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Can someone identify this horn? I believe it’s an old St. Pete but I don’t know for sure. The only markings I could find is an upside down “A” with a lyre and a serial number on the second valve casing. The receiver is very small and my Helleberg goes in about 1/2 inch. It also has minibals which I’ve never seen on a St. Pete before.
https://imgur.com/a/s92tRDB" target="_blank" target="_blank" target="_blank
(sorry I don’t know how to post pictures yet)

I think its a Leningrad tuba... precursor to St. Petersburg

I thought that too but it looks too good to be a leningrad and it has minibals.

Bloke 'nailed it'. The paddle assembly has been replaced. The horn in indeed a St. Pete (same as Lenningrad). It's not terribly old... probably 60's or so. The aluminum bumper plates are pre-Tuba Exchange but are not that unusual.

This is Leningrad, possibly made in 1994, I could speculate “94” on valve casing is the year of manufacture. Starting from 1984 there was production 4V BBb, before 1984 only custom 4V. This looks like a production tuba with changes as described above. Manufacturing of 4 valve production BBb with old label without price stamped started 1990. So this should be no older than from 1990.

How do you like it and how does it play?

sugawi wrote:This is Leningrad, possibly made in 1994, I could speculate “94” on valve casing is the year of manufacture. Starting from 1984 there was production 4V BBb, before 1984 only custom 4V. This looks like a production tuba with changes as described above. Manufacturing of 4 valve production BBb with old label without price stamped started 1990. So this should be no older than from 1990.

How do you like it and how does it play?

It plays quite nice and has a really dark sound. The valves click a bit and the slides haven’t been taken care of that well but it’s a school horn.

Dan Schultz wrote:Bloke 'nailed it'. The paddle assembly has been replaced. The horn in indeed a St. Pete (same as Lenningrad). It's not terribly old... probably 60's or so. The aluminum bumper plates are pre-Tuba Exchange but are not that unusual.

The paddle assembly does look to be replaced but the slides have “38” stamped on to them and the paddles do too. Don’t they use numbers to match up the parts to the horn during manufacturing? If so then why are the paddles stamped if they appear to be replaced? If the horn came with clockwork springs, the paddle assembly wouldn’t be stamped because they’ve been replaced.

thomas20186 wrote:The paddle assembly does look to be replaced but the slides have “38” stamped on to them and the paddles do too. Don’t they use numbers to match up the parts to the horn during manufacturing? If so then why are the paddles stamped if they appear to be replaced? If the horn came with clockwork springs, the paddle assembly wouldn’t be stamped because they’ve been replaced.

Many changes happened in early 1990’s. USSR fell apart, city of Leningrad changed its name to St. Petersburg in 1991. So you have the post USSR tuba. In 1990’s Leningrad tubas were coming out with miniballs from factory. Also you got there 2nd generation miniballs, 1st gen were made of plastic and were brittle. Since it’s from 1994 it makes sense that parts with matching numbers are original to the horn and came this way from factory. Unless something was replaced down the road it’s possible everything is original.

sugawi wrote:

thomas20186 wrote:The paddle assembly does look to be replaced but the slides have “38” stamped on to them and the paddles do too. Don’t they use numbers to match up the parts to the horn during manufacturing? If so then why are the paddles stamped if they appear to be replaced? If the horn came with clockwork springs, the paddle assembly wouldn’t be stamped because they’ve been replaced.

Many changes happened in early 1990’s. USSR fell apart, city of Leningrad changed its name to St. Petersburg in 1991. So you have the post USSR tuba. In 1990’s Leningrad tubas were coming out with miniballs from factory. Also you got there 2nd generation miniballs, 1st gen were made of plastic and were brittle. Since it’s from 1994 it makes sense that parts with matching numbers are original to the horn and came this way from factory. Unless something was replaced down the road it’s possible everything is original.

Well whoever put it together didn’t do a good job. Do you have any idea what’s with the finish? And do you know what kind of shank would properly fit this tuba?

I don’t know much about finish. Older ones usually bare brass with nice patina or nickel plated. Yours was probably experimental lacquer on the cheap:) Workers in 1994 Russia didn’t make much money and quality control wasn’t that good so nobody really cared if it was put together nicely. Receiver is smaller then standard/American shank but on older tubas from 60’s and 70’s usually worn to the point that regular mouthpiece would fit fine. If you have pitch issues due to that you can put new receiver otherwise I would leave it alone. Maybe others can pitch in with some advice.