Repair People - Smaller Leadpipe? Marzan Characteristics?

Gongadin · Post by **Gongadin** » Mon Oct 23, 2006 11:34 am

I just got a Marzan tuba (haven't had time to send you info yet, Dan!) and it needed some work done to it. Took it in to my repairguy, and he surmised that the leadpipe is not original.
It does look like a smaller diameter than the knuckle it goes into. I didn't spend a lot of time checking for it, but the "Made In Germany" stamp on the leadpipe was not readily apparent. I understand from reading past posts that the Marzans have that legend stamped on the leadpipe. The repair tech, Adam, seems to think that a smaller leadpipe will restrict the instrument in terms of playing capabilities. The horn seemed to play nicely to me, despite the sluggish valves (the reason for taking the horn in, along with de-denting that needs to be done). Adam said he'd rather not replace the leadpipe if it isn't necessary, and we both agreed to do some research about Marzan original leadpipe specs.
So, this is part of my research.
Any Marzan owners that can offer up pics or specs for leadpipe dimensions?
I will post a pic of this instrument's leadpipe when I get home tonight.
How might a smaller diameter leadpipe affect the playing of the horn?
Thanks In Advance...

windshieldbug · Post by **windshieldbug** » Mon Oct 23, 2006 12:13 pm

CC or BBb? Piston or rotor?

Gongadin · Post by **Gongadin** » Mon Oct 23, 2006 12:19 pm

windshieldbug wrote:CC or BBb? Piston or rotor?

4 rotary valve BBb.
The first model shown in the ad on Tubatinker's "Marzan" page.
Would the smaller leadpipe affect a BBb or a CC differently, or are you just interested in the horn's configuration?

windshieldbug · Post by **windshieldbug** » Mon Oct 23, 2006 12:30 pm

It proably will affect them differently (bore %/profile), but I was just wondering about measurement. I have a slant rotor, but, if I remember correctly, Dan's is a piston.

Gongadin · Post by **Gongadin** » Mon Oct 23, 2006 12:54 pm

Scooby Tuba wrote:
windshieldbug wrote:CC or BBb? Piston or rotor?
German or Swiss? (BM or Willson?)

I believe it's B&M, German, and it's the same Bell diameter and overall length as Dan's piston model, even though mine is slant rotor. It's the first model in this ad:

windshieldbug · Post by **windshieldbug** » Mon Oct 23, 2006 1:01 pm

I have a slant rotor CC, so I can offer pics if you need them. Over-all, my horn looks like this:

My mouthpiece receiver says "Germany". I was told that Bohm and Meinl made the tubas with the 19" in bells

Tubaryan12 · Post by **Tubaryan12** » Mon Oct 23, 2006 6:22 pm

Mine looks more like WSB's horn (wider 4th valve slides) but it's a BBb and has the 17.75 inch bell. There is no stamp on the receiver. No serial numbers at all. only the number 1 stamped on the botom sides of all of the paddles and on the valve casings. Maybe it was a prototype horn?

windshieldbug · Post by **windshieldbug** » Mon Oct 23, 2006 6:24 pm

Mine has no number, either.
(I had to add one for ID only)

Maybe we both have prototypes!

Dan Schultz · Post by **Dan Schultz** » Mon Oct 23, 2006 11:19 pm

WSB and Tubaryan... how about sending me some pics of your Marzans so I can add them to my Marzan page?

And yes... I understand that the larger Marzans were made by B & M. The smaller solo models and the euphs were made by Willson.

Howcum no serial numbers on the rotary Marzans????

Tubaryan12 · Post by **Tubaryan12** » Tue Oct 24, 2006 7:38 am

TubaTinker wrote:.... Tubaryan... how about sending me some pics of your Marzans so I can add them to my Marzan page?

Done.

windshieldbug · Post by **windshieldbug** » Tue Oct 24, 2006 10:48 am

TubaTinker wrote:how about sending me some pics of your Marzans so I can add them to my Marzan page? Howcum no serial numbers on the rotary Marzans????

Big file sent.

I can only guess that since they were "stencil"s, and had no parts that needed to be matched by number (the valves were already made... ) that the practice was to send them to the reseller blank, in case serial numbers were to be added in some sequence. Imagine the nightmare if you had to continue more than 1 set of numbers...

Perhaps Rick can speak to this, but I was under the impression that the York Masters did not reuse prior York numbers, for example.

Rick Denney · Post by **Rick Denney** » Tue Oct 24, 2006 3:51 pm

windshieldbug wrote:
TubaTinker wrote:how about sending me some pics of your Marzans so I can add them to my Marzan page? Howcum no serial numbers on the rotary Marzans????
Perhaps Rick can speak to this, but I was under the impression that the York Masters did not reuse prior York numbers, for example.

Every York Master serial number I've seen is in a range never reached by York in Grand Rapids.

Lots of European instruments have been made with no serial numbers. Serial numbers have not be a universal practice in Germany, it would seem, at least among tuba makers. There is also a lot of parts-making, but I think everything on the York Master was made by Boehm and Meinl, including the valves.

Rick "who had a hard time finding the serial number on the YM, and who now can't remember where it was" Denney