Tuba water key History question....

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Bondejohnson
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Tuba water key History question....

Post by Bondejohnson »

Does anyone know when the water key/spit valve became standard option on brass instruments - specifically the tuba. I am trying to date an old Bauer tuba from Markneukirchen. Since that area of Germany has been making musical instruments for a billion years it has been difficult to put a year/decade with the horn.

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Lee Stofer
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Post by Lee Stofer »

Judging from instruments that have come through my shop, Cerveny tubas had water keys by or before 1894, Wurlitzer tubas had water keys by the 1880's, and I have seen Civil War-era instruments with water keys.

The keys on a keyed bugle were for pitch purposes, not water keys.

I would suspect that the tuba player in Berlioz' orchestra, shortly after having an F tuba gurgling with condensation in an exposed passage in rehearsal, had a water key added, if it did not have one to start with ;^)
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Rick F
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Post by Rick F »

I suspect it was invented by a brass instrument maker who saw all those twirling horns and didn't want anyone dropping their tubas emptying the condensation.

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windshieldbug
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Post by windshieldbug »

The ophicleide that I used actually had one in the "bocal" (no kidding) and several along the length of the instrument (kidding)
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iiipopes
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Post by iiipopes »

:twisted:
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The Big Ben
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Post by The Big Ben »

I just e-mailed Denis Wedgwood about availabilty and will report back what he says.

Jeff
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