Confirmed: The Largest Tuba Ever Built!

Tubas, euphoniums, mouthpieces, and anything music-related.
Forum rules
This section is for posts that are directly related to performance, performers, or equipment. Social issues are allowed, as long as they are directly related to those categories. If you see a post that you cannot respond to with respect and courtesy, we ask that you do not respond at all.
Post Reply
User avatar
Dave Detwiler
Posts: 186
Joined: Sat Aug 15, 2020 4:12 pm
Location: Harleysville, PA
Has thanked: 1 time
Been thanked: 190 times
Contact:

Confirmed: The Largest Tuba Ever Built!

Post by Dave Detwiler »

Hi all,

In my ongoing research on giant tubas, I now have confirmation as to the largest tuba ever built, which was created way back in 1867 by the legendary inventor Adolphe Sax.

Here's my blog post on this news: http://tubapastor.blogspot.com/2020/11/ ... -1867.html

Enjoy!
Dave


Played an F. E. Olds 4-valve BBb in high school (late '70s)
Led the USC Trojan Marching Band tuba section (early '80s)
Now playing an F. Schmidt (=VMI) 3301 and goofing around
on a 1925 Pan American Sousaphone and an 1899 Conn tuba!
User avatar
lost
Posts: 205
Joined: Thu Aug 13, 2020 8:38 am
Location: Massachusetts
Has thanked: 9 times
Been thanked: 24 times
Contact:

Re: Confirmed: The Largest Tuba Ever Built!

Post by lost »

What a find! Thanks for another cool post.
:thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
J.W. York & Sons Performing Artist
http://www.YorkLoyalist.com
User avatar
Snake Charmer
Posts: 152
Joined: Sat Aug 22, 2020 8:49 am
Location: Schifferstadt, Germany
Has thanked: 0
Been thanked: 69 times

Re: Confirmed: The Largest Tuba Ever Built!

Post by Snake Charmer »

Great find!
The valves look like the typical Sax Hybrid Valves. These are a bit longer than Berliner Pumpen and have an internal valve guide, not longer the guide screw through the housing. Sax used them in the 1860s and 70s until he switched to Perinet valves. On his 3+1 valve horns he kept the hybrid as 4th valve until the 1890s. Here is a picture of the Hybrid Valves of a 1863 Sax alto:
sax hybrid klein.jpg
sax hybrid klein.jpg (57.07 KiB) Viewed 356 times
:tuba: ...with a song in my heart!
User avatar
bisontuba
Posts: 938
Joined: Thu Aug 13, 2020 8:08 am
Location: Bottom of Lake Erie
Has thanked: 148 times
Been thanked: 697 times

Re: Confirmed: The Largest Tuba Ever Built!

Post by bisontuba »

Neat
User avatar
Dave Detwiler
Posts: 186
Joined: Sat Aug 15, 2020 4:12 pm
Location: Harleysville, PA
Has thanked: 1 time
Been thanked: 190 times
Contact:

Re: Confirmed: The Largest Tuba Ever Built!

Post by Dave Detwiler »

Here's another image of this beast, from the July 16, 1864 edition of L'Illustration, Journal Universel. You can see it leaning against the wall, in the shadows, to the left of the huge instrument display case:

1864-07-16 L'Illustration, Journal Universel, p. 48.JPG
1864-07-16 L'Illustration, Journal Universel, p. 48.JPG (135.2 KiB) Viewed 279 times

So this horn was apparently built at least three years before the Paris Exhibition of 1867.
Played an F. E. Olds 4-valve BBb in high school (late '70s)
Led the USC Trojan Marching Band tuba section (early '80s)
Now playing an F. Schmidt (=VMI) 3301 and goofing around
on a 1925 Pan American Sousaphone and an 1899 Conn tuba!
humBell
Posts: 2050
Joined: Thu Aug 13, 2020 11:25 am
Has thanked: 218 times
Been thanked: 165 times

Re: Confirmed: The Largest Tuba Ever Built!

Post by humBell »

Thanks as always for such wonderful posts.

In the ounce of prevention spirit, if we do track it down, please, no one suggest we cut it to CCCC.

Wishing for a 4th or 5th valve is acceptible.

As would wishing for a 4th or 5th lung.
(be acceptible, that is)
"All art is one." -Hal
Post Reply