Double-bell Euphonium

[Tubaing]

I also have a "beater" euphonium. $100 and it plays... really.

I do suspect the double bell'd-o-phones are fun, can play, and look cool. but other than that, It's "barely" the 2 horns in one I once thought it was.

[windshieldbug]

Double-bell euphoniums were made for a time in when town bands provided the music for everything- live.

No PA's, no CD's, no DVD's, not even broadcast TV.

When a trombone player couldn't make the gig, a natural substitute was the euphonium player... except for that darn slush pump. So a natural thing was to have them play a valve trombone, but it was cheaper to have them use the same valves, just different bells, which they handily had with them already.

Or say you wanted to punch up that trombone sound. Just add a couple of double-bell euphoniums using the trombone bell.

Now if you want to get clever in solos, they can do some neat stuff, too, but the origin was change the sound of a tenor instrument.

[jeopardymaster]

I thought the purpose was so euphonium players could do 'Carnival of Venice" and blow people's minds in stereo.

[tubatom91]

I don't know how far Decatur is from Chicago, but if you like you can use my euphonium. I never play it.

can I take you up on that offer?

[tubatom91]

aww shoot! I will just continue to borrow my high schools equipment for extended periods of time

[Dan Schultz]

Somehow I've managed to collect FIVE of those things! I've run across all of them in the last year or so. Are they fun to play? Sure! Are they good alternatives to REAL euphoniums? Nope!

I've offered all of them to guys to take to TubaChristmas this year and so far haven't gotten any takers. I'm close to Evansville, Indiana. If you want to swing by and pick one up for a couple of weeks, I'll make you the same deal.

[tokuno]

So, I'm cruising e-bay, looking for a beater baritone for my daughter (so she can play the T.C. part and go to a Tuba Christmas with me) and I see that they have an actual double-bell euphonium posted.

Another consideration for standing gigs is the extra weight. Not only due to the extra bell and attendant plumbing, but those horns seem to be pretty sturdily built through and through. Like tanks.

I caroled last Friday on a little English-style Yamaha baritone. I prefer a bigger sound, but my lower back loved the feather-weight.

A nice sound/weight compromise would be a cheapie king or olds ambassador baritone student horn, and I've seen a bunch of those on eBay and craigslist for not a lot of money.

[Dan Schultz]

Well.... TubaChristmas Evansville, Indiana is over. We had a total of SEVEN double-bell euphoniums! Is that a record for a TubaChristmas?

[David Richoux]

Well.... TubaChristmas Evansville, Indiana is over. We had a total of SEVEN double-bell euphoniums! Is that a record for a TubaChristmas?

Don't know about the TC record, but there is a jazz band in California that has three double-bell euphoniums (and sometimes more!)

in action: http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=Fc_WJ7kW0zU" target="_blank" target="_blank

I do recall a mass of DBE at a San Jose TubaFest Xmas one year - maybe not seven, but more than four!