Huttl Graslitz tuba?

[bort]

No clue... Big old and questionable... $1000 to $2000?

[menroth]

Hüttl is/was a German company, and if I'm correct don't exist at least as Hüttl anymore. I guess there would have been some factories in Europe, maybe that's where the name "Graslitz" or Kraslice, Czech Republic, comes from. I'm sure someone here knows the story of this horn with more facts.

Haven't played any tubas by Hüttl, but a few trumpets. The trumpets are maybe not the best there ever was. The value of the tuba would not be stellar, at least not on the European second hand market but if it's works and sounds good, who cares.

Regards,
Martin

[tubajazzo]

Must be pre WW II because of the "Graslitz" engraving.
It all depends on the general condition: Valves working? signs of corrosion? slides moving? Dents in the tubing or mouthpipe?
It might be a good horn if all these things are ok. If not, it is a repair project.
I would not buy it without a personal examination of the object.

Gerd

[EdFirth]

While I was wasting time at college in the early 70's I attended a concert by the Chicago Brass Quintet. The tuba player was a guy named Bob Bauchins(sp?) and he sounded Great! He was playing on a Huttl Bb. It was on the big side, I think it was silver, and he said it had a crappy low range. Bob definitely overcame that. There are two here in town and neither is very friendly but I think they could be "learned". My former teacher also had one that Lee Stofer told him was built for the Nazis. Due to their age it's probably hard to tell what they were like when they were new but if a good repair guy got one, who knows? Ed

[Ken Herrick]

If you like this particular tuba and the price is right, go for it.

Ed Firth mentioned Bob Bauchens' old Huttl. Bob and I used to split a couple gigs; the Chicago Brass Quintet and a trad club gig at 'Your Father's Moustache' around 66-68. I often used his tuba at the club as he left it there - like, why cart a tuba around if something decent was going to be sitting in the back doing nothing?

It was a real "Kaiser" type - HUGE!!! Bob used it - I don't know for how long - with the Lyric Opera orchestra. Bob was a very good player and a great guy. He had one of the longer careers - about 45 years with the Lyric. There is a thread about that on here from about 3 years ago when he retired.

I did not like the Huttl as well as my King but, it was certainly not bad. It took a bit of getting used to and Bob certainly did that and produced very good results.

[imperialbari]

Definitely pre-1945. Don't know about Hüttl instruments of that era, but their post-war instrument were not good.

[Dan Schultz]

Definitely some Amati/Cerveny and Bohland & Fuchs influence there. The bulge at the end of the 2nd slide is indicative of a large bore and is still used by Cerveny.

Swaging of the rotor bearings might be in order to get the clearance back inside the rotor housings.

Looks like a fun horn.

[bort]

Can I ask what the price is? More than anything, if I were you, that's where I would start when deciding to buy or not buy.

[imperialbari]

With your thumb position relative to your palm, this looks more like the thumb ring should be moved.

I certainly would like this instrument documented in high resolution photos for my gallery. Emulated blueprints: full front and rear shots taken from above the center of the instrument. Details about valve loops. Readable engravings.

Klaus

[imperialbari]

A temporary solution maybe worth trying:

Take a long & narrow piece of cotton cloth, like a trombone cleaning rag. Tie it to the thumb ring and to the 2nd slide loop (or to the lower end of the 1st slide receiver).

If necessesary make a loop between the anchor points. Should give you enough support in a better position for the valve fingers.

Klaus

[jonesbrass]

That's a sweet old tuba, if you ask me. Love the size of the first and second bows.

[imperialbari]

lost sent me the promised photos. You may find them under

A. K. Hüttl Graslitz BBb Kaisertuba 4RV

in the index that has just been actualized.

Klaus

[ken k]

wow that thing is huge! how is the intonation?
k

[imperialbari]

Looks like it was on eBay a few minutes ago.