A front action compensating tuba

[Michael Bush]

I'm carefully avoiding the debate and anything that might be leading up to it by watching some of my favorite video: Poirot movies with David Suchet. Here are a couple of captures from "The Adventure of the Italian Nobleman." From the Italian wedding scene. No doubt it's just my inexperience, but I have never seen a front action compensating tuba. Presumably Eb?

FAComp.jpg

FAComp2.jpg

[k001k47]

My guess is that it's a Boosey and Hawkes Cavalry tuba. There's a front action compensating Eb for sale right now. I think all the valves in the right hand makes more sense: viewtopic.php?f=4&t=52242

[GC]

The Besson 983 is front-action compensating, and Hirsbrunner makes (made) one also. Besson for a while made a BIG front-action compensating BBb, but I believe none of these was 3+1.

[tbn.al]

Granted it is not anything like the one in your movie, but.............................

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/brass-in ... ndt_rdir=1" target="_blank

[Michael Bush]

Interesting. 3+1-front-action-left-facing-bell is indeed the main thing I found surprising rather than compensating per se, but I identified the two.

[GC]

This setup is certainly less of a stretch to the 4th valve than the typical 3+1 setup.

[Wyvern]

That is London professional tubist, Jim Anderson with his 1919 (if I remember correct) Boosey Calvary compensated Eb tuba. He uses it whenever a 'period' tuba is desired for gig and it plays very well indeed.

It is the actual instrument that Besson used as basis for the Sovereign 983, although they changed the 4th valve to in-line front action for the US market.

[J.c. Sherman]

I would love to find one of these... I personally prefer 3+1, but know the bias against TA horns in the US... this is the best of all worlds.

Maybe trying a 3 + thumb rotor change like a horn!

Hmmmm....

J.c.S.

[MikeW]

Yea, it's a Boosey cavalry tuba.

Would this be the legendary beast that spawned the magic mouthpipe used on the Fletcher Model (981) Sovereigns ? I read somewhere that the Fletcher mouthpipe came from a tuba designed for the Swiss cavalry, and it certainly looks as if that mouthpipe would sit a lot lower if the bell was upright, the way it would be on a top-action model.