1919 Los Angeles Philharmonic tuba

[York-aholic]

I've been digging into the past a bit recently and found this:

http://imgzoom.cdlib.org/Fullscreen.ics ... brand=oac4

This is the LA Phil in 1919. I'll add a close up of the tuba player. It looks to be a 3v front action BBb (curly cue in the third valve circuit) BAT.

The bell throat looks too big for a Conn, the valve cluster too high up for a York (bows are wrong for a York too). Me thinks it is a big Martin.

Doesn't really matter much, but thought it might be of interest to see that BATs were in use in orchestras before Mr. Jacobs (and by extension, Mr. Donatelli).

DD13BECE-D068-4C2D-A8C8-4F24C2D5DF41.jpeg (39.65 KiB) Viewed 888 times

[bort2.0]

Buescher or Holton?

The 3 valves basically on-line with the mouthpiece seems like a potential clue as well...?

[York-aholic]

Buescher or Holton?

The 3 valves basically on-line with the mouthpiece seems like a potential clue as well...?

It certainly could be.

Here is a Martin with valves up high, in line with the leadpipe:



Before Martin started making what we typically as think of as a Mammoth (in the configuration posted), they made shorter, larger bell (24") Mammoths.

I was keying in on the higher up that most valve cluster, but you're right. Its anyone's guess.

[matt g]

The “square-ish” large bows would seem to indicate Martin also.

[cjk]

The tuba in the pic screams Martin to me as well.

There was a guy in Chicago (?) some years back selling what was a big Martin tuba body with a Meinl-Weston rotor valve set. I wanted to find a picture of that just to compare the shape of the bell and bows. I have the feeling the overall shape of that tuba was very similar. I haven't found what I'm looking for though.

Trying to find that lead me to this (sorta unrelated, but check it out):
https://reverb.com/item/10569885-martin-band-tuba-1919

[bloke]

The instrument has tuning bits on board.

[bort2.0]

Chicago, about 5 years ago. I can't find the photos, but it's on YouTube:

https://youtu.be/XpmSyLtYKIo

I considered it, but a player I know and trust told me that the intonation was all over the place, and it was not worth the effort. So, I moved on. Never tried it for myself.

[cjk]

found what I was looking for.
The shape of this bell looks really similar.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XpmSyLtYKIo

[bloke]

It looks cool, because it's big.

[the elephant]

Smells like a Martin to me.

[York-aholic]

Smells like a Martin to me.

Yeah, my USN Martin needs cleaning out too.

[York-aholic]

The instrument has tuning bits on board.

I too see the kink in the lead pipe but I think it’s just that, a kink. I don’t think Martin had started using bits yet in 1919.

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@bloke please take note that it says Perfectly in tune. Not bad for a 3 banger!

[bort2.0]

BTW, who is the tuba player?

[cjk]

sorta off topic,
but check out this old Martin:
https://reverb.com/item/10569885-martin-band-tuba-1919

[York-aholic]

sorta off topic,
but check out this old Martin:
https://reverb.com/item/10569885-martin-band-tuba-1919

I know Martins are known for square bows, but that bottom bow looks like it’s got two 90s on it!