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Check out this listing that went up on eBay today. A professionally restored Civil War era Eb Allen & Hall Rotary Valve Tuba dated from 1861-1863. They even have a sound file that you can download so you can hear it being played. But that's way too rich for my blood...

This is an extremely rare horn, especially with 4 valves, yet I have a hard time believing it's worth $50,000. Still, if someone wants one badly enough, and has the money, he might get it. There just aren't many of these left, at any price. You find a lot more baritones and smaller brasses than you do basses.

If I wanted one to play I would think it would make more sense to have someone custom make a replica (perhaps Robb Stewart), which I imagine would cost significantly less than this.

I would guess that a more reasonable price for this, for both historic value and use, would be closer to $20,000.

Well, darn, I just spent my last $50K on a solid platinum Monette horn, but hey, ya gotta just LOVE an 1860's 3 + 1 Allen rotary setup (even though I had no idea they knew how to plate nickel silver "over brass"... )

Shucks, he's done gone and ruined it and scrubbed all of the patina off...

I'm not sure the sound clip really helps the auction too much . . .

Uncle Buck wrote:I'm not sure the sound clip really helps the auction too much . . .

Good point -- I have nothing against "Lean On Me", mind you, but still ...

Awhile back, somebody was selling a "civil war replica" baritone on Ebay.

http://cgi.ebay.com/Antique-3-Valve-Civ ... 7353015264

I believe what they meant was that this was one of those Indian-made replicas of a baritone (looks like one, but doesn't play). I especially liked the "civil war" mouthpiece. Is the war between Pakistan and India considered a civil war? There are some real gems in the text of that listing.

I hope someone does buy it since that would make my 1850's 4 rotary valve E.G. Wright bass saxhorn much more valuable! It's an absurd price, though. The sound clip is terrible. It sounds like a bass trombone with a bucket mute.

-Eric

Maybe I missed something.....but the mouthpiece and bell look parallel and face the same direction.

How are you supposed to play this horn? Standing up with the bell facing behing you? Tilt your head down? Can you adjust the mouthpipe? It doesn't look like it moves in the pictures.

anonymous4 wrote:Maybe I missed something.....but the mouthpiece and bell look parallel and face the same direction.

How are you supposed to play this horn? Standing up with the bell facing behing you? Tilt your head down? Can you adjust the mouthpipe? It doesn't look like it moves in the pictures.

It's played held on the shoulder with the bell firing backwards. Civil War era military bands marched at the head of a column, so the instrument were constructed that way so that they could be heard by the marching troops.

anonymous4 wrote:Maybe I missed something.....but the mouthpiece and bell look parallel and face the same direction.

How are you supposed to play this horn? Standing up with the bell facing behing you? Tilt your head down? Can you adjust the mouthpipe? It doesn't look like it moves in the pictures.

That's why these are commonly called "over the shoulder" instruments.

anonymous4 wrote:How are you supposed to play this horn? Standing up with the bell facing behing you?

Exactly. Well, often marching with the bell facing behind you. This type of horn was used by a military band marching at the head of a line of troops with the bells facing backward, so that the troops could hear better. Heaven help you if there was a bad trumpeter marching in front of YOU...

Kevin Hendrick wrote:

Uncle Buck wrote:I'm not sure the sound clip really helps the auction too much . . .

Good point -- I have nothing against "Lean On Me", mind you, but still ...

It opened in Quicktime on my Mac, and in addition to the soundclip I saw a lovely picture of a hardwood floor.

Barney wrote:It opened in Quicktime on my Mac, and in addition to the soundclip I saw a lovely picture of a hardwood floor.

But was it an AUTHENTIC antique OTS hardwood floor?

windshieldbug wrote:

Barney wrote:It opened in Quicktime on my Mac, and in addition to the soundclip I saw a lovely picture of a hardwood floor.

But was it an AUTHENTIC antique OTS hardwood floor?

Definitely authentic wood, possibly antique, not OTS..... UTF (Under the feet) I'd guess.

Actually, after another viewing, I've decided it may not be a floor and more likely is a table... still UTF (under the food).

If he made his recording using a camcorder, why wouldn't he aim the thing at himself?

The Tuba is 53 1/2" in height and has a weight of 8 pounds.

Doesn't the average non-compensating student euphonium come it at about 8 pounds? This thing must be made of tinfoil.

The over-the-shoulder 3-rotor Bb baritone that I bought back around 1980 for $25 was astonishingly thinwall.

Due to popularity of fanny packs (and wearing sweaters around your waist), I think there was a model that you could roll up and store in your fanny pack. It inflated back up to full size when you played it.

Chuck(G) wrote:

The Tuba is 53 1/2" in height and has a weight of 8 pounds.

Doesn't the average non-compensating student euphonium come it at about 8 pounds? This thing must be made of tinfoil.

Thats just the normal weight for an old horn. My 4 valve bass saxhorn weighs about 8lbs also, but it doesn't seem flimsy at all.

-Eric