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I just bought this Walter Sear horn on Ebay. I couldn't resist the price! Any information, such as key, and origin?

I guess it would help if I provided a link!


http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... 7334785523

Looks like a BBb to me, and Cerveny was probably the manufacturer. The only Sear tubas I have seen were made in Belgium, but they had piston valves.

Yup, Walter Sear imported Cervenys in the 70's (I think). There are two of them just like it (almost) on Dillon's used tubas page. Looks like you got a good deal on what will probably turn out to be a fine tuba. Be sure to post here and let us know what you think once you've had a chance to play with it for a while.
Congrats!
MF

I'd concur with the "BBb" -- I bought a Cerveny-built CC from Mr. Sear in 1974, and the second-valve tubing on yours is longer than mine ...

The "noisy valve linkage" may be a function of how you string the valves (it has been on mine). If the "outboard" part of the string (after it goes around the post) is below the "inboard" part, it can let the bar that the string attaches to on both ends flop down and hit the top of the valve casing. If the "outboard" part is above the "inboard" part, it holds the end of the bar up so it doesn't hit the valve casing -- much quieter.

Nice horn -- congratulations! Hope you're enjoying it.

Thanks for all of the replies. It looked like a Cerveny to me.

It was an impulse buy at 6:30 in the morning when the auction ended. There wasn't anytime to do research on the horn before the end of bids. I had to come up for breakfast and break the news to the wife "...honey, guess what I just did..?"

Since then I've found all the old archived posts here on Walter Sear tubas and the man responsible for them. Interesting stuff.

It should be here next week. I'll let you know how it blows.

Why don't you contact Walter directly, here's his website:

http://members.aol.com/searsound/

He should be able to give you a definitive answer.

I got the horn today. I was a bit nervous when it arrived, because it was shipped in a cardboard box, with newspapers and bubble wrap. Fortunately fate was smiling and it made it here without damage.

It's not pretty, and the valves are clacky, but it plays almost as well as my Miraphone 186, but it's a bit stuffy in the high register and it's easier to overblow.

All of the slides pull, and intonation to my ears, without a tuner, seems to be fine throughout.

Compared to another Cerveny I played, the metal is more stout in the Sear. The paddles are a bit different to play on.

All in all, for $560.00 bucks, it was one heck of a deal for a more than decent knock about horn.

Cowgo wrote:It's not pretty, and the valves are clacky, but it plays almost as well as my Miraphone 186, but it's a bit stuffy in the high register and it's easier to overblow

Sounds just like the Sears I remember a couple of guys brought to university with them

I hang onto my SEAR HELLEBERG mouthpiece...