Bach some decades ago had a second line named Mercedes, which also encompassed tubas. Samples from my galleries (free and open membership required) :
Thumbnails of a Bach (2nd line:) Mercedes BBb tuba 3 front action pistons and bell up:
http://photos.groups.yahoo.com/group/yo ... FP+bell+up
Thumbnail of a Bach (2nd line:) Mercedes BBb tuba 4 front action pistons and bell up:
http://photos.groups.yahoo.com/group/yo ... ba+4FP.jpg
The following photos also show a Mercedes tuba, but who made it? Its serial # is 214418.
The above photos are temporary. They also can be found at:
Thumbnails of a Mercedes BBb tuba 4RV:
http://photos.groups.yahoo.com/group/yo ... b+tuba+4RV
Klaus
Origin of Mercedes BBb tuba 4RV?
- imperialbari
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- imperialbari
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Thanks for both replies!
The base plates for the lyre and for the thumb ring of course is a give away for a B&S connection.
But then the B&S conglomerate had no virginal attitude about making its virtues in form of parts available to others. Not that I thought that this tuba came out of the Stuttgart tri-star production lines.
Joe's reply revealed a business connection yet unknown to me.
B&S says Blechblas- und Signalinstrumente, which means brass and signal instruments. After all they made refined duck-call type signal instruments for the GDR state railways.
The predecessor was Sächsische Musik-Instrumentenfabriken - VEB - Klingenthal/ Sa.
That says just about something like The Saxonian Musical Instruments' Factory - Owned by the People - Klingenthal/Saxonia. Klingenthal in itself says "The Resounding Valley".
As I interpret my sources, B&S is a circa 1965 construction.
The V in VMI refers to Vogtland, the south-west corner of Saxonia, also known as the musical triangle. The location of a lot of major brass makers in the adjacent areas of Saxonia, Bavaria, and Czechia reflects a very complex interaction of religious and political factors, which others have written on in other contexts. Still very sensitive factors to a lot of people still alive.
And the VMI construction belongs to the post-wall-fall era.
Klaus[/code]
The base plates for the lyre and for the thumb ring of course is a give away for a B&S connection.
But then the B&S conglomerate had no virginal attitude about making its virtues in form of parts available to others. Not that I thought that this tuba came out of the Stuttgart tri-star production lines.
Joe's reply revealed a business connection yet unknown to me.
B&S says Blechblas- und Signalinstrumente, which means brass and signal instruments. After all they made refined duck-call type signal instruments for the GDR state railways.
The predecessor was Sächsische Musik-Instrumentenfabriken - VEB - Klingenthal/ Sa.
That says just about something like The Saxonian Musical Instruments' Factory - Owned by the People - Klingenthal/Saxonia. Klingenthal in itself says "The Resounding Valley".
As I interpret my sources, B&S is a circa 1965 construction.
The V in VMI refers to Vogtland, the south-west corner of Saxonia, also known as the musical triangle. The location of a lot of major brass makers in the adjacent areas of Saxonia, Bavaria, and Czechia reflects a very complex interaction of religious and political factors, which others have written on in other contexts. Still very sensitive factors to a lot of people still alive.
And the VMI construction belongs to the post-wall-fall era.
Klaus[/code]
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- imperialbari
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Your horn looks identical to mine, a Sonora branded BBb 4vr.
Mine was identified by Bob Tucci as a stencil of a B&S/VMI PT1 horn, and was manufactured in East Germany in 1986.
Like you, I was interested in the origins of my stencil horn. It seems the same "PT1" horn was distributed under several brands including Sonora and Mercedes.
Mine was identified by Bob Tucci as a stencil of a B&S/VMI PT1 horn, and was manufactured in East Germany in 1986.
Like you, I was interested in the origins of my stencil horn. It seems the same "PT1" horn was distributed under several brands including Sonora and Mercedes.
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