Helicon Owners

[Gongadin]

I also have a Conn BBb "New Wonder" helicon ca. 1921, 4-valve, model 32K I think. The bell is stamped "exchanged for new Buescher Elkhart, IND" 8721....so Buesher was prolly pushing a similar product in the early 20th century.

I Love it!

I bought it "with patience and fortitude" (read: after lots of watching and waiting), from tubahed who in turn had bought it from Lee Stofer....I think Lee told me he found it in a barn.

I'm so glad it's working out for you and that you love the horn! Lee didn't find it in a barn - he got it from another TubeNet member. I had the opportunity to purchase the horn from the same guy, but missed my chance, so I wound up purchasing it from Lee later on for about $400 more! Having said that, however, at least I could be sure that the horn was in great condition after Lee looked it over and fixed whatever needed attention.

[imperialbari]

I've got a Bb from 1960s Kiev in Ukraine.

The valves are simply apalling and held together with rubber bands that I've installed.

It sounds great though. I've only I could persuade someone to replace the valves or sort them out, it would be a great instrument, despite the dreadful build quality.

Drawing on my intelligence network:

The problem is with your valve transmission, not with the rotors. Whether you want a total exchange or just a replacement for the S-links is up to you. In either case TN will be able to give precise advice.

Klaus

[Wyvern]

I was very impressed by this EEEb helicon in the Tuba Restaurant at Okemos, Michigan. Has anyone here played it?

[imperialbari]

I was very impressed by this EEEb helicon in the Tuba Restaurant at Okemos, Michigan. Has anyone here played it?

Is this really a helicon pitched a fifth below the common BBb sousaphones?

There isn’t too much valve tubing to be seen, so I rather see it as a large bell full circle Eb sousaphone pitched like the full circle King and Buescher Eb sousaphones.

Klaus

[Wyvern]

Is this really a helicon pitched a fifth below the common BBb sousaphones?

It was quite noticeably larger than the BBb helicons also on show, so I guess it is?

[Eric B]

By far the most amazing helicon I've had on my shoulder (and in front of my camera lens) is the Cerveny owned by Mr. Lynch at the Tubatorium Museum in Austin. 4v with almost every part of the cluster engraved. The museum is hard to find, but worth the effort..

I've been to Austin many times and didn't know about the Tubatorium Museum. I'll have to check it out!

[David Richoux]

By far the most amazing helicon I've had on my shoulder (and in front of my camera lens) is the Cerveny owned by Mr. Lynch at the Tubatorium Museum in Austin. 4v with almost every part of the cluster engraved. The museum is hard to find, but worth the effort..

I've been to Austin many times and didn't know about the Tubatorium Museum. I'll have to check it out!

Here is a little preview

[Wyvern]

I haven't been to Okemos in years, but I'm sure it's still housed by the kitchen.

It actually now right by the door as you can see from this picture, but still looks like it may be covered in grease by the sheen

[Donn]

Neither of my Cervenys is a Cerveny - the F is Amati, the Eb Lignatone, but both presumably made there and essentially similar to current Cervenys.

The Eb is quite a bit larger than the F, previous owner described it as a "Kaiser" type. I think intonation is better in the F, and the F has some ergonomic advantages (more stable and more spacious, thanks to non-wrap-around style), but both are used by well known Balkan brass bands. Both of mine have 4 valves, and play well in the low range (nothing to really dread about "low C" or whatever.) You can see the Eb on a Kocani Orkestar CD jacket or two.

[imperialbari]

Neither of my Cervenys is a Cerveny - the F is Amati, the Eb Lignatone, but both presumably made there and essentially similar to current Cervenys.

Cerveny was the family name of the original mid-19th-century inventor, designer, and owner who is said to be behind all current European rotary low brasses. In the official marketing scheme Cerveny is the brand name behind all the rotary brasses from this company:

Amati, which is the Italian/violin inspired name of the communist post-WWII state owned conglomerate of formerly independent North-Bohemian (Sudetenland) wind instruments’ makers. Officially the brand name of the company woodwinds and piston brasses, but in reality also the name of the less opulently equipped (less nickel silver and gold brass, fewer valves) rotary brasses, the 4XX and maybe also the 5XX series.

Lignatone is one of several stencil/trade names of Amati brasses. After WWII all European countries badly needed US$ to import agricultural and industrial machinery to rebuild and develop. Warsaw pact countries refused US development aid. Western countries like my own had strict laws for proper allocation of US$, which were in shortage.

Warsaw pact countries like Czechoslovakia and GDR dumped musical instruments in countries like mine, because the DKr after all was compatible with the US$ within some restrictions. This scheme went on until the WallFall nearly 20 years ago. It is behind my ownership of some fine B&S, Scherzer, Wolfram, Syhre, and Hoyer brasses, which I could not have bought from new if the market had been free.

I know of at least one prominent Danish trumpet player, who was paid generously for a solo tour in Czechoslovakia. Only he could bring no cash back. He bought Czech brass instruments, which he then hawked off in Denmark. One of these instruments went through my hands, and I regret not buying it myself. Even more so after playing it again in a band storage 15 years later.

Klaus

[Paul Tkachenko]

I managed to get the valves sorted on my helicon and have now also got a detatchable bell ....

I'll post some pictures soon of the fine work carried out by FH Lamberts in Watford, not far out of London.

The instrument plays and sounds great.

I was in Prague a while back and the sound of the Cervenys wasn't quite what I'm after. Mine has very punchy, yet bassy sound.

[Søren]

To answer the original question. I have owned 6 helicons, and found them all in different places. Some I acquired other musicians, some from ebay, some from people who used them as decorations and one at a flea market.

But has anybody here had any experience with a B&S BBb helicon? I own and have owned B&S F and Eb helicons, but never had the chance to play a BBb. I know that they are out there, but that they are very rare. Do they play as well as they are rumor says?

[Wyvern]

Now, a B&S F helicon is something I would be interested in if the price was right. If anyone has one for sale, or spots one on eBay (in UK, or Europe), then I would appreciate a PM.

Thanks,
Jonathan

[imperialbari]

The differences between old B&S and Weltklang models often being down to varying numbers of valves, transmission refinement, and amount of nickel silver trim are no news. At least Miraphone works by the same system, which to some degree also could be seen with old Besson/B&H.

I haven’t photos of a B&S BBb helicon, but in 2004 I found an eBay auction for a Weltklang BBb helicon. As the sale was out of Bulgaria, I didn’t consider a buy, but the photos will be presented here and in one more post. No particular order of the photos:

[imperialbari]

:

[Art Hovey]

With its ridiculously long leadpipe this might be an ideal candidate for cutting to CC.

[Lee Stofer]

Referring to the original posting, some of the best helicons ever were made by Conn, King, York, Buescher, Rudolf Meinl and Cerveny.

Cerveny lists theirs still as a production model of sorts, and the one I played at the Musikmesse about 10 days ago was a fine instrument. Rudolf Meinl will build a 4-rotor BBb helicon upon request. I have seen only one of them, and it was basically the same size as their 4/4 BBb.

I took two old sousaphone bodies and manufactured two helicons last year. The first consisted of fitting a Mirafone 186 bell to a Mirafone sousa body, then lengthening the main tuning slide to compensate for the length difference. The second was a 1959 Conn 14K sousaphone with no bell, to which I fitted a 1918 Conn upright bell, 20" diameter. This instrument is one of my favorite players ever. But, both of these have new owners now. This sort of transformation can be done with most any American sousaphone body, provided that an appropriate bell is available.