B&S PT-? F Tuba

[dantetuba]

Hi guys, how are you doing?

Few weeks a go I sold my Alexander 156 to buy an F tuba more large.
I found a PT made in GDR in terrific conditions on Germany I went to there to buy the horn.
It have a different fingering chart, it's 3+3 but not a viennense.
LH=4-6-1
RH=1-2-3

I can play it like a Eb 3+1 but not compensation system.
The low range its wonderful and the intonation perfect all the partials are there.
I can play too the F (first partial) with all the positions press.

It have the same size body of a PT-10 or 12, bore 19mm to 21mm and bell measures 16,5".

[Lectron]

Cool.
Like the top left placement of the 4th

[dantetuba]

Cool.
Like the top left placement of the 4th

Its very easy to play if you've played an Eb 3+1.

[bisontuba]

Very nice!

[arpthark]

No Perantucci markings on the bell. Interesting. Wonder if this was a one-off.

[Tom]

I believe what bloke said to be correct.

There were five main lines that all had (from what I can tell) overlapping production, at least in the mid 1970s-mid 1980s period:

B&S F tubas
B&S Perantucci Model F tubas
B&S Pertantucci "number series" F tuba (such as PT-10, etc.)
B&S Symphonie F tubas
B&S Weltklang F tubas.

And possibly other models / engravings used.

It is certainly possible, likely even, that while similar to Perantucci branded offerings, that your tuba is just a B&S F tuba without the Perantucci thrown in. It is definitely an interesting tuba.

[dantetuba]

That's quite a fine instrument, and (I suspect) it's not-the-most-common configuration may have been what has kept its condition so close to original.

congratulations !

Thanks.

I checked the rotors internally and they were never removed. The screws have never been removed, there is no mark. The rotors are like new.

[dantetuba]

There is a number on received.
I don't know if is that a serial number but the number is 2261XX

[bisontuba]

There is a number on received.
I don't know if is that a serial number but the number is 2261XX

Contact Louis aka The Berliner Tuba....

[TheBerlinerTuba]

Hello Dantetuba,

your B&S 3100W F-Tuba was one of 8 horns built in the mid 1980s with this configuration. Basically, you have a stock 3100W body with the valves configured differently.
Of the eight, at least one or two went to Norway and another one to France, and I suspect you might have that one. Of the eight, I only know of one other one, and the locations of the other six are unknown. As to why they were built like this, I don't know. I have seen Hirsbrunner F and C tubas in France with the same or similar configuration so perhaps this is a clue. If someone could figure out where the other ones are, it might help to explain why they were ordered in the first place.

I would strongly recommend that you leave it 'as is'. To modify the valve layout would be to ruin a rare piece of history and there are still enough good playing 1980s B&S F-Tubas out there.

Congrats on your new horn and if you have any more questions, please feel free to write or pm.
Grüße aus Berlin,
TheBerlinerTuba

[dantetuba]

Hi.

That history is awesome.

The owner told me that he bought in Paris and he was the first owner.
The horn comes with two more slides. One to the 3th RH and another for the 1th of the LH.
I suspect the for the 3th RH is to prolong the tube to 1/2 tone and to the 1th LH to get a short maybe 2 tones not 2 1/2.

Once again thanks

[TheHatTuba]

I have seen Hirsbrunner F and C tubas in France with the same or similar configuration so perhaps this is a clue.

They could've been transition instruments from the French C tuba. With the extended RH-3 valve slide, it is a pretty similar fingering system. The only difference would be the "6th" valve/LH-3, but an m6 slide would be a pain.