Conn: This horn is in BBb or EEb?

[dantetuba]

I think this horn is in EEb.

Dante

http://www.ebay.com/itm/1927-Conn-BBb-T ... 500wt_1202" target="_blank

[arpthark]

Looks like an Eb to me. Not enough guts to be a BBb...

[sousaphone68]

Looks like an Eb but his description implies that he has played it and even the worst player in the world should be able to identify the key after playing. So either it's a quirky small Bb or the seller did not play it

[Dan Schultz]

I took a look through the Conn General Catalog 'C' and price lists from the mid-twenties and didn't see this horn.

at first glance, it certainly looks like an EEb tuba. Spending time trying to imagine how long the valve circuits are still points to EEb. However... this is described and a LARGE horn with a 20" bell. There IS A LOT of tubing before the valveset so I'm not going to commit either way.

May contacting the seller with some further questions would be in order as opposed to trying to 'guess'.

[Kevin Hendrick]

Looks like an Eb but his description implies that he has played it and even the worst player in the world should be able to identify the key after playing. So either it's a quirky small Bb or the seller did not play it

The OP sent this topic's question to the seller -- here's his response:

"I don't play tuba, so I can't tell by blowing it. I did, however, measure the tubing. Total length is well over 18' which I think makes it BBb. I also compared the leadpipe with a known Eb tuba and this Conn's leadpipe is more than twice the length of the Eb's. Hence my conclusion that this is a BBb. Conn experts, please chime in. Doug"

[Dan Schultz]

Looks like an Eb but his description implies that he has played it and even the worst player in the world should be able to identify the key after playing. So either it's a quirky small Bb or the seller did not play it

The OP sent this topic's question to the seller -- here's his response:

"I don't play tuba, so I can't tell by blowing it. I did, however, measure the tubing. Total length is well over 18' which I think makes it BBb. I also compared the leadpipe with a known Eb tuba and this Conn's leadpipe is more than twice the length of the Eb's. Hence my conclusion that this is a BBb. Conn experts, please chime in. Doug"

Now... I'm wondering if he measured just the open bugle.... or added the tuning circuits to his approximation of "well over 18'".

Doesn't matter. It's probably not much of a player, anyway! The bell might be good for something.

[pjv]

Of coarse the leadpipe is more than 2x as long...its also the tuning slide! Put a standard Besson Eb next to it, measure up the leadpipes; yep, the Conns longer. Must be in BBb!
Brilliant.

-Pat

[toobagrowl]

It's an Eb tuba; similar to this one at Dillon's : http://www.dillonmusic.com/p-12856-conn-eb.aspx" target="_blank