bunch o' micro-tunin'....

Joe,
If you could manufacture that as a separate "add on" unit and replicate it, I wonder if there'd be a market for it as an accessory. I know that I'd be interested in something ready-made that I could have my nearby tech add, since I'm (sadly) not planning a trip to your neck of the woods at this point. I suppose it would have to be model-specific, but I imagine there are plenty of 345 owners who would like to be able to fine-tune in that manner.
Tim

not really...
factory Holton 345's are famous for jinbaoianesque *slide alignment...
2/3rd of the gig is perfectly aligning the main slide and getting each pair of slide tubes to float past each other as if a piston and its casing.
For a spring (that's easy to depress, and always way weaker than a human hand/wrist) to be strong enough to return a slide, the slide must be absolutely true and the tubes must fit each other just as described.

---------------------------------------------
*and - truth be told - most really high-dollar European-made tubas' slide alignment - in general - is mediocre, at best...which is another reason why it's a really good idea to buy most any production tuba with a lacquer finish...unless it's REALLY well-put-together before any finish is applied.

MN_TimTuba wrote: ↑Sat Mar 20, 2021 7:26 pm

bloke wrote: ↑Sat Mar 20, 2021 4:29 pm NOT promising this, but MIGHT (rather than some 5th valve - which isn't particularly needed with this model) consider a main-slide-to-right-thumb trigger, which would free up the left hand for the #1 slide...These would allow for a whole bunch o' micro-tunin'....

Joe,
If you could manufacture that as a separate "add on" unit and replicate it, I wonder if there'd be a market for it as an accessory. I know that I'd be interested in something ready-made that I could have my nearby tech add, since I'm (sadly) not planning a trip to your neck of the woods at this point. I suppose it would have to be model-specific, but I imagine there are plenty of 345 owners who would like to be able to fine-tune in that manner.
Tim

' should be able to post "before" pictures of both instruments really soon...
...Sunday, Monday, or Tuesday, likely...

Here are the "before" pictures for the BB-345 that I'm repairing for a customer.
Though issues are myriad, this just about the most in tune BB-345 that I've ever played.
Unlike most all others, it features "5th partial flat/Miraphone 186" intonation characteristics.
flat lower F? NOPE
sharp low B-flat? NOPE
sharp F in the staff? about like a King 2341...ie. "not so much"

Pictured are SOME of the issues.
As with most 345 tubas, slide alignment and valveset position issues are epic.
There are also tubing length issues.
(It won't QUITE pull out to A=440; longer main slide inside tubes would easily allow for a 1-4 pulled low E-flat; lower #23 inside tubes were chopped off, simply due to an outside slide tubing dent...and MANY issues. The owner isn't particular regarding the mis-matched Conn brace feet, but I'm going to address those issues, anyway.

Once the epic problems are addressed, I'm going to do some "picky/personal-preference" stuff for the owner...but ( well...) first, it needs to be repaired.

' no comments on any of the issues...' nothing I've never seen before...This tuba will be (already is) a GREAT player.

I'm HOPING to be able to START on it before tax day, and will work my way from the outside in.
When all the big stuff is straightened out, I'll be UN-goofing-up the valveset. Finally, I'll likely need to take that hump out of the mouthpipe tube, if I expect it to meet up with the (hopefully) properly-located valveset.

Besides these things being expensive when they were being made compared to 5Js and 2341s, holy mackerel were they simply inconsistent in build quality. A snowball effect.

Serious bumps aside, I suspect this one was put together - originally - with somewhat more care than it seems to have been stuck BACK together later.

It will be quite an undertaking, but I’m going to try to do this one AND one that is blokeplace-owned (to restore and sell) at the same time. Ours has been abused less, but obviously isn’t ready for prime time, or I would have offered it for sale quite a few years ago.