Amati F

[Lingon]

Just a quick question. I have an old F-tuba Amati 4RV like the one for sale here: http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll? ... ESINDXX:IT . However, the only thing I know is that it is not new, plays well intonationwise and sounds fine. But if anyone knows anything about that model I, how old, model# etc etc I would be grateful to get some more information.

[J.c. Sherman]

Garbage. Send it to me for proper, safe disposal.

J.c.S.

[TheHatTuba]

Could make it into a cimbasso.

[J.c. Sherman]

Could make it into a cimbasso.

AAAAAGGGHHH!!!!! No no no no!

Or at least, send me the body if you do!

[Lingon]

...Send it to me for proper, safe disposal...

Just send me the proper amount for the shipping cost. It is a bit steep from Sweden, but I think USD 12,345 would cover the cost. If it goes higher I would take that part.

Could make it into a cimbasso.

Now that's a constructive idea. However, I am more leaning towards some plumbing to make it a neat contra bass trumpet, German style. I mean the height of the horn is only about 42 in. so it would be a nice pit horn for some contemporary opera music.

[imperialbari]

Amati is a post-1948 state owned conglomerate of previously independent makers formed by the communist regime. Main component in the conglomerate is Cerveny, which makes the rotary instruments. Only the cheaper lines with fewer valves and less nickel silver and less gold brass are engraved Amati. They still have the same acoustical designs as the more expensive Cerveny equivalents.

In the auction photo it is clear that this tuba has a design allowing for 6 valves. In the production phase the lower part of the leadpipe just could have been trimmed appropriately.

Cerveny was original Czech, but there used to immense numbers of smaller German workshops in Bohemia and Moravia. The Germans did bad things towards Czechoslovakia during WWI, so the German minority was thrown out after the war. As they were Catholic, they went to Bavaria, where companies like Meinl-Weston, Miraphone, Glassl, and very likely others were founded by skilled craftsmen coming out of Czechoslovakia.

A Catholic Czech king had thrown the German protestants out of before 1800. They went to Saxony. Hence the concentration of instrument makers in Markneukirchen and the surrounding area.

Klaus

[Lingon]

Thanks Klaus, great information. So this instrument is a poor mans cereveny then? I think it is quite high, 104 cm, is that ususal for an F? I bought mine sight unseen and thought of a smallish F in the size for a small apartment, but had trouble get in through the door when back from the post office...

[imperialbari]

One problem with the 300 and 400 Amati rotary instruments is about screws, nuts, and even the ball&socket joints been made out of brass (as opposed to nickel silver). Not very stable. I once discussed this with a repairman, who agreed with my statement that the only factor speaking for these models was that they play so well.

Kind of the same went for a Weril 4TP euph I tried ages ago. But the valve cap threading disqualified it from the school market.

As for size: B&S at one point of time used the same bell for their professional F, CC, and BBb tubas.

Klaus