TubeNet

My first reaction is that the 3rd valve circuit is somewhat reminiscent of the mystery Carl Fischer EEb contrabass tuba:


But the overall layout is more like the big J. Low (left):


Would it be safe to say "German"?

The, almost, concentric 3rd loop wrap mostly was seen on old Kalison and other Italian rotary tubas. That wrap also has been seen on the tubing leading to the main tuning slide of some Czech helicons.

Klaus, who has relayed the question to a friend of the late Red Callender

He's covering the whole tuba! reminds me of this pic:

Also, that emblem reminds me of really old Alex horns, though shaped differently.

Sander?

Don Harry suggests Kaempf NY, and will check on this .

Klaus

Paul Scott wrote:Sander?

I was also going guess, Sander.

tuben wrote:

bigtubby wrote:But the overall layout is more like the big J. Low (left):

May we also have id's for these three? (papers please)

Not sure what papers?

Left to right:
J. Löw, Munster ca. late 19th Century

Amati ABB 481 1970's

Schuster & Co. "Army" - 1884 - 1896

I've been looking at tubas over at Horn-U-Copia, trying to match that badge and the slide that's exposed under Red's arm. I came across a tuba made in Zurich that has a similar badge. This one is an N. Walich, Zurich.

http://www.horn-u-copia.net/display.php ... Walich+%22" target="_blank

I'm wondering if, with the configuration of the evenly expanding bell with a small taper, it might be older than some of the proffered makers so far? Possibly more along the "Bombardon" school of tuba making?

Taking a shot from the crazy tubing -- pix the best I could find. Maybe an Enders?

Tampaworth wrote:Taking a shot from the crazy tubing

My guess is that this thing is One of a Kind, but if there's any original tubing to go by, it seems more likely it would be the unusual leadpipe, and the invisible first valve. I'd bet a quarter the wad of tubing down by the bottom bow was not there when this came out of the factory.

Not a beautifully exposed section of the OP’s photo. But it very much hints this is a tuba with 4 rotors sitting right after the leadpipe. The valve caps look like turned towards the front side of the tuba. That position relative to the paddles makes it very likely that this tuba has string action rotors with a set-up similar to the one seen on the Conn 8D horn.

This transmission in rare cases is seen on European tubas, whereas it was more common on older American tubas.

Klaus

Donn wrote:The valve caps look like turned towards the front side of the tuba. That position relative to the paddles makes it very likely that this tuba has string action rotors

That was one of the reasons that I suggested that the tuba was a Sander.

Has TN’s quote function been corrupted?

donn wrote:Has TN’s quote function been corrupted?

What do you mean?

Two long-shot thoughts:
-- LONG long long ago, his daughter used to post on the old TubeNet about selling copies of his records. A long shot, but maybe she still knows?
-- Red wrote a book, "Unfinished Dream." Although I doubt that the cover photo of one album would take up much space in the book, there might be some sort of clue in there.

Donn wrote:

donn wrote:Has TN’s quote function been corrupted?

What do you mean?

My point!

imperialbari wrote:

image.jpg

Not a beautifully exposed section of the OP’s photo. But it very much hints this is a tuba with 4 rotors sitting right after the leadpipe. The valve caps look like turned towards the front side of the tuba. That position relative to the paddles makes it very likely that this tuba has string action rotors with a set-up similar to the one seen on the Conn 8D horn.

This transmission in rare cases is seen on European tubas, whereas it was more common on older American tubas.

Klaus

Was trying to not put too fine a point on it earlier but:

bigtubby wrote:...

But the overall layout is more like the big J. Low (left):


Would it be safe to say "German"?

The Munster built J. Löw tuba pictured above is decidedly German but doesn't follow the Cerveny designs that pretty much dominated German manufacturing in the 19th and 20th Centuries. The valve block is on the bell side of the bugle, "upside down" and with string linkage. Very direct and tight.

The tuba that Red is holding in OP's photo has that same general layout.