I'm looking for some comprehensive histories of French brass builders.
I've been having alot of Franco fun with a Hilleron BBb helicon and a little Eb tuba,
maker J. Henri Marchand. Maybe I can get some pics up after cleanup.
Joe
The first picture (with the curved bell-front) is very interesting.
I'm aware that Sax was basically starting from scratch (since he really didn't have much before him to build on), but one has to wonder why he would go through the considerable trouble to put a sideways bend in a bell, just to put it in the way of the player's line of sight....
roweenie wrote:The first picture (with the curved bell-front) is very interesting.
I'm aware that Sax was basically starting from scratch (since he really didn't have much before him to build on), but one has to wonder why he would go through the considerable trouble to put a sideways bend in a bell, just to put it in the way of the player's line of sight....
I believe if you were to hold this former horn in a more Horizontal position, it would not be at all in the players face. Imho it's a better playing position anyway.
roweenie wrote:The first picture (with the curved bell-front) is very interesting.
I'm aware that Sax was basically starting from scratch (since he really didn't have much before him to build on), but one has to wonder why he would go through the considerable trouble to put a sideways bend in a bell, just to put it in the way of the player's line of sight....
I believe if you were to hold this former horn in a more Horizontal position, it would not be at all in the players face. Imho it's a better playing position anyway.
Maybe so, but I would think that would have the left hand valves practically in your lap, and put your left wrist in at an awkward angle, like the groundhog-caller in the picture above....
I've always suspected, although I have no proof, that the more unconventional features of the saxhorn nouveau family (like the curved bells with unusual tapers, and the 6-valve systems) were an attempt by Sax to come up with something new and novel he could patent since his original saxhorn patents were widely ignored and hard to defend since there were prior art instruments from other makers that were so similar.
He was also a fan of the ascending valve system from a few things I've read lately. Anybody have any experience with an ascending system? Supposedly air goes through ALL of the tubes, and the over all length is shortened when you press a valve.
Heliconer wrote:He was also a fan of the ascending valve system from a few things I've read lately. Anybody have any experience with an ascending system? Supposedly air goes through ALL of the tubes, and the over all length is shortened when you press a valve.
I have a vintage CC/F double tuba. It's naturally in CC and then you press a change valve and the pitch raises to F. This may seem like a handy mechanism if you're a CC expert who wants more clarity in the upper register, but the fact is that it's a similar experience to playing an F tuba with the 4th valve down all the time-- it's very stuffy compared to the "ascended" F side. Something to consider: we generally choose to play any given note with as few valves as possible to bring the note into tune because it's "more free blowing" or simply easier.
I have since reversed the spring mechanism on the change valve so that it is an F tuba with a change valve to CC. By a strange coincidence I now play the horn much more often. Your mileage may vary.
and more...scholarly stuff http://www.academia.edu/5427655/Adolphe ... nstruments
