small old Eb tubas

TubaSteve · Post by **TubaSteve** » Mon Dec 19, 2005 8:49 am

Again, Thanks so much! It gives me a starting point to work from. I can't find any stamp on it to state "France" or any other name on it to identify it, so does this mean that it is pre-1891. Does anyone here know of some repair shops that may be interested in doing an "Economy" style overhaul, not cosmetic, just fuctional.
Steve

windshieldbug · Post by **windshieldbug** » Mon Dec 19, 2005 10:06 am

TubaSteve wrote: I can't find any stamp on it to state "France" or any other name on it to identify it, so does this mean that it is pre-1891.

It might, but not if it was actually made in the US. Besides Conn and Martin and other companies, there has been some debate over whether Lyon & Healy actually made their own horns for a while. The mouthpiece reciever was a common place to identify an import, but it could be on the valves or bell.

When maufacturers built horns for other companies to put their own names on, these horns are known as "stencils". Welcome to the wonderful world of stencil dating!

windshieldbug · Post by **windshieldbug** » Mon Dec 19, 2005 10:13 am

Bob1062 wrote: And it sounds FANTASTIC

The important thing is to find a good horn for YOU, and it sounds like you did. Congratulations! Sounds like you done good!

With a high pitch Eb horn, and the main slide all the way in, maybe D is 421 ?? (A 421 Eb would make it VERY flat... ) If it's a high pitch horn with the tuning slide way out, usually the valve slides will need to be out a little, too.

If you go with a new leadpipe, I recommend that you make sure you can try it first before it's all finished up to make sure that it works with the mouthpieces that you want it to. Some of the horns of this period a very sensitive to BIG mouthpieces. But the angle for sure should be something that is more comfortable to you.

TubaSteve · Post by **TubaSteve** » Mon Dec 19, 2005 10:54 am

The maker of this horn and mine are the same. Mine has the same style of brace anchors and engraving as this horn. http://neillins.com/tb001.htm
Although this horn was raw brass, and is claimed to be from the early 1890's, mine had a matte silver plate on it.
This is almost as much fun as playing it. I have another horn that I have to figure out what it it. It is also the only one that I have seen like it. It is a 3/4 BB Lyons "Monarch" that has stamped on the lead pipe, "Made in Western Germany". It does have a serial number, I would guess mid-50's?-60's?
Steve

windshieldbug · Post by **windshieldbug** » Mon Dec 19, 2005 10:58 am

FWIW, Lyons was established in 1930 as dealers and reapairers

imperialbari · Post by **imperialbari** » Sun Dec 25, 2005 9:47 am

TubaSteve wrote: I have another horn that I have to figure out what it it. It is also the only one that I have seen like it. It is a 3/4 BB Lyons "Monarch" that has stamped on the lead pipe, "Made in Western Germany". It does have a serial number, I would guess mid-50's?-60's?
Steve

Letâ€™s see some photos of the "Monarch".

As I recall it there only were 3 makers in the then West Germany, which put out high volumes. 2 of them were proud enough to put their own names on all of their instruments, one was less ambitious.

If the spelling really is "Made in Western Germany" then we even may have a sample of a "workaround" about the official term of "Made in West Germany".

Anything stamped "Made in Germany" came from the GDR. And as they were strapped for currencies convertible to US$, they would cheat whenever and wherever possible.

But letâ€™s see the photos.

Klaus