Stone’s Throw: Tubas made the old-fashioned way — by hand, on a farm, one at a time

By: Jonathan Turner|April 8, 2026

|5 min read

Lee Stofer with two of his restored tubas in his instrument shop in Camanche. CREDIT JONATHAN TURNER

On a remote farm in rural Camanche, Iowa, Lee Stofer, Jr. is part of a vanishing breed — an American tuba maker. The shop where he builds his instruments sits on land that formerly housed a pig barn.

A 69-year-old Kentucky native, Mr. Stofer has been in Eastern Iowa since 2006 and lives…

Want to Read More?

Get immediate, unlimited access to all subscriber content and much more.

Learn more in our subscriber FAQ.

Subscribe

OR

Login

Unparalleled business coverage of the Quad CitiesImmediate access to subscriber-only content on our website.52 issues per year delivered digitally, in print or both.Support locally owned and operated journalism.

Do you want to read and share this article without a paywall?

Click here to purchase a paywall bypass link

Stone’s Throw: Tubas made the old-fashioned way — by hand, on a farm, one at a time

Want to Read More?

YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE