Not a tuba, but a concert/classic mellophone

[Duckpin76]

Hi,

Recently I was given a 1905/1914 (different websites have different years for the serial number) HN White/King concert/classic mellophone. I have found little information on this online and am hoping to find some guidance.

The first thing is that it came with extra slides and I am assuming these are for high/low pitch. My 1906 Conn double bell euphonium has this. However, I can’t tell which is high and which is low. Each slide has a little marking engraved with Eb on it; does this mean I pull them out to the line if I wanted to play the horn in Eb? (It has a round key you turn with an F and Eb stamped on it).

My second question deals with that round key. I have seen pictures of an additional slide with C/D markings. While I know few if any bands play in C/D, I still think it’d be neat to have, and I was wondering if anyone has something like this rooting around.

Lastly, the third slide has these two sleeves that fit over the slide but I have to take this out when closing the case, as it will not fit. What is the purpose of these slides, and what do they accomplish?

I’ve included some pictures of it. Thanks for your help.

Brian

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[bloke]

You may (??) discover that the slide sets are E-flat and F.

[WC8KCY]

That's a neat mellophone, and a nice gift...here's hoping the valves are decent.

Pull the slide coming from the F/E-flat change valve and see if there's D and C markings on it, or HP/LP markings. I don't think it's long enough for a pull to C.

The slide-on ferrules on the 3rd valve slide look way too long for high-pitch/low-pitch conversion on that valve circuit, but just about right for the main tuning slide. See if they fit on the main tuning slide and, if so, check with a tuner to see if the instrument plays at around A=440 with them installed and the change valve set to F.

Since it doesn't make any sense that you'd have to pull the 3rd valve slide to close the case, I think that's what's going on here.

If this is the case, keep the change valve set on F, install the valve slide set with the wider ferrules and check the tuning again. If the instrument is in tune with itself, these are the low-pitch slides. If the valve circuits are instead flat versus an in-tune open bugle with the wide-ferrule slides installed, these are likely the D/C slides.

Studying this later LP-only example, it's apparent to me that the slide-on 3rd valve ferrules probably belong on the MTS: https://emuseum.nmmusd.org/objects/4932 ... ne-f-eflat

[Kevbach33]

Old mellophones are so cool...

Looking at it closely, I feel that the extensions are for putting the instrument in, along with the other set of slides, Eb. That could, with a pull on the extension valve, put the instrument down to C.

As OP has it installed, it also looks like the 3rd valve can be a major 3rd/2 step valve; with the extensions removed, it is a standard minor 3rd/step and a half circuit. This could be handy for certain situations if you can find a use case for the instrument.

Or maybe the extensions are meant to go on the change valve; that could get it down to C with the Eb slide set and pulls in the right places .

For pitch, pull out a tuner (options are available on the pocket computers we call phones) and see what frequency it plays "in tune." High pitch is around A=452 or thereabouts, low pitch is like A=435, versus modern A=440-443. I think the extensions are too long for HP/LP conversion (the Eb loop on the Conn mellophones and 16E mellophonium is about as long as these extensions, for instance), but that's just my eyes. If the valves are leaky, use a heavier oil.

If OP could post more pictures of the main tuning slide, change slide, extensions (by themselves) and any markings they have on them, that would be helpful to determine what's going on here.

And also of the bell engraving since what little we can see looks lovely.

[bloke]

Mellophone-shaped instruments which PRIMARILY are designed to play in C are called "ballad horns".

[Duckpin76]

Thank you all. I'll post more pictures when I get home later today.

I only remember seeing one of these type instruments maybe 30 years ago as a high school student. The school I attended was incorporated in 1856 and has/had a very robust music department going back well over 100 years. We had a "drum corps room" (as there was a school drum corps in the first half of the 20th century, in addition to the marching band) that contained quite a number of instruments from the turn of the century, including this style mellophone. If only I knew then what I know now ...

[Duckpin76]

Here are some more photos.

I’ve included scans from a catalog that shows separate slides for the keys of D/C and F. I don’t have the C/D slide (assuming the F is covered by my Eb/F dial because I can’t see anywhere else that would go) but I’d like to locate the C/D if someone has it rooting around in a drawer somewhere.

I’ve also included more closeups. The F/Eb slide has markings for Eb, though it’s hard to see in the photo. I tried skipping those ferrules (thanks for the correct terminology) on the main tuning slide but it doesn’t leave much room.

With the ferrules off the slide on the third valve, the case closes easily. So that probably explains that.

The valves are in real good shape and they all have a serial number stamped on them that matches the serial number on the horn. For a horn that is over 100 years old, I’m glad that is all original.

Lastly I snapped a picture of the three slides in the case. It looks like the one on the left doesn’t match the other two. There is no Eb line and there is a slight difference in appearance.

Thanks for your help in me trying to solve this mystery. Haven’t had a chance to hook up to a tuner but probably will tomorrow (little kids in the house doesn’t allow for much quiet time!).

Brian

[bloke]

My own Czech-made BALLAD HORN (in C) looks very much like the one pictured below.
Rather than a rotary valve, it has CROOKS which LOWER it from C to B-flat or A.

It sorta sucks in B-flat or A, but plays QUITE nicely (no crooks inserted) in C (with everything in good tune, yet with the typical flat fifth partial, which is corrected - as with many tubas - by playing the (otherwise "open") E and neighboring E-flat with sixth partial fingerings.

I use a very-VERY small-cupped Bronx, NY Bach trombone mouthpiece to play it, and - when I'm in the mood to mess around with it - play Mozart horn concertos (at pitch). I put my hand in the bell (left hand, as the right hand depresses the pistons) to tease the 5th partial E and E-flat up to pitch.