Not WTB: Very small Eb tuba-NO LONGER LOOKING

Donn · Post by **Donn** » Tue May 09, 2006 11:54 am

harold wrote:There is one on Oberloh's website - www.oberloh.com and I know that he has another York Eb as well as a smaller Holton Eb in the shop but not yet posted.

How small are we talking about? When I hear "very small Eb tuba", I think of those little dinky flea market specials that everyone mistakes for a (US) baritone. Like the Lyon & Healy a local trombone player has. Probably about 12 inch bell. Dwarfed by my Orsi Eb, which is in turn much smaller than the York on Oberloh's site. He gets a pretty solid sound out of it, though of course it isn't an earth shaking contrabass tuba. Not very often is a dealer is going to bother with this class of tuba, but you might check with Dan `Tuba Tinker' Schultz about his Couesnon.

iiipopes · Post by **iiipopes** » Tue May 09, 2006 1:06 pm

Are you talking something in the neighborhood of @.650 primary bore and a 15-16 inch bell?

Alex F · Post by **Alex F** » Tue May 09, 2006 3:14 pm

Scooby,

These things can be fun to play but you often have to use non-standard fingering.

About a month ago, I bought a small Eb from Dan Schultz. It's branded Sorkin but is probably a Conn Pan-American from the late 20s or early 30s. Dan snatched it off EBay, cleaned it up, oiled and greased it, and put a new lead pipe on at my request (modern tuba shank).

These tubas come up regulary on EBay. I just saw a Conn PA similar to mine in silver, and there was another one under the PA name offered at the same time I bought mine. I chose to buy from someone who new tubas and could assess the real value of one of these old horns.

There are others, Couesnon, Orsi, Lyon & Healy, J.W. Pepper, and Besson. Most are stencils. Just be patient, one will come along.

Also, there's a seller on EBay named Leisure Time Music that often has these kinds of tubas. Supposed to be a decent guy.

Alex F.

http://www.tubacentral.com/ SORRY, can't seem to post the link to my tuba. Do a search on "sorkin"

Alex F · Post by **Alex F** » Tue May 09, 2006 6:12 pm

It seems that, for most of us who play in the basement, method derives from madness. How else can you explain it???

quinterbourne · Post by **quinterbourne** » Tue May 09, 2006 6:35 pm

I don't know how big it is, but there is a 5v barebrass York Eb at Baltimore Brass, it is at the bottom of this page.

Alex F · Post by **Alex F** » Wed May 10, 2006 2:06 pm

Here is one . . . maybe.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... :B:SS:US:1

Personally, I would not touch this one BUT the experts may see something I do not. Pictures are not that great and this one's full of dents. God knows how good the valves are. The description isn't very helpful.

I'm just posting this to show how often these things come up for sale.

jacobg · Post by **jacobg** » Wed May 10, 2006 3:40 pm

I have one of these (Conn 14h Eb 50's) with a Naked Lady. Small receiver though and you will need to hunt around for an small mouthpiece or buy a Denis Wick 5.

iiipopes · Post by **iiipopes** » Wed May 10, 2006 6:31 pm

Perantucci also makes a small shank to order, as well as other companies. BTW, the entire Denis Wick range (without the "L") is in the small shank. I use the 1 - similar to a Helleberg with a Bach-ish rim, as my primary mouthpiece, and a 2 - similar to a Bach 18, for other situations, including Eb. I'm considering getting a 3, because even though the cup is similar to something between a 24AW and a 25 (made on the same blank as the 1 & the 2, but not bored out as much in the cup, hence a wider rim), the throat is larger so you can put more air through it. It is (was?) the standard issue with a Besson 98X. The 4 and 5 are made on a smaller blank, tending towards bass trombone size. Full specs and descriptions at www.deniswick.com (That's with one "N" in Denis!)

windshieldbug · Post by **windshieldbug** » Fri May 12, 2006 6:25 pm

Scooby Tuba wrote: Crap! Too bad it's an "F"!

Maybe it WAS an F, but anybody can see that its been extended to CC!

MartyNeilan · Post by **MartyNeilan** » Sun May 14, 2006 7:14 pm

Scooby Tuba wrote:
windshieldbug wrote:
Scooby Tuba wrote:Crap! Too bad it's an "F"!
Maybe it WAS an F, but anybody can see that its been extended to CC!
Looked like a YFB-822 to me.

Then it is a CC that has been cut to F.

Alex F · Post by **Alex F** » Wed May 17, 2006 11:53 pm

I just viewed this one . . .

http://cgi.ebay.com/Almost-Perfect-Conn ... dZViewItem

iiipopes · Post by **iiipopes** » Thu May 18, 2006 12:27 am

Holy b________________________________! I don't know whether to laugh or cry! Yes, I can see where for some people the third valve right next to the interior bow of the bugle might get a little close, but what we have here is a perfect specimen of THE horn for beginning tubists in middle school, THE perfect horn for misguided trumpet players (like me) who finally saw the reality of the situation and got real, or need an instrument for brass banding or other circumstance for a moderate instrument that will blend between the BBb's and the euphs. Now, (and I just might myself) would someone, actually a lot of you, please email this to the cyborg and tell them that with all of the hubris that passes for school tubas, that America needs this tuba (as well as the 12J for those who prefer front valves) to be built and sold again?!!!!!!!!! Unfortunately, I don't have the cash right now, as I am in the middle of refinancing.

Alex F · Post by **Alex F** » Thu May 18, 2006 11:53 am

I hear you, your Holiness. . . I was under the impression that Conn stopped making these smaller Ebs around the beginning of WWII. Had I not just bought my Conn/Pan-American/Sorkin Eb (similar size, about 1930, model number unknown), I'd go for this one. The WBIC has some nice stuff, BTW.

windshieldbug · Post by **windshieldbug** » Thu May 18, 2006 5:52 pm

Bob1062 wrote:I believe Weril makes a small 3-top valve Eb.

Someone talked about it on a thread on here, but when I type in "Weril 3 Eb bright ( I remember this word being used)" I get like 700 results.

You could get them from a store in Canada, but I can't find that either.

The littletop valve ones come in Eb, Bb, and C! And I believe they are abouta grand.

viewtopic.php?t=11060&highlight=weril+++bright

Kevin Hendrick · Post by **Kevin Hendrick** » Thu May 18, 2006 10:09 pm

Bob1062 wrote:You could get them from a store in Canada, but I can't find that either.

The current home page URL for Belle Air Music is:

http://www.belleairmusic.com/

They don't list models or prices, but do indicate that they still sell Weril low brass -- you might want to email them for information.

kegmcnabb · Post by **kegmcnabb** » Fri May 19, 2006 9:56 am

I have got a small Amati 3-valve Eb I bought from Oberloh one year ago. Bought her for $525. Not a beauty, but in good shape and a nice horn. See description from the store.http://www.oberloh.com/sales/tubas.htm.

$425 plus shipping
Includes mouthpiece

The Big Ben · Post by **The Big Ben** » Thu Jan 18, 2007 5:28 pm

There are 3 small E flats at Dillon Music for under $200 (!) right now. There are a number more at higher prices.

There are pictures along with them and they aren't all bent up. Dillon has a reputation as straight shooters so they might tell you if the cheap ones are OK if you can't get in to play them. For all I know, they might just be wallhangers but one of them is a Couesnon, which was a good brand way back when.

http://www.dillonmusic.com

iiipopes · Post by **iiipopes** » Mon Jan 22, 2007 11:27 am

Hey, Scoobytuba: did you actually purchase a small Eb, or just quit looking?

TubeNet

Not WTB: Very small Eb tuba-NO LONGER LOOKING

Small Eb....