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So Baltimore Brass has had this Scherzer F tuba for some time... Has anyone played this? Does anyone know anything about it. I've done some google-ing and found some Scherzer Bass trumpets, but no tubas.

So if anyone knows anything about this tuba how it plays please share, as I will not be able to make it to Baltimore to try it out anytime in the near future.

I owned a six valve Viennese-system Scherzer F many years ago, looks similar to this one in many regards.

Pitch was a problem and below D (just below the staff) it was not very strong. The upper register had a beautiful sound though.

I believe that particular instrument is/was owned by David Mills, in the Charlotte, NC Symphony. Try giving him a call, perhaps.

Thanks Dr. Askew!

I emailed Dave and he said it belongs to Tim Bryson.

Dave also says he has a Conn 5J 5 valve CC if anyone is intrested

Scherzer is a name well known from brass instruments’ makers in diverse parts of Germany. The best known Scherzer was a Meister within the GDR conglomerate B&S of Markneukirchen and is now an independent trumpet maker especially remarkable for his rotary piccolos. During the GDR era the Scherzer name also was used for larger brasses normally named Hoyer or B&S, probably as part of the common GDR scheme of cheating on its own contracts with exclusive importers.

Another Scherzer is in Augsburg in Bavaria. He has some original designs, but appears to have used some parts from B&S. A third Scherzer is in Krefeld further up north on the western bank of the Rhine.

The Scherzer tuba in Baltimore



puzzles me a bit. It has many traits common with older B&S F-tubas, but the base plate for the thumb ring is circular unlike the rounded diamonds seen on B&S and other Scherzer instruments. The tuning slide is horizontal unlike the B&S models. And the 5th valve looks like being a long minor-third-extension with a wrap never seen in B&S tubas, where the standard is a long whole step supplemented with an alternative slide for the long minor third.

Where is this Scherzer shorter than the B&S since it can have a longer tuning slide?

Has this Scherzer a progressive bore through the valve block?

Illustrations of Scherzer instruments may be seen via the index found here:

http://launch.groups.yahoo.com/group/Yo ... III/files/

Klaus Smedegaard Bjerre

imperialbari wrote: Klaus Smedegaard Bjerre

I've got nothing to add to this thread, except . . .
Hey! It's great to see you back!