Cimbasso in Creatore's band

[Sam Gnagey]

While looking for images of the Sousa band's tuba section I came across this photo of Creatore's Italian Band. Notice the cimbasso in the center of the back row.

[The Big Ben]

Seems to be a few rotary valve trumpets/cornets also.

[Z-Tuba Dude]

Sam, is there a year attached to that photo?

[Michael Bush]

I had the impression that the cimbasso in that shape was a more recent development than this. When was it invented?

[Z-Tuba Dude]

That's what I thought!

It's VERY interesting to see that style of cimbasso, way back in 1903!

Does anyone know Jim Self well enough, to ask about the origin of the design of the current form of cimbasso?

[MikeW]

Looks as if they had three or four tenor valve trombones, and one bass valve trombone, all built to the same kind of shape. Maybe the instrument balances better that way ?

[Michael Bush]

Yes. The problem is that in the first, oh, ten or twenty pages of this thread (viewtopic.php?f=2&t=50339" target="_blank) there was a fair amount of discussion of this. I haven't read all that lately, but I do seem to remember that the thing settled down on the idea that this form came late. Bloke was looking for one around 1870, and I don't think anyone came up with one. But 1903 is a lot closer than I remember anyone coming up with then.

[windshieldbug]

Quite a few manufacturers made those "Italian Model" bell tilted-up model trombones.

The slide/valve section was as normal, the bell was merely tilted up at a c.45% angle rather than in parallel.

[Sam Gnagey]

Quite a few manufacturers made those "Italian Model" bell tilted-up model trombones.

The slide/valve section was as normal, the bell was merely tilted up at a c.45% angle rather than in parallel.

Yep.
The cimbasso that we are seeing in the picture is not in the shape as the modern version. The mouthpiece is on the same plane as the valve section, but the bell is angled up. You can see another valve trombone on the right and left with similar configurations.

cimbassoinband.jpg

I guess it's all a matter of degrees.