De Pins tuba, what is this?

windshieldbug · Post by **windshieldbug** » Mon Oct 09, 2006 3:19 pm

De Pins Bros, Belgian, post 1918

Chuck(G) · Post by **Chuck(G)** » Mon Oct 09, 2006 3:27 pm

Bug, is that "De Pins" or "De Prins"?

At any rate, I worked on what might be this horn's double a couple of years ago. The plating is nickel, not silver (if that matters) and the specimen that I had was high pitch even though it seemed to be from the 60's or so. I added some tubing to the tuning slide to bring it into line with A440.

I recall some intonation problems and a rather stuffy low end. Generally, built pretty well, just not something I'd want to own.

The removable bell fitting is interesting--rather than the male bell tenon, it has a female flange. Very strange.

windshieldbug · Post by **windshieldbug** » Mon Oct 09, 2006 3:34 pm

Chuck(G) wrote:Bug, is that "De Pins" or "De Prins"?

Got me. I'm glad someone is awake on a Monday. "De Prins" it is. I have no excuse. I suspect that the seller read the engraving wrong, and I just cut & pasted. There IS NO De Pins in the New Langwill.

The Holton, Chicago Double bell that I have has the trombone Bell made in the same manner- male end on the horn.

MichaelDenney · Post by **MichaelDenney** » Tue Oct 10, 2006 8:20 pm

This is one of Walter Sear's designs. I had one until recently that has a non-removeable bell. It is mouthpiece sensitive but has a great scale with a Monette 94. The bore is about .660" while the bell diameter is a full 19 or 20". It sings in the staff and above it, and has a nice blooming, full sound in the low register. The valves are the fastest I've ever had on a piston horn.

The nickle finish looked excellent, and Dennis Houghton took out most of its few dents so that it is a very good looking horn. A nice size horn with lots of versatility, but I am currently resisting the temptation to become a collector so I sold it when I bought my Holton 345.

Dan Schultz · Post by **Dan Schultz** » Wed Oct 11, 2006 2:09 am

RUN!!

Some of these things were built in strange lower pitches. BTW... Sears - Roebuck & Company and Walter Sears were two different companies.

jeopardymaster · Post by **jeopardymaster** » Wed Oct 11, 2006 3:12 pm

Walter was (is?) a neat guy. I met him in 1978 at his studio in the Paramount Hotel in NY, bought a Kaiser bore BBb from him. He had one of his Belgian horns there, nickel-plated and perfect, and as shiny as a new soda dispenser. As I was playing it within seconds of the Cerveny, it felt like a boy scout bugle.

windshieldbug · Post by **windshieldbug** » Wed Oct 11, 2006 3:35 pm

I went to school with a guy that had a nickel plated Sear. He loved it, but I remember playing it a few times, and like the Tinker says, RUN AWAY!

jacobg · Post by **jacobg** » Sun Oct 15, 2006 1:18 pm

I've got a Sear Cerveny model. Good horn for the money! I paid about the same as this Deprins.
Walter is a great guy. He's got one of the world's greatest studios. Huge collection of vintage mics. He also has one of the four tracks from Abbey Road that the Beatles used.