Curiouser and curiouser

[YORK-aholic]

Have a look:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/ANTIQUE-SOUSAPH ... 3377433894" target="_blank

Its an Eb sousaphone. Judging by the ferrules on the slides, I'd say its a York. The used that design to theoretically avoid any 'steps' if the tubing didn't come together perfectly. My 1906 horn doesn't have them, but my 1918 does. Nothing amazing but interesting that no York engraving is on it. Perhaps a custom order by Robert Martel? Anyone every hear of a player by that name?

[windshieldbug]

Just this horn from Horn-u-copia

[bloke]

I've owned a York stencil Eb from that that era...Mine didn't sport the concave ferrules, and featured an 11/16 (larger than one would expect with York Eb) bore.

Yours is the first I've seen (if York-made) with a full Euro-style sheet metal cap over the first branch.

[YORK-aholic]

Oh Bloke, its not my auction. Just one I saw on the the Bay. When I mentioned 'mine' I meant Yorks from that era. "Mine" are both model 33 BBb tubas.

Perhaps York got the idea of concave ferrules from overseas...

[KiltieTuba]

The engraving looks similar to those Barcone Italian sousaphones... maybe it's from Italy?

[eupher61]

bottom of the listing...

INFO FOUND ON NET: Martel used to make instruments for Hawkes & Son before WW1 and some of them were used by prominent clarinettists in England, such as Draper, Kell, Thurston etc. The Martel company probably didn’t survive long after WW2