Just up on ebay UK is a Besson Enharmonic Tuba, very rare, with two sets of slides, front & back. These were only made in 3 valve form and this is the first one I've seen.
For the Enharmonic system descripion, see my euph on my web page.
Here's the tuba;http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll? ... 3743043215
My euph;
www.euph9.freeserve.co.uk/neweuphs.htm
Enharmonic Tuba
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This is for posting links to off site deals that you are not personally selling,but wanting to pass along good deals
This is for posting links to off site deals that you are not personally selling,but wanting to pass along good deals
- Highams
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Enharmonic Tuba
Aspire & Be Inspired !
- Rick Denney
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Re: Enharmonic Tuba
I bought one of these for my wife's uncle several years ago. Steve Wells now owns it and I understand he uses it in a period brass band.Highams wrote:Just up on ebay UK is a Besson Enharmonic Tuba, very rare, with two sets of slides, front & back. These were only made in 3 valve form and this is the first one I've seen.
I'm sure there is a particular approach to playing them that I did not understand, but I found it horribly stuffy. Going back to the Miraphone (my main horn at the time) after a session with the Besson was always an enormous relief.
As far as the enharmonic valves are concerned, after tracing all the tubing it seemed to me similar to normal compensation, with the third valve being the control valve. It provided a unique valve branch for each combination, except the 2-3 combination which played quite flat. I had always thought enharmonic meant that the bugle was shortened when the valve was depressed, but this one didn't work that way. It did say "Enharmonic" on the engraving, as well as "prototype". The third-valve tubing was made from copper, as I recall. The serial number dated it to the middle-to-late 20's, and it appeared to be unmodified and played low pitch.
Rick "who has seen a couple of these on ebay" Denney
- Highams
- pro musician
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- Joined: Fri Mar 19, 2004 3:17 am
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Hi Rick,
Yes my Enharmonic euph plays 'stuffy' so I'm not sure the system works 100% but it's a fascinating look at past designs.
www.euph9.freeserve.co.uk
Yes my Enharmonic euph plays 'stuffy' so I'm not sure the system works 100% but it's a fascinating look at past designs.
www.euph9.freeserve.co.uk
Aspire & Be Inspired !