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I'm going to be looking around for an old E-flat 3 valve to mess around with. I'm willing to spend up to about $500. I know these show up all the time on the auction sites and the online music stores that carry used. Seems like they are usually listed without model numbers.

What are the better brands/models to look for in the ones that tend to sell for about $500 or less? Conn? Besson? There is basically no inventory where I live, so it's going to be ordered. Reasonably good intonation, standard mp receiver and modern pitch would be nice. It would also be nice if it were not tiny, since I am long torsoed and tend to slouch too much as it is.

TIA,
Eric

WakinAZ wrote:Reasonably good intonation, standard mp receiver and modern pitch would be nice.

How big?

I have a couple of Eb top 3 valve tubas that cost $200 or $300. One of them is small, the other is a "giant" - built in a bass tuba key but otherwise with contrabass tuba dimensions. They are technically similar, but practically not really interchangeable.

If you're strongly attracted to the giant/monster Eb concept, then I think cheap ones will be pre-WW II US brands.

The standard bass tuba size is a lot bigger field of choices - lasted much later in the US lines, and elsewhere, and I dare say there are fewer inherent design problems so the odds of intonation problems in particular are somewhat lower.

Donn wrote:How big?

I guess the standard size (=4/4?). With the reference point we all understand of a Miraphone 186, maybe something a little smaller than that. Definitely not looking for one of the monsters. .

This Conn listed on Dillon's site looks about right, but it's hard to gauge the size without a reference point. I just don't want to have to explain to anyone that it's not a euphonium, heh.

Is it just me, or does the Holton look like it's been converted from high pitch to low pitch?

I have a Conn 14j. It's tolerable. Kind of woofy, but not too bad. Intonation won't win any awards, but passable for amateur work.

I found a 1940 King Eb bell-forward on E-Bay cheap. It's not a monster Eb but I like the sound and it plays well.

iiipopes wrote:Is it just me, or does the Holton look like it's been converted from high pitch to low pitch?

It's not just you

iiipopes wrote:Is it just me, or does the Holton look like it's been converted from high pitch to low pitch?

It may not have been "converted", but for a time many manufacturers built the instruments that way (including Conn) rather than have two complete sets of mandrels if they offered both high and low pitch horns at the same time, or horns that could be set up for either.

OP checking in...So about what year/era could one expect an Eb tuba to be built to A=440? BTW thanks for the links Bobster. I'll most likely buy from one of the site sponsors since they know what a tuba is and can distinguish between high/low pitch, small/large shank, etc.

bloke wrote:Why don't you grab that front-action bell-front Eb York "Monster" that is buy-it-now for $500 on fleabay?

Hm, not too distant from my neighborhood. Doesn't look that great to me, though - when the man said "willing to pay $500", I didn't interpret that to mean "pay $500 and then $200 more in repair bills."

It looks to me like its leadpipe has lost a couple inches, so when the seller speculates that it might need a new leadpipe, I think she (?) could be telling the truth. What does that entail - do you get out your .670" stock and cut off 18 inches, or is it ideally a custom taper? (I have a slightly trashed leadpipe too, top valve Pan Am, is why I'm curious about this.)

For a cheap classic big trashed Eb that needs a leadpipe and other repairs ... ah, guess this isn't the fleabay forum.

I don't really know the high pitch dates - seems to me it faded in the mid 20's - but just to make it worse, there was also a low pitch standard at 435 or something like that. I suspected my 1928 Eb, because it runs a hair flat with the slides all the way in, but I think it's just leaky valves etc.

Donn wrote:there was also a low pitch standard at 435 or something like that. I suspected my 1928 Eb, because it runs a hair flat with the slides all the way in, but I think it's just leaky valves etc.

There was an international standard of A=435 before A=440, and Conn did build horns to that standard, too, but all that should have been shaken out by 1928.

"a standard of A=435 was established by a French Commission in 1859, and in 1887 this was formally adopted by the Vienna Congress, an international conference on musical pitch."

bloke wrote:Why don't you grab that front-action bell-front Eb York "Monster" that is buy-it-now for $500 on fleabay?

Thanks, Joe, but don't want a monster or a BF.

windshieldbug wrote:There was an international standard of A=435 before A=440, and Conn did build horns to that standard, too, but all that should have been shaken out by 1928.

Ah, thanks.

I'm pretty sure that the Conn that is pictured earlier in this thread is

Looks identical to my 14j except mine is laquer ... or was in the past.

Hmm, looking for an Eb. How can you tell it's an F?

Probably cheap for a reason. I am looking over the Holtons, Conn and York they have there.

Eric "noticing AS IS emphasized a lot on the $100 range scrap pile" L.

I have this Amati Eb for sale. $400 plus shipping. It has a small shank receiver but I will include a Wick 3 copy mp if you desire at no extra charge. No case.


I bought it a little over a year ago from Oberloh so you can check it out at the following link

http://www.oberloh.com/sales/sales.htm

It photographs a little nicer than actually it is. The finish is decent but not a perfect horn but it is certainly a decent horn for the money (and for sale cheaper than it was at a highly respected shop). You can post or PM me if interested.

I bought a nice little Conn from Dan "TubaTinker" Schultz. I would like to very publicly thank him for a great buying experience. I must have asked him 20 different questions via e-mail over the course of several days, and he answered all of them promptly and completely. Best tuba buying experience I've had, and the price was very nice also.

The horn was packed very well and made it from IN to AZ in about 3.5 days via Greyhound. The box had nary a scuff on it.

Thanks also to those who helped with advice.

The horn is 30" long, bore of 0.625" and has a 16" bell. This is the size I was looking for - not too big, not too small. The finish is interesting, since it started as silver and is now mostly raw brass - adds personality. I couldn't resist snapping a couple of pics (last one is next to my 41" long, 17.75" bell Miraphone 187 for size comparison):


Eric "tickled pink" L.