Trying to id a tuba

[bnloewen]

I am looking at what was described to me as being a "German Tuba", four rotary valves, Bb, with no labeling, other than a small marking of what appears to be an "A", but missing the horizontal line in the "A", in the middle of a music stand, with an oval around the entire symbol.

Can anyone help me out with who the manufacturer might be? Could this be an Amati symbol?

Thanks.

Barry

[thevillagetuba]

If you post or link to a picture, I'm sure info will come pouring in for you. Some here will be able to tell you just from seeing the wrap and braces and a picture of that symbol would help, as well. I don't know if enough information is contained in your description for anyone to give you an answer of any certainty.

[bnloewen]

http://s1253.photobucket.com/user/bnloe ... sort=3&o=0" target="_blank

Here is a link to a photo of the small engraved logo. The tuba looks old, looks German, has four rotary valves, and this is the only marking. I am hoping that someone can recognize the logo and id it.

Thanks.

Barry

[Ken Crawford]

Take pictures of the entire tuba, front and back.

[Dan Schultz]

http://s1253.photobucket.com/user/bnloe ... sort=3&o=0" target="_blank

Here is a link to a photo of the small engraved logo. The tuba looks old, looks German, has four rotary valves, and this is the only marking. I am hoping that someone can recognize the logo and id it.

Thanks.

Barry

I'm fairly certain that's a very early St. Petersburg. I sold a raw brass one that had five rotors some time ago that had that same logo. In other words... Russian. Not German.

[Michael Bush]

what appears to be an "A", but missing the horizontal line in the "A"

=the Greek letter lambda, probably also used in the Cyrillic alphabet, something "russiantuba" could clarify for us.

This tells nothing about identifying your tuba, but anyway that's what the symbol is.

[edsel585960]

Yep, old St. Pete or Leningrad logo.

[bnloewen]

Yeah, I believe you guys are correct, it looks like pictures of an old Leningrad. I was hoping that it was not, as I have not read any good reviews for old Leningrads.

Thanks

Barry

[chronolith]

The letter you describe is the cyrillic letter for L (for Leningrad I assume). The picture link above produces an error though for me.

There used to be a website years ago for a German company that got a hold a load of Russian built horns and replaced the valve cluster with a german machine. This became St Petersburg I believe. The German rotors on those horns were a vast improvement and they made nice little tubas for the money. I had one and kinda miss it still.

[bnloewen]

I believe that this tuba is an old Leningrad, thanks everyone for the comments.

I have an opportunity to purchase this machine, although it is not worth as much to me now that I know it is not a German tuba, but is a Russian tuba that one review has referred to as a "Tuba shaped spittoon", and "difficult to find a worse tuba".

Does anyone know what I would expect to pay to have the four rotary valve block replaced, to improve this machine? Maybe I can factor that into the price.

Thanks

Barry

[Tom]

Does anyone know what I would expect to pay to have the four rotary valve block replaced, to improve this machine? Maybe I can factor that into the price.

Unless there is some reason you just have to have this Leningrad tuba, don't bother with a project like replacing the valve block on it. You'd be upside down on it in a heartbeat and could never even hope to recoup that money if you sold it. Take what you would have spent to buy the Leningrad and do that project and buy a German tuba like you really want. Perhaps a used B&S or Miraphone?

[bnloewen]

Thanks, good advice, I will pass on it.

Barry

[bnloewen]

You guys were very helpful with this one, can I try another one? This one is an auction, description is a tuba, but it looks more like a baritone, with a bent curved bell. Three valves, rotary. There is no brand name on it, but this is the marked engraving. Can anyone please ID this engraving?

http://i1253.photobucket.com/albums/hh5 ... mxmpkv.jpg" target="_blank

Thanks again.

Barry

[sousaphone68]

Is it the first photo that you are trying to ID?
The logo in the second photo looks like the Leningrad logo.
The other photographs especially the family one with the old tuba look like they deserve a thread of their own.
I would like to know more about the tuba through the generations and the Eb helicon.

[bnloewen]

Wow, sorry, I did not realize that I was posting all those photos. I cannot access "Photobucket" on my work computer, so I was posting them with my cell phone, which is kind of clunky for someone with fat fingers.

The photo of my old tuba is a Besson, the serial number places it WWI vintage. My grandfather's brother supposedly played it when he was in the PPCLI (Princess Patricia Canadian Light Infantry) Band in WWI, but I don't know for sure, everyone is long gone. The original photo is a picture of my grandparents holding my aunt in the tuba. The next one is a current photo with my parents with the tuba. My mom is the two year older sister of the baby in the first photo and is currently 84 years old, so the picture would be around 82 years old. Kind of neat that the dents all match up. Before I found this photo, I was considering having some of the dents taken out, but I have now changed my mind.

My grandfather's brother (great uncle) gave me this tuba in 1983. He had an old schoolhouse filled with instruments that he had acquired when the town band had shutdown. I had graduated from high school and had consequently lost the tuba I had been loaned, so he gave me this tuba to get me by until I got a replacement. Despite the age and all the dents, it still plays remarkably well.

[sousaphone68]

Thanks for the reply it is very cool to have a family history tied into an instrument.