Enharmonic Euphonium

[Highams]

There's a rare Besson Enharmonic 4 valve Euphonium on ebay in NZ;

http://cgi.ebay.com/BESSON-EUPHONIUM-PR ... dZViewItem

This was an alternative to the compensating instruments of those days and has two sets of tubing for each valve, one short one long.

Basically, the mouthpipe leads into the 3rd.valve. If the 3rd. valve is not used, the windway leads through into the 1st. & 2nd. valves in the normal way, and back through the 3rd. to the bell.

If the 3rd. is operated, the windway is lead through the 1st. & 2nd. valves by a different route. including a tuning slide, and in also going through different passages in the 1st. & 2nd. valves, will be directed through seperate longer loops of tubing (to play low notes in tune)
(if the 1st.& 2nd. are operated with the 3rd.)

The idea was that it is superior to the compensating system in that the windway is not required to pass through each valve more than once.
(Air is redirected back through on compensating loops.)

As with the compensating system, the whole range of valved instruments except Soprano Cornet was available, the obvious weight problems when you get to tubas in this range must have been enormous, which is probably why only 3 valve models were made.

CB

pics of mine here;
http://www.euph9.freeserve.co.uk/enh3a.jpg

[Chuck(G)]

Over the years, I've seen several enharmonic Eb tubas on eBay--they've been fairly small (probably to keep the weight down to something manageable). A few years ago, Dillon had an eharmonic euphonium for sale.

I wouldn't think that these things would play any better or worse than a standard compensator or "double" tuba.