Besson BBb Comp with removable upright bell

[Donn]

No idea here about value, and no experience with compensating valves, but I believe the 3V system has its fans. 4V compensating system is different. In a nutshell, if I remember this right, in 3V, all valve combinations are fully compensated; in the 4V system, compensation only for combination with the 4th valve.

[bort]

What am I missing here? Wouldn't this tuba be a steal at this price even considering that we don't know the model, serial number or age? Does the fact that it's a three valve instrument make it less desirable? Just wondrin.......

Brexit...

[roweenie]

http://www.themouthpiece.com/forum/thre ... tes.37083/" target="_blank

It seems as though High Pitch lingered on in some English brass bands until at least the 1960s.....

Surprising.

[tofu]

http://www.themouthpiece.com/forum/thre ... tes.37083/" target="_blank

It seems as though High Pitch lingered on in some English brass bands until at least the 1960s.....

Surprising.

Yeah - that is a surprise to me as well. I bought a '71 New Standard right of college in 1981 (with no idea of how old it was at the time) and it never would have occurred to me that high pitch could have been an issue. Feel like I dodged a bullet!

Looks like the horn in question went cheap. With it having the rare upright bell the hard part is done. Find a much more available recording bell and you really have a versatile horn - especially for something like a community band that plays outdoors and indoors. Always hard to tell from photos but it looked like it was in decent shape and if it has good valves that would be an excellent tuba.

[tofu]

From the link:

"Boosey's then announced that they were to cease production of high-pitch instruments after 31 March 1965".

I believe the SN placed the vintage of the horn's body at 1968.

I saw that and why I think it was a buy. Especially if you could pick up a recording bell. People really have no idea how good these horns can be when they are in good shape. I felt I dodged a bullet when I bought mine as I had no idea of its age and was fortunate it was new enough to not be high-pitch. Until this thread came up I had no idea they were still selling high pitch models as late as '65. I still have mine and every time I think about selling it - I play it and convince myself to keep it. I rarely play it though as the nerve damage in my right hand makes the upright valves a pain unfortunately.