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Hey all, I've got quite the story for you today.

I was perusing Facebook Marketplace as I normally do and came across a listing for a Holton Bb tuba. Looking at the photos revealed it was, in fact, a big 340 BBb! It can't have been on Facebook for more than 10 minutes before I caught it.

I could tell it had bell damage, but was in relatively good shape otherwise.

I dropped everything I had going today, and drove about an hour and a half to Wisconsin to purchase this tuba. If any of you saw this and didn't get it... Sorry!

I've wanted one of these for quite some time, and am grateful to have been in the right place at the right time to purchase this instrument. Looking forward to giving it a long life of play time!

I can't play it yet. The leadpipe is unsoldered from the valves, but the valves seem to be in very good shape. The guides, though, are not. They need to be replaced.

Here are some pics for you to drool over. This thing is H U G E! It will eat my Tuono for breakfast. Initially, it seems like this is going to be extremely easy to get into good shape!

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Wow. That's awesome. Great haul. Will there be a 4th valve in the future?

Sent from my SM-S367VL using Tapatalk

Currently, no.

I'd like a fourth, but the pistons are in such good shape that I'd hate to mess with it.

In the future? Well, the possibilities are endless

I'm just stoked to have one of these.

With the bottom bow cap in place, I may (??) have never been refinished.
How sharp (clear) is the bell engraving?

I had one of those...The first thing I used it for was in the pit in an old/restored Orpheum circuit vaudeville theater..."Annie".
Amazing "It's a Hard Knock Life" tuba licks on that particular tuba! (as would be the case with FB/98).

Congratulations !!!

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I'd bet it's not been refinished. It lived most (all?) of it's life in a high school's art room, and was literally used for still shots rather than being played.

The bell? Probably took a big fall.

I'd like to strip the lacquer and leave it in raw brass and let it patina.

Nice find!

Cool!

It appears to be original, and - based on the size of the engraving - made towards the end.

Please don't strip the bell.

Find someone headed my way, have them hang out for an hour or so, and I'll have the bell looking nice for you (without the devaluation that results - imo - from stripping lacquer from bells).

original lacquer: "Cool...It's never had the crap buffed out of it."
stripped: "Who knows how much it's had the crap buffed out of it"...plus: ugly

bloke "I don't need the work, and I wouldn't charge all that much...I would just hate to see original lacquer (that's in darn good shape) stripped from that bell."

That's a major score for you! It is a terrific looking tuba and I am sure once all is right with it that it will play very very well indeed!

I had one for a while in pristine shape. Was owned by the gentleman that originally talked Bloke out of his remodeled York 4+1 Eb the first time.

The 340 had a wonderful sound and had a ton of presence without needing to be loud.

Very nice find!

Thanks for the nice responses, everyone!

Joe - I’ll keep it original, don’t worry

Those of you that have and play these things regularly -

What are you using for a case? Any stock bags work, or am I looking at another Cronkhite? I believe it measured at 20” bell and about 37.5” tall.

Mouthpieces- What do you like?

Had one also. You can do an awful lot of playing with 3 valves and a good first valve slide.

BFT Three Valves approved!

Color me jealous!

Congrats!

Tuba is in. Not too bad in repairs, either.

My big question - case/bag. What fits? It does NOT fit in a 6/4 Nirschl gig bag.

Do ANY stock bags fit these tubas?

I hope this tuba will bring you joy -- either through playing it, or monetarily if you flip it down the road.

I can't help but be happy and amused when I see an old fat BAT.

arpthark wrote: ↑Mon Jan 22, 2024 4:42 pm I hope this tuba will bring you joy -- either through playing it, or monetarily if you flip it down the road.

I can't help but be happy and amused when I see an old fat BAT.

Truthfully, I don’t think it’s going anywhere.

I can’t help but think about hot rodding this tuba with a 5v set someday

I seem to remember (that's iffy for sure) that it fit in the larger of the old Protec bags (made for 22" bell I think).

For my 345 I bought the bag from Wessex for their 6/4 York type. Not much for padding but excellent for backpack carry, and the 2 zippered pouches were terrific. I was very pleased with mine.
Tim