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Hi all - I was invited to see the giant Harvard tuba this morning, and posted about my visit. Here's the link: https://tubapastor.blogspot.com/2019/02 ... t-wow.html

In the process, I had a great time catching up with Matt Walters, who will be restoring the horn over the next few months. And Steve Dillon and I engaged in stimulating conversation (as always!) as we are seeking to discover the history behind this oversized beast of a tuba.

Fun stuff!

Here's one photo to post here, showing side-by-side the horn from a lithograph made around 1891, and the tuba today, as it sits at Dillon Music waiting for its makeover!

My guess is they will need to add a 4th valve to it to make it playable.

Great to see this instrument is getting a restoration. Any projection on the time line for its return to playability?

I congratulate Harvard for having the insight and resources to conserve, preserve, and restore their monster tuba. I see far too many institutions letting their antiquities just whither away...

lost wrote:Cool stuff Dave! I hope when it's restored it's not going back in the band clubhouse room. That's where I found it a couple years ago and junk was piled against it.

I believe they are working on a plan to protect and display the horn after investing in its restoration.

iiipopes wrote:Great to see this instrument is getting a restoration. Any projection on the time line for its return to playability?

The restoration should be completed sometime in April, from what Matt mentioned.

mikebmiller wrote:My guess is they will need to add a 4th valve to it to make it playable.

Hopefully in the standard, hard to reach, British position for extra playability...

Peach wrote:

mikebmiller wrote:My guess is they will need to add a 4th valve to it to make it playable.

Hopefully in the standard, hard to reach, British position for extra playability...

So you will need an assistant to mash the 4th valve and put in the giant mute that will probably be called for on some tunes.