TubeNet

Hey Tubenet,

I tried a search and came up with nothing.

It is a SMALL 3v Eb.

Anybody know anything about these old tubas? What does tubenet think they are worth?

cctubaneeds wrote:Hey Tubenet,

I tried a search and came up with nothing.

It is a SMALL 3v Eb.

Anybody know anything about these old tubas? What does tubenet think they are worth?

we have one in our junior band, in frosted silver plate, they are nice little tubas, best suited to young players, non compensated and 3 valved, so a bit limited in range, best played with a smallish mouthpiece, but tuning is generally unproblematic we have a VB25 with a turned down shank that works well. As to value, they are worth 300-500GBP, which I guess would be $500-700 depending on condition

This very small Eb bass has been marketed under several names and in at least two different incarnations. The older had the tuning in the leadpipe, the newer had the tuning slide in the body. I have met at least two of the latter version when I mainly played trombone. And I tended to like them for what they were.

They are 3-valves-only tubas with all the implied limitations in range and intonation. But the intonation of those I met was not nearly as bad as their general reputation has it.

The discussion about pulling the third slide to a fixed position bringing either 23 or 13 in tune is not really for me. I think the slide shall be pulled so any given note is in tune. For me the base position is that 3 alone is in tune. At least 23 shall not be flat, as I hate flat leading notes in minor keys.

Many do not pull from what they hear, but from what they routinely do on other tubas. And here those small British Eb tubas have a problem to be aware about. The 3rd slide is not cut to be in tune for any fingering at all. It is cut to fit in the case when pushed all the way in.

So alone my wish for an in tune 3-fingering takes a pull of the 3rd slide. I don’t remember the exact amount, but your ears will tell.

If I were still teaching, would I then recommend those small Eb’s for young student? As they don’t from new any more, a check-up is mandatory, but if any given sample was in good playable order, I would recommend it.

One of my younger Norwegian friends graduated on tuba from one of their universities, subbed in a pro-military band for a period, now teaches brass in a very northern town, and recently performed with his quartet on the international tuba conference in Hungary or Austria. His father is a brass teacher, and the father gave my friend such little Eb tuba to start on when he was 8. I will see if I can get permission to relay the photo of a very happy young tuba player.

Klaus

Jan Viggo at age 8 with his little Besson Eb. Now uses the same model for students.

My Yahoo-based brass galleries have a 1985 catalogue scan of the Besson 777 Eb tuba with the dimensions. Thew index is here:

http://launch.groups.yahoo.com/group/Yo ... %20format/

Search for ‘Besson low conical brasses illustrated in a circa 1985 catalogue’ (with 7900+ entries the catalogue is huge).

Klaus

that is a great picture of a young man obviously proud of his tuba

Besson still make student model tubas, the BE1077 is in Eb and the BE1087 in Bb. York also produced and instrument called the Prescience, before it was wound up and there are still a few around, but really quite expensive.