Double-Belled Euphoniums

[Rick F]

A player in our section plays on a double-bell euph (Buescher I think). He's had it for over 60 years. We asked him to play something through the small bell so we could hear how it sounded. After hearing it, we asked that he never use it again.

[Lew]

I currently own one, but have owned 3 others. They are interesting as novelties, but most of them were made with a smaller bore than would be common in professional euphoniums today. The second bell tubing has a cylindrical bore to provide a valve trombone like sound. I guess there is still music around somewhere that indicates where one should switch between bells, but I have never seen it.

When town bands and professional concert bands, like Sousa's, were more common their solo euphonium players often used DB euphoniums. Simone Mantia is a name that comes to mind when one thinks of DB euphonium players. I think that the last stock double bell euphoniums were made in the 1950s, or mayber even into the early 60s.

One of the euphonium players in a community band in which I played had an old Conn DB that was gold plated and fully engraved. It was among the most beautiful instruments I have ever seen. He used it as his every day horn.

The one I own is a 5 valve King that plays very well as a 4 valve American style bell front "baritone horn."

[Uncle Buck]

The second bell can have some interesting uses in jazz improvisation.

[windshieldbug]

I have two; a 1907 Conn that was supposedly made for Mr. Mantia, and a 1912 Holton. Both are 5 valve horns.

While most effective for solos, they are also usable for everyday playing. In fact, the Conn actually has a valve lock-down for the trombone bell which makes switching on the fly almost impossible.

I used mine for "Carnival of Venice", where the implied two instrument part is even more effective if one uses two bells, too!

[Rick F]

I guess there is still music around somewhere that indicates where one should switch between bells, but I have never seen it.

"Light Cavalry Overture" by Franz von Suppé has notation in the euphonium part to switch to 'tromb bell'.

[prototypedenNIS]

I guess there is still music around somewhere that indicates where one should switch between bells, but I have never seen it.

"Light Cavalry Overture" by Franz von Suppé has notation in the euphonium part to switch to 'tromb bell'.

Frackenpohl's Sonata for Euphonium might actually be a decent novelty piece with a double bell.

Carnival of Venice rules! (this is a free and legal MP3)
http://www.dwerden.com/SoundFiles/carnival_venice.mp3

[Carroll]

The second bell can have some interesting uses in jazz improvisation.

Ashley Alexander used to do just that... he would swap fours with himself, then twos, then measures, then beats! It was awesome.

[windshieldbug]

Works the same as



(of which there aren't any more REAL ones being made, either... )

[Lew]

That's an echo bell cornet. It has a 4th valve with an extra set of tubing that connects to the "echo" tube that allows a player to quickly switch back and forth from a muted sound to an unmuted sound. I saw a Henry Distin version of one of these that was engraved everywhere and was one of the most beautiful instruments I have seen. I would have bought it, but $1500 seemed like a lot for something that would never get played.

I have seen ads for echo bell alto horns, but have never actually seen one in person.

[iiipopes]

As he said, don't try this at home. But for an occasional real antique one being restored, the only "new" ones are the East Indian ones that, well, with all due respect, just simply don't play. You can get about the same effect with an H&B cardboard (the one with the blue trim -- not the famous stone lined with the red trim, which is my favorite) straight mute. The selling point was to be able to do the dynamic changes immediately, as in the contrasting sections of a lot of trios of marches, and probably other literature of the day @ a century ago, without going flat from a mute or from improper embouchure/air stream.

[Carroll]

Check out his website

http://www.bassethoundmusic.com/hardware.htm

[ken k]

A few years back I have a rather late model King double bell (I believe it was from the 30's) which was restored and very pretty but still played poorly. It was so out of tune, the harmonic series was way out of wack. the low Bb series was a half step flat and for the most part unusable unless you played everyting a half step higher!

The horn was interesting though because it had a fairly large second bell. Much larger than most. It was a US navy horn. It had US navy Quartermaster Corps engraded on the bell.

I sold it to a guy in Vancouver and he didn't like it and sent it back and it came back damaged. i never did get any money from UPS on that one.

Intersting fact; I bought it from Eddie Bert the famous trombone player. That was the only good experience from that whole ordeal, I got to meet Mr. Bert!

ken k