Boosey & Hawkes Regent Eb tuba

[imperialbari]

That A and the only 5 digits are puzzling me. I don’t remember any letters in B&H serial numbers. My instruments are packed down because of some house maintenance, so I must rely on my memory, which tells about 6 digit numbers from at least 1950.

Please post readable photos of all engravings including the SN.

Klaus

[butch]

Please post readable photos of all engravings including the SN.

Here you are! The picture of the engraving isn't very sharp but readable.

engraving.jpg

serial.jpg

I got an answer from Horniman's and it seems, that the people there are also a wee bit puzzled. I sent them the pictures too.

Thank you for your enquiry about this tuba. I agree that the serial number is unusual. B&H instruments with this sort of serial number are often imports that have been stamped with the B&H name, usually made in Czechoslovakia. However, I have never heard of a tuba been sold in this way. Perhaps if you sent me a photograph of the bell inscription I might have a better idea.

All the best
Butch

[imperialbari]

To me this one looks like the ones made in the UK. As I remember the stamps on imports to the UK, there was no Made by B&H, but Made for B&H.

As far as I can see the stamped logo of your tuba is similar to the one on the photo on page #70 in the article Heavy Metal linked to. The caption limits the age of your tuba to at most 48 years.

Klaus

[butch]

Thank you Klaus for the quick response.

To me this one looks like the ones made in the UK. As I remember the stamps on imports to the UK, there was no Made by B&H, but Made for B&H.

That makes sense to me.

As far as I can see the stamped logo of your tuba is similar to the one on the photo on page #70 in the article Heavy Metal linked to.

Nearly but not exactly the same. On mine there are only three staves with the note on the middle one and no ®. I took some better pictures.

engraving2.jpg

globe.jpg

The engraving is not golden, it just looks that way because of the flash.

[imperialbari]

Are the valve buttons hexagonal?

Klaus

[butch]

Are the valve buttons hexagonal?

No, they are round. Original? I don't know. But they are different than the ones on my Besson BBb-tuba.

[imperialbari]

Yes, Besson had their signature sloping valve buttons for their New Standard line, which was their equivalent of the B&H Imperial line.

I don't like the missing two lines of the music staff in your logo. And I don't like the map behind the B&H in the globe. The map on the photo from the linked to article isn't geographically exact, but it is possible to identify a couple of continents. The map in your logo makes no sense. Either B&H went with a sloppy version of their logo for their student line, or this is a fake Regent tuba. I cannot verify either without research, which I don't have the time for. But my initial gut feeling about this tuba was, that it is a real B&H Regent.

Klaus

[imperialbari]

The British brass band tubists have a closed FaceBook group called Bass Players Union, where some guys are sharp on British instruments' history. You might try to join and ask:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/284151205011926/

Klaus

[butch]

... or this is a fake Regent tuba.

That was my thought as well, when I compared the logos. Thanks, Klaus, for your thoughts and insights.

The British brass band tubists have a closed FaceBook group called Bass Players Union, where some guys are sharp on British instruments' history.

Unfortunately I don't have a facebook account (and I don't want one).

Butch

[butch]

Either B&H went with a sloppy version of their logo for their student line, or this is a fake Regent tuba.

I found a pic of a logo on a B&H Imperial Bb made in the 80ties. It show's the same three stave logo as my Regent. Maybe they changed the logo?



Butch

[imperialbari]

The Imperial line was the B&H top line until the introduction of the Sovereign line. It continued as the second line until around 1988.

I wonder why B&H used that funny logo for its 2nd and 3rd lines after the Sovereign line was completed with the tuba models from 1983. But it tells your tuba being a real Regent and likely makes it younger that I first thought.

Klaus