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Of all things to buy off of eBay, I actually saw and bid on this Double Tuba, which appears to be in BBb/Eb. I was surprised to see a double tuba on eBay. According to the seller this tuba is a replica of a Double Tuba that was made before WWII. The original tuba was destroyed to enhance the war effort, like so many others; but, the owner has a photo of the original double tuba. This tuba was part of the collection of a musical instrument museum collection in Goslar, Germany. The tuba has two bells, two leadpipes, two valve sections, but only one set of paddles that rotates both sets of rotors. In the photos, there is one image of a stamping on the tuba which I have seen on other instruments. Can anyone tell me about the stamping?


https://www.ebay.com/itm/Tuba-mit-2-Sch ... true&rt=nc

When I visited Alexander in 1970 I was given a true doppeltuba to play. It was in F and BBb with double rotor valves. It played in tune as an F and as a BBb. However as the owners agreed the double rotors were very heavy and slow and the thing weighed a ton. They could not sell it for love nor money. I wonder what happened to it. It certainly was no competition to a compensating F in those far off days.

The only advantage was of course the full and open sound from CC down. in 2000 odd I did write a patent for an F or EEb with an extremely wide bore last (fourth or fifth) valve and had the valve built - but costs and opportunity have killed that idea. The Patent Office accepted it but advised that once published it would almost certainly be stolen by a big company - IF, repeat IF, it were a good idea. This was very common - and the vagaries of international law mean that the little man has no chance.

It was just a large double rotor with a normal upper deck and very wide bore lower deck. Gone with the wind. It would have made the CC downwards notes sound like those of a CC or BBb horn. It was designed for a 4 v comp or a 5 valve. However - it is very heavy in brass. In carbon fibre or a new non-porous plastic, it might do the job. I also added a 'tri-bone' (alto, tenor and bass) and triplet trumpet (picc., normal and alto) - on the lines of the triple horn but with real bore differences.

Recent posts about monster EEbs and the fashion of new wider FF tubas suggest we are still hankering after a bass tuba with the ease of a contrabass at the bottom.

The plans of mice and men.