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As part of this photo is pictured on pg. 157 of Mark Chalabala's "Tuba Views", I also have wondered what kind of tuba that monster is

I have no ideas on the tubas, but the clothes look later than 1909.

The large tuba in the photo is one I believe I used to own, unless they made more than one. It was made by VanCavalert (sp?) of Belgium. I have never played or owned a worse instrument.The three notes that were in tune sounded great, the remainder were ghastly. I sold it to Jim Newell of the Buy and Sell Center in Eugene, OR. I also gave him the photo that is in the tuba book. I found it accidentally at the Oregon Historical Society in Portland, researching a history paper while in college. There is another photo of the beast residing in the Willamette College band a few years later.
The photo posted by Bloke brings back many horrible memories. I bought the horn from a man in Corvallis, OR (my hometown) for next to nothing, as a project. I eventually took the horn to John Richards, the longtime underappreciated tubist of the Oregon Symphony, and after a few phrases, he wrinkled his nose and said "Mike, it plays every bit as bad now as the day it was made." I was to be rid of it.

The last sentence should read "I was glad to be rid of it." I'll edit my posts better in the future.

Mike Ferries wrote: The photo posted by Bloke brings back many horrible memories. I bought the horn from a man in Corvallis, OR (my hometown) for next to nothing, as a project. I eventually took the horn to John Richards, the longtime underappreciated tubist of the Oregon Symphony, and after a few phrases, he wrinkled his nose and said "Mike, it plays every bit as bad now as the day it was made." I was to be rid of it.

The last time I checked, Jim still had it in his barn. It's truly awful--instead of a big mellow sound, you get this sort of reedy sound that makes you start looking for a big hole somewhere. Bore, IIRC, is about 0.810".

Jim mentioned that Richards experimented with a folded sheet of cardboard down the bell to improve things.

Probably best left hanging on a wall or turned into a lamp.

The double-bell euph looks to be a Conn.

I'll give it a shot. Far right euph and double bell: Conns, far right is a Wonder model made around 1900/1901 Conn's Elkhart and New York era. The double bell is late teens at the earliest New Wonder (probably gold plated). The Eb second from the left: Holton, Euph in the middle: Boland and Fuchs, The big one is French (Couenon, sp?), probably a stencil for Lyon and Healy or posibly another importer. Just an educated guess.


Daniel C. Oberloh
Oberloh Woodwind and Brass Works