B&S

[Chuck(G)]

Allow me to correct myself:

"Blechblas- und Signalinstrumente"

[Chuck(G)]

I found this:

http://www.vogtlaendische-musik.com/tuba/gesch.htm

Ken F.

I believe that the B&S brand has been around only since 1984, at least that's what a German site contends. In any case, B&S and VMI, as well as Courtois, Meinl Weston/Melton, Scherzer, Hans Hoyer, Ãœbel, Margaux and the new Sternberg line are all part of Gerhard Meinl's grand JA-Musik agglutination of companies:

http://www.ja-musik.com/seiten/index_en.php

[Mark E. Chachich]

I recall B&S in the 1970's as an East German manufacturer (that had been around). I think that B&S was purchased in the 1980's or 1990's by another company.

Mark

[Rick Denney]

I believe that the B&S brand has been around only since 1984, at least that's what a German site contends.

My Symphonie is older than that, I'm reasonably sure. It predates the Perantucci modifications, and those were in play at least as far back as '85.

Bevan mentioned smuggling B&S F tuba into England during the 70's, when the Crown prevented such imports to protect Boosey and Hawkes.

And I recall Bloke describing his attendance at a concert by a second-world orchestra, where the tuba player was clearly hearable throughout a loud program, and based on that sought out his own Symphonie. The date that sticks in my memory is 1978, but I may be wrong.

Rick "figuring the factory goes back to before the 1949 German split in any case, no matter what brand they used" Denney

[Norm Pearson]

I bought my first B&S F Tuba in the fall of 1978 from Custom Music. It had been sitting around their shop for at least two years before I bought it. Polish tuba soloist Zdzislaw Piernik played one on his first recording from around 1975. I was under the impression that it was the same factory where the Schertzer (sp?) rotary picolo trumpets and Hans Hoyer horns were made.
My current 1986 non-perantucci (small bore) is the most in tune tuba I have ever played FWIW
Norm Pearson

[Alex C]

I also bought a B&S Symphonie F around 1978, however I played one at the Mid-West Clinic in 73 or 74. The graduated bore worked well for me but was too "different" to buy at the time. It was a smaller initital bore instrument than the one I bought which, in turn, is smaller than the Perantucci's.

Mr. Jadobs played the Symphonie model on the CSO's broadcast of Berlioz's Romeo and Juliet. It was quite impressive and you could see that little blue shield on the tuning slide easily. I do not know if he used this instrument on the CSO recording of the same work.

I sold my horn to Charles Schulz in Memphis. I remember that the low register had a good low C and Bb. Anybody able to confirm that?

[cjk]

I sold my horn to Charles Schulz in Memphis. I remember that the low register had a good low C and Bb. Anybody able to confirm that?

Yeah. That tuba had a decent low C. I heard that David Graves has (had?) it now. Not as good as Bloke's Symphonie though IMHO.


--Christian