Tubas owned by Arnold Jacobs

[tuba]

Forgive me if this has already been covered somewhere else, but I was wondering if anyone had compiled a comprehensive list of tubas and other instruments that Arnold Jacobs owned and/or played on during his career. We all know about the Yorks, but what other horns did he use?

Thanks!!

[Alex C]

If you narrow the list down to tubas he actually used and it's a manageable task. While I was studying with him, he had a basement full of instruments.

I believe he used his Besson F as his preferred F tuba for most of his career but he played a B&S Symphonie model F tuba for a couple of years. He also had to use the 6 valve Vienna style F under Reiner but hid it as soon as he retired and the orchestra got a new conductor.

He told me that he liked the Rudy CC that he was given but I don't know if he ever used it in the orchestra.

[Tabor]

...And don't forget the Alexander tubas he bought from Mr. Hamberg. And the 3 valve martin that was at Dillon's a while back. I wonder if he found much use for them.

[brianf]

Don't know about the Alex's but I know he never played the Martin - it was just collecting dust in his basement until the day I pulled it out. He was quite happy to get it outta there commenting "I never played it anyway." This is the case of a horn that passed through someone's possesion but not used very much, it at all.

The horn I have always been curious about was the old Dehmel that Reiner brought back from Vienna. Legend said it was thrown in Lake Michigan, Mr Jacobs said no but he hid it in a good place in Orchestra Hall - so good that it has not been found even during the rehabs of the 60's and 90's. We stck a pix of him with that horn in the slide show at the tribute (Gene and myself wanted it to be our last laugh at Arnold). A few weeks later I got a call from someone claiming he owned the horn.

Always wanted to get the beast, flatten it under a steamroller, frame it and give it to him for a Christmas present. He waould have loved it!