Check out this horn...

trseaman · Post by **trseaman** » Sun Jan 08, 2006 11:36 pm

I found these pictures at webshots.com and thought I'd share with everyone. It looks similar to the vienna horn from another post but this horn is huge! They claim it has seven valves and weighs 80lbs. I thought it was nice of them to make the bell removable!

Does anyone have any information to share about this horn?

scottw · Post by **scottw** » Sun Jan 08, 2006 11:39 pm

I can't say anything about 80 lbs, but I can only count 6 valves. It sure is a load, though!

Chuck(G) · Post by **Chuck(G)** » Sun Jan 08, 2006 11:46 pm

That's Dr. Fred Young's double tuba. Read about it here:

http://www.penn.com/~youngfj/

trseaman · Post by **trseaman** » Sun Jan 08, 2006 11:53 pm

WOW.....

Philip Jensen · Post by **Philip Jensen** » Mon Jan 09, 2006 10:48 am

Hey! Those pictures are from the 2004 TubaChristmas in State College, PA! That's at our performance venue and cooincides with the local Festival of Trees, hence the Christmas trees in the background. Dr. Young didn't make it this year, but our local Ophecleide player was there again.

windshieldbug · Post by **windshieldbug** » Mon Jan 09, 2006 12:57 pm

scottw wrote:I can't say anything about 80 lbs, but I can only count 6 valves. It sure is a load, though!

Look just below the right-hand set in the first picture, behind the main tube...

poomshanka · Post by **poomshanka** » Mon Jan 09, 2006 2:00 pm

Just out of curiosity, has anyone actually played this beauty? What's it feel like?

...Dave

poomshanka · Post by **poomshanka** » Mon Jan 09, 2006 2:44 pm

bloke wrote:kinda like a screech trumpet, except lower

Penalty, 15 yards - gratuitous waste of my time and TubeNet bandwidth.

Let's just hope you're not someone's hourly employee...

windshieldbug · Post by **windshieldbug** » Mon Jan 09, 2006 4:41 pm

I just know that I wouldn't play anything that you needed to wear gloves for...

Bob Mosso · Post by **Bob Mosso** » Mon Jan 09, 2006 4:50 pm

Beergardenblatter wrote:that this is the first valved brass instrument to be "fully chromatic" . That of course is not true.

They used the words "truly chromatic". With the design you can play chromatic with only one valve, thus, no slightly out of tune valve combinations. The fingering would be:

open Bb
1
2
3
4
5
trigger E
trigger + 1
trigger + 2
trigger + 3
trigger + 4
trigger + 5
open Bb

Each note has its own slide, you could tune to perfect pitch for the key you're in, or equal tempered if you wish. The only tuning issues would be the open partials.

poomshanka · Post by **poomshanka** » Mon Jan 09, 2006 5:03 pm

bloke wrote:Never...but if you have a knack for buffing sousaphones, you can give me a call - as long as you leave your trumpet at home.

Not much for buffing, but I *have* done some pretty Tastee work with a homemade DentEraser...

poomshanka · Post by **poomshanka** » Mon Jan 09, 2006 5:09 pm

bloke wrote:Never...but if you have a knack for buffing sousaphones, you can give me a call - as long as you leave your trumpet at home.

And I'm *wicked* good with some sheet brass and silver solder...

iiipopes · Post by **iiipopes** » Mon Jan 09, 2006 5:47 pm

You should be a-shawmed of yourself for posting that picture!

poomshanka · Post by **poomshanka** » Mon Jan 09, 2006 6:20 pm

bloke wrote:I'm glad you said somethin'. I was afraid some bloke was gonna have to come after him with a strap.

<img src="http://tinypic.com/k0gd3a.jpg">

You stay away from my butt with that strap!!

windshieldbug · Post by **windshieldbug** » Mon Jan 09, 2006 6:25 pm

Beergardenblatter wrote:I imagine some slight further digging will easily reveal some additional more conventional multi-valve brass instruments that are "truly chromatic". There's a multitude of configurations and ideas that have been tried over the last 200+ years, making a claim to be "first" can be tenuous.

I'll make it easier for ya... how about the first truly chromatic instrument, even the first microtonal instrument... the sackbut!

Dan Schultz · Post by **Dan Schultz** » Mon Jan 09, 2006 6:37 pm

bloke wrote:un-dicked-with

izzat in the word book

Lew · Post by **Lew** » Mon Jan 09, 2006 6:50 pm

bloke wrote:Originally, it was a plain-ol' four-piston King...except with one less pair of bows that the "normal" version. (I saw the un-dicked-with instrument back around 1974 in Knoxville.)

I wonder how much better in tune it plays than a plain wrapper 2341?

...

It was turned into what it is by Gronitz, to Dr. Youngs specs.

Allen · Post by **Allen** » Mon Jan 09, 2006 6:55 pm

I never understood about that "perfect intonation" stuff with more valves. The reason I pull slides is not so much to deal with the sharpness of using valve combinations (as opposed to using single valves), as to deal with quirks in pitches. Many tubas do not have their open tones absolutely in tune, and there are further variations from theoretical pitch while using valves.

I think in the case of this double tuba, the quest for theoretical perfection has outstripped practicality by a big margin.

Here is a top two list of what we need for perfect intonation:

2) A separate valve for each and every note the tuba can play.

1) A separate tuba for each and every note (think panpipes).

[My personal finding is that practicing more makes my tuba more in tune!]

Cheers,
Allen

poomshanka · Post by **poomshanka** » Mon Jan 09, 2006 7:14 pm

bloke wrote:You don't scare me a bit !

Not so fast, my knuckle-dragging friend. I *will* target your *** for some kicking!!

poomshanka · Post by **poomshanka** » Mon Jan 09, 2006 7:40 pm

bloke wrote:Don't make me open this...You won't like me when I open this...

Been there, done that... or didn't you get the memo?