TubaForum.net

Trent has a great channel.

Very interesting video - I enjoyed it, thanks for posting it!

The Harmonitrompe reminds me of an instrument called the Couesnophone, or more commonly, “goofus”; basically the same thing but shaped like a saxophone:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Couesnophone
It was made popular in the 1920s by Adrian Rollini, even recording in a band named after the instrument (goofus solo at 1:17):

so the buttons on that thing are like the chord buttons on an accordion.
Bix always stole the show, didn’t he?

Is this guy the same one who dropped a brand new contrabass trombone on the floor - in another video?

My understanding of the instrument is that each button is an individual note, and that you press several at once to play chords.

I also think the horn was normally held horizontally, not like a traditional saxophone, making the buttons more like a keyboard.

All recordings of a bass sax playing a tuba part should be destroyed. They sound really cool and pose an existential threat to our very existence!!

Mostly I just giggled after he said "schediphone" in that NZ accent of his.

And even more here, the Contrabass Compendium:
http://www.contrabass.com/pages/compendium.html

Agreed, Trent has a great channel, although when he pronounced schediphone, I did a "Wait, what?" I'm glad he spelled it out.

agreed:
The bass saxophone is superior to any tuba for 1920s through 1930s popular music.

bloke wrote: ↑Fri Dec 03, 2021 12:42 pm agreed:
The bass saxophone is superior to any tuba for 1920s through 1930s popular music.

I concur from personal experience. A friend of mine whom I sit beside in community band has a Conn 1920's bass saxophone, restored and played for summer concerts. I really appreciate the way it broadens the foundation of the band along with my tuba.

All recordings of a bass sax playing a tuba part should be destroyed. They sound really cool and pose an existential threat to our very existence!!

When you look at the player/instrument list of 1920s recordings you will find mostly cornet, clarinet, trombone as melody instruments and piano, banjo, drums and bass sax or tuba as rhythm section. If you look at pictures of bands of this time you will find lots of violins, flutes, guitars and string basses...
Remember: in those days recordings were made with all players circling aroud a big funnel and trying to get a sharp enough sound to get a groove into the wax. The bass sax was just perfect for this with some slightly harsh sound characteristics. And since the it went into obscurity. Tuba was quite OK for this type of recording, but you need much more Valkyries than Sam Pilafian to be heard on a wax record!

We had a lady with a very fine Buescher (sp?) bass sax in the band for a while; she played in tune, had a fine sound, and read bass clef. But when she was seated with the tubas she didn't want to be and moved back to the sax section. You can't take the sax out of the player.