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I've seen these around - but what is the point of two bells, other than as a novelty?

Are these instruments able to play through either bell or are they always both playable??

jmh3412 wrote:http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... 26231&rd=1

I've seen these around - but what is the point of two bells, other than as a novelty?

Are these instruments able to play through either bell or are they always both playable??

First time I've ever seen a "York Master" DB euph.

Anyway, the valve on the side is called the "switch valve" and switches between the large bell and the small bell. The idea is to offer a different timbre with the small bell (i.e. a bit more "trombony"). Only one bell sounds at a time, and the intonation tendencies between the two bells are often "interesting".

These used to be popular in the US before WWII (see, for instance, the lyrics to "76 Trombones"), but have largely falled out of favor, except as novelties.

The legendary Simone Mantia played a 5-valve Conn DB euph.

My Dad told me when he played a DBell Euph in a community band in the 1930s, he used the small bell for playing trombone cues.

Also Betty O'Hara, on her album "Horns Aplenty" does a couple of jazz numbers playing a DBell euph. Interesting treatment of "It Don't Mean A Thing If It Ain't Got That Swing, DooWah DooWah DooWah, etc where the DooWah was played on alternating bells (Doo=large bell, Wah=small bell)

I played a double-bell euph for a year in high school, when I was too naive to know what I was doing. I do remember that I kept trying to find excuses to switch bells in the same number, but rarely found a valid reason. They do make a lovely sight in the first row of a Tuba Christmas celebration, though.

Don S.