Holton "Mammoth" BBb tuba

[prairieboy1]

The above horn is now 104 years old. Was it produced primarily for the concert band or did it have any practical application in other musical situations? Thanks!

[lost]

I'm not seeing a picture.

[Dave Detwiler]

The above horn is now 104 years old. Was it produced primarily for the concert band or did it have any practical application in other musical situations? Thanks!

Actually, this horn goes back to at least 1909, as seen here, in the Spring/Summer edition of Holton Harmony Hints (click on page 34 once you get to this): https://saxophone.org/museum/publications/id/617 (there was no page for this instrument in any edition earlier than 1909).

Further, a custom front-action version was make for Herman Conrad in 1912, to use in his studio work with the Victor Talking Machine Co., as seen in the Autumn version of Holton Harmony Hints from that year:

1912 HHH vol 9 no 2 p 2 Autumn (Conrad).jpg (143.07 KiB) Viewed 723 times

[KingTuba1241X]

I wonder how good that horn really was, considering the bar was fairly low in 1912? That's a pretty cool snippet thanks for sharing this.

[bloke]

I wonder how good that horn really was, considering the bar was fairly low in 1912? That's a pretty cool snippet thanks for sharing this.

I love it when others ask the discomforting questions (instead of it always being me).

[lost]

I played a model for sale at Baltimore brass a couple years back. Played like a holton. I wasn't impressed with the 4th valve low F. Someone in Dallas bought it

[Dave Detwiler]

I wonder how good that horn really was, considering the bar was fairly low in 1912? That's a pretty cool snippet thanks for sharing this.

You're welcome for the snippet. But as to the quality of the horn (aside from Conrad's praise for it in the said snippet!), that very instrument, if it was indeed custom built for Conrad, is in a private collection today. If that person is reading this thread, feel free to chime in!

[Yorkboy]

I seem to recall that horn being discussed at length on the other forum.

I've seen many Holtons, but I've never seen one with that unusual 3rd valve wrap, either in person or in a catalog (I do recall seeing a picture of a similar one on an album cover that escapes me at present) . It wouldn't be unusual for a player of Conrad's reputation to have a custom instrument made for him.

[lost]

I wonder how good that horn really was, considering the bar was fairly low in 1912? That's a pretty cool snippet thanks for sharing this.

You're welcome for the snippet. But as to the quality of the horn (aside from Conrad's praise for it in the said snippet!), that very instrument, if it was indeed custom built for Conrad, is in a private collection today. If that person is reading this thread, feel free to chime in!

I appear to be really lost in this thread. Both by which horn the OP is referring to and the custom horn in the clip differs in respect to a standard mammoth horn.

Is the discussion that we think the routing of a third valve from the standard 4 valve wrap of the mammoths changes the characteristics?