sloan wrote:Well...you are the one who sent me TWO copies of the same picture of a ONE-PIECE upright bell.
I had not compared it to your picture, but thought it might interest you. It was the picture I had mentioned before that Stauffer copied in his book. It wasn't until later when I looked at your picture and realized that yours was not the earlier New Wonder Orchestra Grand Bass but rather the later DeLuxe Orchestra Grand Bass.
so what if that one was from 1924?
Yes - if you are confident that there were NO one-piece upright bell 3XJ's in 1933, then I'll happily agree that the model number depended only on the action (AND THE NUMBER) of the valves.
In 1924, the only difference between a 34J and a 36J was pitch. In 1934 (the catalog that covers your instrument, by visual confirmation, despite what you think are the correct dates), the difference between a 34J and a 36J was valve configuration. Does it really seem even remotely likely that in between (by maybe one year) it was bell detachability? If you can live with the fact (confirmed by the pictures Klaus posted) that the 1934 catalog covers your instrument and not the 1924 catalog, then the difference was valve configuration.
So...can you complete the chart? Please summarize your idea of what differentiates a 30J, 34J, 36J (2xJ and 80J are for extra credit). And why is there no 32J?
that should keep you awake all the way to Dubai.
My idea? It's not
my idea. I'm reading it out of the freaking catalog. Pay attention!
The catalog is titled "Upright Basses and Sousaphones". It is not dated on the cover.
Page 2-4 talks about the new short-action valves.
Page 5 describes the 20J and 22J "Short Action Recording Bass" with 3 top and front-action valves, respectively.
Page 6 describes the top-action "DeLuxe Recording Model Bass":
30J--same as 20J but with conventional valves. 3 top-action valves, large bore, BAT, removable bell front.
34J--same as later 24J but with conventional valves. 4 top-action valves, large bore, BAT, removable bell front.
(There was no four-valve instrument with short-action valves in the '34 catalog, so there was no 24J or 26J.)
Page 7 describes the front-action "DeLuxe Recording Model Bass":
32J--same as 22J but with conventional valves. 3
front-action valves, large bore, BAT, removable bell front.
36J--same as later 26J but with conventional valves. 4 front-action valves, large bore, BAT, removable bell front.
80J--"same bass in medium bore." 3 front-action valves, medium bore, BAT, removable bell front.
Page 8 describes the Sousaphone Grand 38K and the Jumbo Sousaphone Grand 48K.
Page 9 describes the Lightweight Sousaphone 32K (in BBb) and 26K (in Eb).
Page 10 describes the Aluminum String Bass 12T (not a pretty sight).
Pages 11-15 have testimonials. The dates on these testimonials are the only dates in the catalog, and they are all dated in 1934.
Rick "back to training materials for the City of Dubai" Denney