Old Holton Eb

[funkhoss]

Hi all,

I got to blow a few notes on an old 3v top action large Holton Eb tonight. It had a small shank receiver, so I had to use the mouthpiece that was with it (which was about the size of a modern bass trombone mouthpiece). I was surprised at the big sound that it had. It was also fairly free-blowing and seemed to play decently well in-tune with itself. (Just so you all know where I'm coming from, I currently play a (borrowed) Sovereign 981 with a PT-44.)

Do any of you have some experience with these horns? Would a horn like this work well with a standard receiver and a larger leadpipe? How difficult/expensive would it be to add two left-hand operated piston valves (one that lowers a fourth and one that lowers a flat whole step)?

Thanks,

Sam Funkhouser

[funkhoss]

Hi again,

The horn in question is identical to this one: http://www.rugs-n-relics.com/Brass/tuba ... -tuba.html" target="_blank.

Sam F.

[imperialbari]

You very likely will skew the intonation, if you tinker with the receiver and then use a larger, modern mouthpiece. The set-up you tried represents an acoustic equation different from most modern Eb tuba designs. It is difficult to change single elements without knowing how to compensate for the change.

If there is room between the 3rd slide and the main branch, and if you can find pistons with the appropriate bores, your idea about 4th and 5th valves might be technically possible. But until you have solved the receiver problem such project would be risky in light of the costs. It always is a problem whether radical rebuilds are worth costs and efforts. It looks like those old Eb bells (and maybe their bottom bows) are best utilised in projects like the design of the CB/Getzen CC or rather the versions made by Mr. Rusk or by Sam Gnagey.

Klaus

[iiipopes]

I played an old Martin with the same configuration (small bore -- straight in leadpipe) a couple of years ago for a gig. I used a Wick 3 with the small shank. Great tuba! The false pedals were good, although with really wide slots that almost made valve selection a matter of preference and not of actual intonation. With its small bore the upper register approached old-school euph tonality (think round stamp Sovereign & New Standard, not the current large enough bore to use as a municipal water supply).

If the valves are good, pull 3 so 2+3 is slightly flat, and 1+3 won't need much lipping at all.