Contrabass French Horn

[Timswisstuba]

I studied with Roger Bobo and I always admired his bass horn in CC. Bobo's horn has nearly perfect intonation and when he played bass horn in LA and Hollywood, the horn players were worried that Bobo would take their jobs. Bobo's horn is now owned by the famous Michael Lynch in Texas.

I figured that since all the musicians in my family play horn except me, the only solution not to be ex-communicated from the family, was to build a contrabass horn.

Harvey Hartman and I made the horn together in summer 2008. The intonation is very good and has a great sound.

It's fun to play and will be treasured for a longtime.

Tim Sullivan

[Wyvern]

I guess that is hard to hand stop?

Is yours in CC?

[Timswisstuba]

I guess that is hard to hand stop?

Is yours in CC?

Yes, hand-stopping would involve two people. I originaly wanted to build it in F but since it is really difficult to cut an existing tapered circle, Harv and I decided Eb would be best. Building a double contrahorn would have been a real challenge.

[J.c. Sherman]

Not to be argumentative but merely to opine - I think you have a contrabass tuba in "horn" shape.

Don't get me wrong - it's really cool, and like all of Harv's work I've had the pleasure to view, brilliant and fascinating.

However, the horn family has centuries of history pointing out that whatever the key of the instrument, the beginning and ending bore profiles and size of the instrument remain static. A historic natural horn can be crooked from C alto (one tone higher in fundamental pitch from the tenor trombone) all the way down to Bb Basso (length of a contrabass trombone or tuba). Same receiver size, same bell, bell throat and bell stem and usually the entire first branch as well.

Thus, it stands to reason that a CC "contrabass" instrument would stand one fourth lower than the typical F instrument. A bass instrument may simply be a 4 valve or some other range-extension on the typical horn. At least two exist.

One was made by.... well, modesty forbids

There is also a Vienna system instrument as well by Robert Engel:

Engel%20Base%20Vienna%20Horn%20.jpg

Also note that the bass Wagner Tuba is also in F, which would make CC a 4th below the contrabass key (in theory... anyone built one of those yet?!?).

All the aforementioned horns are able to be hand stopped (not the tuben, of course). Bobo's instrument I would consider a bit of a hybrid made in "good spirit", but a tuba nonetheless. Perhaps close to a horn shaped contrabass Wagner Tuben?

Of course, since C and Bb of the lengths discussed were historically referred to as "Bass" keys, perhaps you'd need an octave horn in FF to be a truly "contrabass" horn...

[Timswisstuba]

However, the horn family has centuries of history pointing out that whatever the key of the instrument, the beginning and ending bore profiles and size of the instrument remain static. A historic natural horn can be crooked from C alto (one tone higher in fundamental pitch from the tenor trombone) all the way down to Bb Basso (length of a contrabass trombone or tuba). Same receiver size, same bell, bell throat and bell stem and usually the entire first branch as well.

Thus, it stands to reason that a CC "contrabass" instrument would stand one fourth lower than the typical F instrument. A bass instrument may simply be a 4 valve or some other range-extension on the typical horn. At least two exist.

Also note that the bass Wagner Tuba is also in F, which would make CC a 4th below the contrabass key (in theory... anyone built one of those yet?!?).

All the aforementioned horns are able to be hand stopped (not the tuben, of course). Bobo's instrument I would consider a bit of a hybrid made in "good spirit", but a tuba nonetheless. Perhaps close to a horn shaped contrabass Wagner Tuben?

Of course, since C and Bb of the lengths discussed were historically referred to as "Bass" keys, perhaps you'd need an octave horn in FF to be a truly "contrabass" horn...

I was more interested in MAKING history rather than FOLLOWING history for this project. It's a fun instrument to play and it is what it is. Thanks for looking.

[iiipopes]

I was more interested in MAKING history rather than FOLLOWING history for this project. It's a fun instrument to play and it is what it is. Thanks for looking.

Indeed. Everything that is now history was new at some point. Even the Vatican has a letter from a pre-reformation Archbishop of Canterbury asking Pope Gregory to send someone to teach them the "new" way to chant mass.
Go for it!

[J.c. Sherman]

It is a new instrument, without argument

J.c.S.