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Take a look at this one.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ALEXANDER-F-TUBA-6- ... 612wt_1167" target="_blank

... Somebody wanna explain how that works?

Yes, I have one. Left hand - valve 1-2-5; right hand - valve 3-6-4. Rather like playing a sax.

Was there a reason for such an unusual setup, or was Gebr. Alexander just trying to confuse unsuspecting tubists?

arpthark wrote:Was there a reason for such an unusual setup, or was Gebr. Alexander just trying to confuse unsuspecting tubists?

Its a Viennese style F tuba. A different set up as used in Austria and by the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra until recently which is closer to that of the original F tubas invented in 1835

Interesting. I wonder if Moritz and Wieprecht tried to make the fingering patterns similar to that of the ophicleide, since that was (more or less) what the tuba was designed to supplant.

The Anton Dehmal that I have (the one about which Jake speaks in "Song & Wind") is set up the same way. If you remember that horn players were the first to play the tuba, the valve set up makes sense.

Happy Tuba Day!