Have you ever seen this old Holton tuba before?

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Dave Detwiler
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Have you ever seen this old Holton tuba before?

Post by Dave Detwiler »

Hi all - this photo, from a 1912 edition of Holton Harmony Hints, features a Holton Mammoth BBb Bass, with four front-action valves (the only Mammoth BBb Bass in the Holton catalogue around that year has three top action valves).

The brief article that accompanies the photo suggests that the horn was specially built for Herman Conrad, who is in the photo - although a few years later, he is playing a different Holton BBb tuba.

Have you ever seen this one? Anything you can tell me about it?
1912 Holton.jpg
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Played an F. E. Olds 4-valve BBb in high school (late '70s)
Led the USC Trojan Marching Band tuba section (early '80s)
Now playing an F. Schmidt (=VMI) 3301 and goofing around
on a 1927 Pan American 64K Sousaphone Grand
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bort
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Re: Have you ever seen this old Holton tuba before?

Post by bort »

I have, and I forget what it's called. But I'm pretty sure it's been talked about here before...
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Re: Have you ever seen this old Holton tuba before?

Post by Ace »

Conrad looks as if he's a no nonsense guy. Might have been a bit intimidating taking lessons from him. (I studied with a man in 1954-55 that was retired staff bass trombonist with the Warner Bros orchestra------he was a mean, nasty disciplinarian that took no prisoners. Sometimes the student learns better under those conditions. I sure did. He got my attention every minute of every tense lesson.)

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Re: Have you ever seen this old Holton tuba before?

Post by Ace »

tuben wrote:Del Negro?
Nope.

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bort
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Re: Have you ever seen this old Holton tuba before?

Post by bort »

Hrmph, I was thinking of Del Negro as well. Even the JW Richardson on Lee Stofer's homepage is different.
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Re: Have you ever seen this old Holton tuba before?

Post by roweenie »

I've never seen another Holton like the one owned by H.C.

The main bugle wrap on the Holton 105 is entirely different than the horn in question.

I'm going to guess it was a one-off, kinda like the CSO York(s).... (ok, so that was a two-off; same principle)
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Dave Detwiler
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Re: Have you ever seen this old Holton tuba before?

Post by Dave Detwiler »

roweenie wrote:I've never seen another Holton like the one owned by H.C. . . . I'm going to guess it was a one-off
That's what I was wondering, and why I posted this - to see if there is anything out there like this horn, or if anyone has perhaps seen it somewhere.
Played an F. E. Olds 4-valve BBb in high school (late '70s)
Led the USC Trojan Marching Band tuba section (early '80s)
Now playing an F. Schmidt (=VMI) 3301 and goofing around
on a 1927 Pan American 64K Sousaphone Grand
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