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Re: Besson BBb Comp with removable upright bell
Posted: Thu Jun 30, 2016 11:55 pm
by Donn
No idea here about value, and no experience with compensating valves, but I believe the 3V system has its fans. 4V compensating system is different. In a nutshell, if I remember this right, in 3V, all valve combinations are fully compensated; in the 4V system, compensation only for combination with the 4th valve.
Re: Besson BBb Comp with removable upright bell
Posted: Fri Jul 01, 2016 2:20 am
by bort
SteveP wrote:What am I missing here? Wouldn't this tuba be a steal at this price even considering that we don't know the model, serial number or age? Does the fact that it's a three valve instrument make it less desirable? Just wondrin.......
Brexit...
Re: Besson BBb Comp with removable upright bell
Posted: Sat Jul 02, 2016 12:53 am
by roweenie
http://www.themouthpiece.com/forum/thre ... tes.37083/" target="_blank
It seems as though High Pitch lingered on in some English brass bands until at least the 1960s.....
Surprising.
Re: Besson BBb Comp with removable upright bell
Posted: Mon Jul 04, 2016 5:49 pm
by tofu
Yeah - that is a surprise to me as well. I bought a '71 New Standard right of college in 1981 (with no idea of how old it was at the time) and it never would have occurred to me that high pitch could have been an issue. Feel like I dodged a bullet!
Looks like the horn in question went cheap. With it having the rare upright bell the hard part is done. Find a much more available recording bell and you really have a versatile horn - especially for something like a community band that plays outdoors and indoors. Always hard to tell from photos but it looked like it was in decent shape and if it has good valves that would be an excellent tuba.
Re: Besson BBb Comp with removable upright bell
Posted: Wed Jul 06, 2016 12:46 am
by tofu
hrender wrote:From the link:
"Boosey's then announced that they were to cease production of high-pitch instruments after 31 March 1965".
I believe the SN placed the vintage of the horn's body at 1968.
I saw that and why I think it was a buy. Especially if you could pick up a recording bell. People really have no idea how good these horns can be when they are in good shape. I felt I dodged a bullet when I bought mine as I had no idea of its age and was fortunate it was new enough to not be high-pitch. Until this thread came up I had no idea they were still selling high pitch models as late as '65. I still have mine and every time I think about selling it - I play it and convince myself to keep it.
I rarely play it though as the nerve damage in my right hand makes the upright valves a pain unfortunately.