buescher euph valves

[ken k]

I had a student bring in an old Bueshcer euphonium today, probably from the early 1900's. It had a very unusual valve routing. The lead pipe went into the second valve rather than the first. The 2nd valve tubing looped out the front, around under the valve and in the back. The tubing from the second valve then went into the first from behind. Then out the front of the first valve and around in front of the second valve and into the third. I found a picture of a similar horn on the internet. This pic is a 1907 Buescher double bell euph. The horn my student brought in was not a double bell but had the same valve tubing as this one has on the main three valves. very odd. the horn actually plays very nicely, beautiful tone and not too many odd ball notes.



Again notice the lead pipe comes in from the right in the picture and enters the 2nd valve. And you can see the tube that connects the first valve with the third valve right above the leadpipe. Notice the second vavle tuning slide goes under the valve and up into the back.

Anyone ever see anything like that before?

ken k

[windshieldbug]

Yes. This is the airway patented by Buescher and marketed as the "Epoch"

[ken k]

it is sort of an open wrap design with bends that are more gradual. Very interesting.
k

[windshieldbug]

it is sort of an open wrap design with bends that are more gradual. Very interesting.
k

The idea was to emulate a trombone with no sharp airway turns in the valves. This would improve the resistance.



Eventually, this airway pattern was found to be no more effective that the Conn "Conn-queror" patterns, in fact, not really any more than normal piston valves.

They really didn't understand the standing waves set up in horns or the bore profile, and thought that this might be the way to make to the horn play clearer and project more easily.

[iiipopes]

I believe one theory behind this valve setup was to get progressively more resistance so that the perceived resistance of the "open" valve was as little a difference as possible with the "down" valve.