Just before 1900 Besson Eb 3+1 non-comper small bore

[imperialbari]

http://cgi.ebay.de/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie ... 0344773809

From the description and from my communications with the seller this one appears to be an almost 30 years younger sibling of my small 1870 Besson Eb tuba. This one has been transformed to modern low pitch, whereas I have had to jury rig mine down to that pitch. Works for me, but it is a less than elegant solution.

Only to be shipped to Europe, but then TubeNet has European members.

Not a large symphonic instrument with it being small from receiver through bell and with all valves having the same bore. But a fun lightweight Eb bass. I have been tempted, but neither my purse nor my number of available cubic feet allow for doublets.

Klaus

[imperialbari]

Klaus, what do you think about a 5th valve added to one of these?

First of all an apology for the originally wrong subject line. This instrument is a non-comper, and the error has been edited for the better.

Had I been around between 1870 and 1900, when this tuba in many contexts would have been considered a large symphonic instrument, then maybe a 5th valve would have been worthwhile. Today I would call it overkill, because you would have so many more modern instrument options for contrabass tuba work.

The only modern orchestral usage coming to my mind, would be for those players, who together with their music directors found this model just the right thing for Verdi’s cimbasso parts.

My sample hadn’t been converted to low pitch prior to me buying it. Even if I don’t play in ensembles currently, I demand from my instruments, that they shall be ensemble fit. For various reasons I have a bit of brass tubing in my home. The male branches of the main tuning slide of my sample are not out of drawn tubing. They are out of sheet nickel silver rolled and brazed.By sheer accidence tubing of a diameters used to extend the 2nd valve of my Besson Sovereign bassbone could be used to extend the main tuning slide of this old Eb tuba. The 3 first valve slides shall still be pushed fully in to play in modern low pitch. My guess about a reason for that odd fact is my usage of a larger and deaper mouthpiece than the original one, which I also have. The 4th slide shall be pulled 2 cm to play well in low pitch.

Klaus