Just in time
I picked up my horn the Friday before I left for IHS 41, and it looks fabulous! Well, it plays wonderfully too. I’m working on a post that shows before and after photos and hope to get that done soon.
The folks at Oberloh Woodwind and Brass Works did what they deemed a “minor” overhaul. It makes me wonder what a major one would entail! In a nutshell, they rebuilt the valves, straightened out and removed dents from the bell, removed dents from the rest of the horn, replaced worn out parts, and applied a nice brushed finish to the body of the horn for aesthetic purposes (to hide some of the imperfections in the metal). I’ve only had it back for almost a couple of weeks, but I’ve noticed that my pitches are much more centered and my slurs are buttery smooth.
It’s funny how you don’t really notice minor problems with your equipment. You get used to how it works. Previously, I struggled with pitch centering and thought it was me. This led me to become more conscious (and self-conscious) of it, so I bet that makes the improvement after the overhaul even more noticable to me.
It’s like how after cleaning the chain on your bicycle, pedaling becomes so much easier, because you no longer have stuff gunking it up. The buildup is so gradual that you become accustomed to it without really knowing it.
Now that I’ve eliminated the gunk, I can focus on making other improvements to my horn playing. 
