Name this tuba?

[BopEuph]

A buddy of mine has this laying in his shop, and knows nothing about it. If it's in Bb, I might be interested in it if it gets fixed up.

What is it? What key? Is it worth a purchase? Would it be an upgrade from my 12J?

http://imgur.com/a/Ama7k" target="_blank

[bort]

Looks like BBb, and it's impossible to know how it will play. Assuming it plays decently, it would be a big change from a 12J in most ways. An upgrade? Depends on what you want and what you like.

Oh, and it depends on what it costs.

[BopEuph]

Awesome. The shorter main bugle made me think it was a CC.

99.9% of my gigs are commercial jazz/dixieland gigs, so I'm standing and walking a lot of lines. I'd like a 4th valve for intonation's sake, but weight is a factor.

Any info on the horn itself that might be beneficial to me or my friend? What's the deal with the brand?

And yes, I'm fully aware that the valves are sitting next to the horn.

[BopEuph]

Yes. All those parts are there. It was pulled apart for repair, but the dude that left the horn disappeared, so they left it unfinished.

I wasn't asking about its condition, just anything about the horn itself. He doesn't know much about it, the logo is difficult to decipher, and I don't recognize the horn myslef.

[PaulMaybery]

The label "Weimar" suggests a period between WWI & WWII. I'm only shooting in the dark. Not a lot to go on.

[bort]

Ian, clearly you would be correct if those parts didn't exist. I guess I read the original post differently. Glad I was right. Since they do exist... I'd say its worth $500 (to me) to find out.

Old horns are funny... They either still exist because they were crap and no one used them, or they still exist because they were great and were used a lot. That is, age of a horn, alone, isn't a very good indicator of much.

[Ken Herrick]

It would be best to make no commitment to buying before it was reassembled and you had a chance to try it.

The one Weimar I can recall trying a long, long, time ago was pretty crapulous and would not play in tune if it had 7 valves.

Never know though, it might be an ugly duckling which would turn into a swan.

[The Big Ben]

That tuba is named after a great man of the Weimar Republic, Franz Josef Schoenberger.

So, the tuba's name is Franz.

Thank you and good night.

[BopEuph]

Thanks, guys.

That tuba has been sitting in a corner pulled apart for at least a year. When the owner disappeared, they just let it sit. I told my friend I might be interested in it if he ever finishes putting it together, and he told me that if I could give him any info on it, he'd be happy.

[opus37]

Old horns are funny... They either still exist because they were crap and no one used them, or they still exist because they were great and were used a lot. That is, age of a horn, alone, isn't a very good indicator of much.

I suggest a third possibility, someone, like an uncle, grandfather, etc. played the tuba, or maybe got the tuba as a war relic and died or otherwise stopped playing it. Now a relative has gotten the horn and decided to fix it up to play it, sell it, or some other purpose. They brought it in to the shop and abandoned the project for some reason. So, this is a likely 1920's to 1940's horn in the german style. It is most likely a BBb horn. It may or may not be tuned to modern pitch. If repair is $500 or less, I'd suggest it be a good investment to complete the repairs and then try the horn. You might be pleasantly surprised.

[The Big Ben]

That tuba is named after a great man of the Weimar Republic, Franz Josef Schoenberger.

So, the tuba's name is Franz.

Thank you and good night.

Probably 1% of 1% of tubenetdom will understand the reference (at least, based on most peoples' apparent level of knowledge of history and understanding of economics).

It takes a Sellmansberger to understand the importance of a Schoenberger.

[edsel585960]

I posted a link to here https://www.facebook.com/groups/KAISERBASS/" target="_blank. Someone on there should know something about these. We'll see.

[bort]

Old horns are funny... They either still exist because they were crap and no one used them, or they still exist because they were great and were used a lot. That is, age of a horn, alone, isn't a very good indicator of much.

I suggest a third possibility, someone, like an uncle, grandfather, etc. played the tuba, or maybe got the tuba as a war relic and died or otherwise stopped playing it. Now a relative has gotten the horn and decided to fix it up to play it, sell it, or some other purpose. They brought it in to the shop and abandoned the project for some reason. So, this is a likely 1920's to 1940's horn in the german style. It is most likely a BBb horn. It may or may not be tuned to modern pitch. If repair is $500 or less, I'd suggest it be a good investment to complete the repairs and then try the horn. You might be pleasantly surprised.

Fair enough!

Kind of makes you wonder what will turn up in attics 100 years from now.

[BopEuph]

According to my friend and his partner, they know it's a B&S stencil, but that's all they know. I forgot that detail.

[eupher61]

Franz is a good, suitable name. But, somehow, Sigfried seems to fit, also.