I have this interest in old brasses, the oldest one being 4 Brits from 1900 or earlier. I have found this British connection north of Liverpool, who optimises the play condition without going bloke in regards of visual perfection. That keeps the price level within my reach.
Today arrived an 1893 Boosey non-compensating baritone with tuning in the leadpipe (not seen too often in British instruments). They already back then divided their instruments in Class A and Class B. This one is a Class B, my first one from that class. It still represents nice craftsmanship and has an engraving never found on newer student instruments.
I very often have mentioned modular design as used by many makers. The Conn 14K and 26/28K sousaphones having the same bells despite the former being a BBb and the latter being in Eb. B&S and Weltklang sharing many parts. The Yamaha 621 series of tubas in F, CC, and BBb.
This arrival of today is 74 years older than the instrument I have owned the longest (42 years): my Bossey & Hawkes Imperial compensating baritone from 1967.
The old one was made in high pitch, the newer one in a too flat low pitch so that cutting was necessary. The old one has had its tuning slide lengthened. The valve slides shall be pulled a bit.
Despite the distance in age and the in-between mergers of Boosey with Hawkes and then with Besson the bells of both these baritones appear having been made on the same mandrel. Both bells are made in one piece with the bottom bow. The HP oldie is slightly shorter and has the first ferrule sitting higher towards the top bow.
The old one appears to have been made in thinner sheet metal and it has a good deal of wire guards where the 1967 sample has the bottom bow cap and nothing more.
The compensator has a shorter 3rd slide due to the odd routing of the tubing, but it will take the 3rd slide of the old one and play with it almost as a two-tone slide.
The original 1893 mouthpiece is very small, but has a fatter stem fitting the larger receiver, where my DW4AY sinks very deeply. For me the oldie plays better with the large modern mouthpiece. Another day I may test that small Boosey 51 piece on an alto trombone or on the oval alto horn.
This oldie will not become a core player of my collection, but for less than $100 including shipping the combined factors of fun and of documentation have not been overpaid.
Klaus