Conn Donatelli model tuba

Alex C · Post by **Alex C** » Sat Jun 04, 2005 9:11 pm

I thought that pictures of Conn Donatelli tubas might be of interest to some. There is a link at the bottom of this post.

Mr first teacher was a Bell student who had a BBb Donatelli tuba. I was lucky to find and buy a CC model several years ago and I never thought I'd see another. Now I found one less than 20 miles from where I live.

Both are CC tubas and are almost original. The serial number shows that mine was manufactured in 1929. The other Donatelli belongs to Ron Tasa of Ft. Worth and the serial number on his shows that it was manufactured in 1949. He bought his in the late 60's or 70's from Toby Hanks.

Both tubas play well in tune and have excellent response from pedals to above the staff. I was worried that adding the fifth valve would have adverse affects but my colleagues tell me that the only difference is that there is more punch in the lower registers. The sound of the two tubas is similar in many ways and the differences are hard to describe.

The first picture is of my tuba. You will notice that I added a fifth valve (a flat whole step); an earlier modification was that the first valve slide was flipped so that the first valve slide could be manipulated with the left hand. Ron's tuba had a different solution for the first valve slide accessability. Neither is especially ergonomic but both work.

The second picture is of the two tubas side by side. There are slight manufacturing differences between the two but they are obviously the same model.

Ron's tuba has the original lacquer on it, mine has none.

Hope some of you enjoy the pictures.

http://www.handylearning.com/tubaPage.htm

Alex C · Post by **Alex C** » Sat Jun 04, 2005 10:15 pm

Yours looks like an 8X-J model to me.

Do you know?

DCottrell · Post by **DCottrell** » Sun Jun 05, 2005 9:19 am

Does yours have the mother-of-pearl inserts on the bottom caps? Conn was doing this around that time, among other things, to celebrate their 50th anniversary. I had one of these (without bell engraving, bare brass) and loved the way it played, except it was 20 cents flat

Alex C · Post by **Alex C** » Sun Jun 05, 2005 11:16 am

Mine does have the Mother-of-Pearl on the bottom. I thought it was a very curious place to put Mother-of-Pearl but what better way to celebrate a 50th anniversary.

Why, do you think, the tuba you owned did not have bell engraving?

DCottrell · Post by **DCottrell** » Sun Jun 05, 2005 1:19 pm

I believe it was a prototype, possibly from a BBb, hence the poor tuning. The orientation of the seam on the bell in an exposed position indicated the possible intention to silver-plate the horn, another piece of evidence pointing to it's likely pre-production status. It could also have been custom made, though it was definitely all Conn (braces, branches and ribs/guards, bell shape, etc.)

CJ Krause · Post by **CJ Krause** » Sun Jun 05, 2005 1:26 pm

windshieldbug · Post by **windshieldbug** » Sun Jun 05, 2005 1:58 pm

DCottrell wrote:I had one of these (without bell engraving, bare brass) and loved the way it played, except it was 20 cents flat

You could fit 20Â¢ in there?

CJ Krause · Post by **CJ Krause** » Sun Jun 05, 2005 2:53 pm

That would make a great door knocker.

MartyNeilan · Post by **MartyNeilan** » Sun Jun 05, 2005 4:12 pm

CJ Krause wrote:That would make a great door knocker.

Looks like someone used it to knock down a door!

DCottrell · Post by **DCottrell** » Sun Jun 05, 2005 5:37 pm

CJ Krause wrote: Conn made some and put a BBb tuning slide on them which was too long and made them flat.
at the 73 or 74 ITEC convention an instructor from Ohio played a solo on one and started the solo off by saying "this is an exercise in lipping up to a piano"

Conn came over after and got him a CC tuning slide and explained what was wrong.

For cryin' out loud, I wish TubeNet had been around to tell me that!!