Interesting Old tuba

[Dan Schultz]

Here's something you just don't see every day!

http://thevillagetinker.com/J%20Low%20Tuba.htm" target="_blank

[Alex C]

Looks very saxhorn-ish.

Interesting tuba, thanks for posting.

[Ace]

To my mind, that's a good-looking instrument. Please let us know how the intonation lines up after you've played the thing for a week or so.

Ace

[tofu]

It has the look of something crafted by somebody with a strong sense of aesthetics. It has a nice stylish look to it. Now if it plays as good as it looks...

[Heavy_Metal]

To make the name display properly, if you're using Windows, open Character Map and you'll find the o with umlaut in the chart of available characters. Select and copy it, then paste it into your text. Like this:

J. Löw

If you're running a Mac, I have no idea how to do this.

Like the others, I'd love to hear how it plays!

[SousaWarrior9]

VERY cool!, The arrangement of to tuning slides is so unique! Is that the main TS in the back of the horn? An interesting concept. Did the new leadpipe put into BBb?

[GC]

On a Mac hit option-u, release the option key and type an o. This changes the first character to ö, or Ö if you use shift-o for the capital.

Edit: this works if your browser's character encoding is unicode or Mac, but if your browser is set to western or western windows encoding, you may get gibberish. In that case, you need to use the cut-and paste character method mentioned above.

[Dan Schultz]

Fun horn! I used it this morning (of all things) for a Dixieland rehearsal. The horn is in-tune and very even-tempered. The stroke of the paddles is less than that of a cornet! It caught me off guard at first and I didn't think the valves were working properly. I need to move the thumb ring. Otherwise... it's a good horn.

I suppose if someone also wants a tuba in the key of 'A'... I could just send along the original leadpipe!

[bigtubby]

And where the water collects...

Exactly what I was thinking. One of the beauties of the "standard" layout is the fact that the water all gravitates naturally to the ... well, water key.

Mighty cool horn though.

[Sam Gnagey]

Reminds me of the Sander tubas that I've seen.

[hbcrandy]

Reminds me of the Sander tubas that I've seen.

The Sander tuba was my first thought upon seeing the picture.

As to the stroke of the finger levers, string linkages on the rotors make the stroke shorter by being close to the center of rotation. I had a King, rotary valved CC tuba. The long spatula finger levers that I had seen in photos were a concern of mine. I expected the stroke to be very long, but, once I played the instrument, I found the stroke to be quite short and quick due to the string linkage and the design of the finger levers.

Also, Dan, my compliments on the great work you are doing to restore this fine old instrument. I take my hat off to you for your skill in removing the bell garland. That is a task that I or one of my mentors in horn repair and design, Walter Lawson, would never consider attempting. Bravo!

[Dan Schultz]

Reminds me of the Sander tubas that I've seen.

The Sander tuba was my first thought upon seeing the picture. ....

Yup. The original Sander name (in Wolfstein) is listed in Langwell's in 1899. J. Low is noted to be in Munster in 1900. There could have been some influence. Most of these horn builders operated as 'cottage industries' and could well have provided each other with parts they didn't make themselves.

Then.... there was also a 'Sadner' and a 'Sandner'.

However... don't confuse it with the later use of the name 'Sander' of 'Sanders' by Custom Music in the 70's. It's hard telling who built those tubas.

[Sam Gnagey]

Reminds me of the Sander tubas that I've seen.

The Sander tuba was my first thought upon seeing the picture. ....

Yup. The original Sander name (in Wolfstein) is listed in Langwell's in 1899. J. Low is noted to be in Munster in 1900. There could have been some influence. Most of these horn builders operated as 'cottage industries' and could well have provided each other with parts they didn't make themselves.

Then.... there was also a 'Sadner' and a 'Sandner'.

However... don't confuse it with the later use of the name 'Sander' of 'Sanders' by Custom Music in the 70's. It's hard telling who built those tubas.

I had one of those Custom Sanders CCs. It was certainly a Cerveny.

[thattubaguy]

My Sanders is an Alex...

[thattubaguy]

I'll show and tell later...

[ScottM]

That horn looks really neat and am glad that it plays as good as it looks. You have done a really good job on the restoration.
ScottM

[Dan Schultz]

My Sanders is an Alex...

What is it? Any pics? I've seen the Sanders name from Custom on B&S, Meinl Weston, Cerveny, and Chinese-sourced tubas. I haven't seen an Alex with the Sanders engraving...

Here are a couple of pics: The first one shows a horn that could still be at Custom music that looks like a Marzan valve section and an Alex body.

The second image shows two nearly identical tubas. The one on the right is engraved Marzan. The one on the right in engraved Sanders but lacks the 'on-the-top' main slide.

There's some odd stuff out there!

[TheBerlinerTuba]

Hallo TubaTinker,
thank you for sharing photos of your Löw tuba. I see his instruments occasionally here in Germany, and I believe they were made to a very high standard for the time. The tuba is actually in Bb, but in low pitch. 100yrs ago here, there was no standard a=440, so you see quite a variety, with some Bb tubas sounding like a modern "A" or even in "B natural". For example, it was common in Saxon(East Germany) or Thuringen for some tubas (and other brass) to be in "Hoch Es-high Eb tuning. To our modern ears, it sounds like a very flat E natural/sharp Eb.

I'm sure the maker would have been happy to know his tubas are still being played.

Best Regards,
2165

[Dan Schultz]

Dan, What makes you think its an Alex body and not one of the many variations that were made by B&M? Cool horns all regardless of source!

Dunno. I have a tough time even figuring out who's making what these days!

[Dan Schultz]

Hallo TubaTinker,
thank you for sharing photos of your Löw tuba. I see his instruments occasionally here in Germany, and I believe they were made to a very high standard for the time. The tuba is actually in Bb, but in low pitch. 100yrs ago here, there was no standard a=440, so you see quite a variety, with some Bb tubas sounding like a modern "A" or even in "B natural". For example, it was common in Saxon(East Germany) or Thuringen for some tubas (and other brass) to be in "Hoch Es-high Eb tuning. To our modern ears, it sounds like a very flat E natural/sharp Eb.

I'm sure the maker would have been happy to know his tubas are still being played.

Best Regards,
2165

WOW! Thanks for your input. This horn did indeed play well below Bb.... with intonation around A=425, the fundamental pitch was very close to an 'A. I made a new leadpipe to get the pitch up to modern standard. I preserved the original leadpipe in case someone want's to put it back to original.

Have you seen rotary horns with this type of bumpers and stop arms? Tell us all you know and post pictures of other J. Löw instruments. Post here but please also send me an email to danschultz@wowway.com" target="_blank and let me know where in Germany you are located.