Mystery Horn

[Dan Schultz]

Any information available regarding the horn on the left in this picture would be appreciated. The horn on the right, for size comparison, is my Miraphone 183-4 (Eb). The little horn has an 11" bell and is 32" overall. The Miraphone has a 14 3/4" bell and is 42" long. Both of the horns contain 13 1/2 feet of tubing in the open bugle. I figure the little horn is also an Eb.... but pehaps could have been an F at one time because of the funky double wrap on the main tuning slide.

http://members.evansville.net/dschultz/ ... rn%202.JPG

[Rick Denney]

Any information available regarding the horn on the left in this picture would be appreciated. The horn on the right, for size comparison, is my Miraphone 183-4 (Eb). The little horn has an 11" bell and is 32" overall. The Miraphone has a 14 3/4" bell and is 42" long. Both of the horns contain 13 1/2 feet of tubing in the open bugle. I figure the little horn is also an Eb.... but pehaps could have been an F at one time because of the funky double wrap on the main tuning slide.

http://members.evansville.net/dschultz/ ... rn%202.JPG

David Fedderly auctioned off a similar, four-valve F tuba at the Army conference two or three years ago. It was a very strange instrument, but all present thought it a pretty typical old-style Graslitz F tuba. I thought it nearly unplayable.

The loop in the tuning slide looks to me to be a low-pitch conversion slide for a high-pitch instrument. But it might be long enough to move it from F to Eb, or from low-pitch F to high-pitch Eb.

Rick "thinking this probably sounds like a euphonium with the fourth valve tied down" Denney

[Dan Schultz]

just out of curiosity, where did you pick it up?

I bought it from an antique dealer in Chicago via that popular auction site. I have since sold the horn.