Original Role of "Monster" Eb's?

[tofu]

It seems that in the teens & 1920's most manufacturers offered a standard Eb with a 13-15 or so inch bell and a "Monster" Eb with a 19-21 inch bell.

Would a concert band of the day in the US have employed both along with contrabass tubas or was the Monster meant to be used as an all around horn like today's Wilson 3400 and the standard Eb was more of a solo instrument as well as to complement a contrabass in a tuba section such as in a British Brass Band?

Did some bands have just the standard and monster Eb's and no contrabass horns?

I'm curious because I have a 1913 Buescher Monster Eb which plays well and has a nice sound, but sounds and plays more like a 4/4 contrabass. I was trying to envision what it's original intent was.

[Daryl Fletcher]

I'm curious because I have a 1913 Buescher Monster Eb which plays well and has a nice sound, but sounds and plays more like a 4/4 contrabass. I was trying to envision what it's original intent was.

As I understand it, that probably was the intent. The (then) fuller sound of BBb tubas was starting to catch on, but lots of people only knew how to play Eb tuba. The monster Eb was offered as a compromise.

[Lew]

If you go to this link: http://www.calstatela.edu/faculty/jswai ... ditson.htm
you can read an ad for a York Monster Eb bass from that time period. This ad clearly states that the intent for this instrument was to provide as full a sound as a BBb tuba in a horn that could be used by Eb players.

[windshieldbug]

In the US, the bass parts were almost always in bass clef. Therefore, a "converted" cornet player could read the music with an Eb bass as treble clef with a change in key signature.

Tubas for bands that marched were, to be practical, often as small and as light as they could be.

But once a band got a "stout" fellow (who could both carry and fill one), I'm sure that the sound of a 'monster bass' was preferred all 'round.

[Donn]

The modern offerings in Eb look generally monstrous to me. I mean, aside from the wide bell flares, which seemed to be generally fashionable at the time, the pictures of Monster and Giant Eb basses look somewhat similar to the Eb tubas for sale via on-line retailers, though the modern instruments may have larger bores.

So maybe the question should be, what happened to the little guys? No one wanted to play a little Eb bass that could take the upper line in the bass section but wasn't much use on its own? Band directors weren't sensitive to subtleties of tone in this range? Classic US band music - Sousa, Fillmore, King et al., in the editions I get, usually divides the bass part to accommodate a 3 valve Eb tuba, but not so obviously for a small Eb tuba.

The tubas are still available, there's a little trio of medium size 3 valve Eb tubas that has been going on flea-bay for next to nothing for months and months. I have a little less than medium size one, and I personally think it's the best sound ever, but I will take something bigger if I'm going to be playing a bass line for other brass instruments.