Played an enormous plethora of tubas in a private collection recently (w/ pics)

[arpthark]

(posted with blessing of the owner)

Had a fantastic time chatting, playing and experiencing Living Tuba History yesterday evening. If I make any errors, please blame me for misremembering and not the owner!

King 4v Jumbo (the largest tuba I have ever experienced). It felt like playing a regular tuba at the bottom of an enormous stairwell. I managed to fluff through Carnival of Venice on it, because why not?


Gold-plated, beautifully engraved Conn 40K:





Likely a factory Conn rotary valve tuba made for Gus Helleberg (if not extensively used BY him):



Alex 163 CC:


compared to Alex 164 BBb:


Martin Wilk-modified 4v Eb Keefer helicon w/ modified detachable bell system:


Sellmansberger-built 5v York Eb with a bunch of features that are quite clever:



Alex tenor tuba (which does not play anything at all like a compensating euphonium). Great for Bydlo!


On the far wall, three F tubas owned by Kilton Vinal Smith which he played in the Boston Symphony, including the Kruspe with left hand "quint" valve and big wrap of nickel around the bell (and Arnold Jacobs' "Pulmonor" machine on the left):




I'm not sure I should post a picture, but there was also a room full of ophicleides, tenor/alto helicons, OTS saxhorns, pre- and post-Civil War era instruments, English bass horn, etc. Tons of memorabilia, daguerrotypes, documents, everything.

I had an amazing time and it was so, so much fun to spend some time with my very generous hosts and spend a couple hours trying everything out! To quote my wife (who is out of town with my son, which allowed me the free time to do this): "I'm surprised you even went home!"

[PlayTheTuba]

Noice, I can only imagine how painful my shoulder (and heck maybe back too) the King Jumbo sousaphone is like...

A rotary Conn, cool. I wonder how many rotary models Conn made, seeing as Baltimore Brass had a 6/4 one at one point. Not sure if Baltimore Brass still has that Conn seeing as the valves were worn.

Was the Bloke-EE-York Eb the Bee's Knee's?

[bloke]

For what it's worth, the York has real York pistons and tubing.

(NOT King/Olds, etc.)

The fourth was grafted from a same-bore skinny York made sousaphone.

The mouthpipe is also original.
If someone doesn't like the resistance/feel/whatever, they can mostly complain to York.

Three more instruments are going to be in that collection pretty soon.

I don't know either when or how, but sometime I need to get up there.

[arpthark]

For what it's worth, the York has real York pistons and tubing.

(NOT King/Olds, etc.)

The fourth was grafted from a same-bore skinny York made sousaphone.

The mouthpipe is also original.
If someone doesn't like the resistance/feel/whatever, they can mostly complain to York.

Three more instruments are going to be in that collection pretty soon.

I don't know either when or how, but sometime I need to get up there.

Working on a sternly-worded letter...

Nah, very cool, I really liked it, and the rotary valve assembly/disassembly design is something I would've never thought of.

[bloke]

For what it's worth, the York has real York pistons and tubing.

(NOT King/Olds, etc.)

The fourth was grafted from a same-bore skinny York made sousaphone.

The mouthpipe is also original.
If someone doesn't like the resistance/feel/whatever, they can mostly complain to York.

Three more instruments are going to be in that collection pretty soon.

I don't know either when or how, but sometime I need to get up there.

Working on a sternly-worded letter...

Nah, very cool, I really liked it, and the rotary valve assembly/disassembly design is something I would've never thought of.

The wrap also manages to stay out of the way of the players right forearm. Were you shown the secret compartment? I'm not even sure if the current owner knows of its existence.

If not and if you're curious, I'll send you an edited picture via email or something and show you where it is... I'm thinking that if you know how to get the fifth valve out, you also know where the secret compartment is located.

[arpthark]

Were you shown the secret compartment? I'm not even sure if the current owner knows of its existence.

If not and if you're curious, I'll send you an edited picture via email or something and show you where it is... I'm thinking that if you know how to get the fifth valve out, you also know where the secret compartment is located.

Yes, I was. Disappointed there were no secret documents, krugerrands, etc. hidden in there.

[Sousaswag]

This is so cool. Jealous.

Those sousaphones and bloke’s York looked awesome.

Was that Brett’s 163? I don’t recall too many VERY nice, silver 163’s, and his had that weird leadpipe too.

[arpthark]

This is so cool. Jealous.

Those sousaphones and bloke’s York looked awesome.

Was that Brett’s 163? I don’t recall too many VERY nice, silver 163’s, and his had that weird leadpipe too.

Yes. It was neat to play some tubas I've only ever seen pictures of. Brett's old 163 is the best 4v 163 I've ever played, hands down!

Not pictured was a Cerveny Eb with a very, very fat stovepipe bell. Almost no bell flare at all. I wonder if anyone else has ever seen that instrument. It was so weird.

Also, lots of Stofer jobs, including a beautiful satin silver Jerome Thibouville-Lamy 3v BBb that played super great. And, not a Stofer job, but a Keefer 3v BBb was the most fun thing to get around on.

[BramJ]

Wow, that is a nice collection!
Jealous!

[bloke]

York E-flat.

I built that with no intention of selling it.

An elderly man (from two states over) wandered in to our brick-and-mortar (decades ago), saw it, and had to have it.
I didn't want to sell it, quoted him a high price (so he would bug off), and he pulled out his check book.
He had just lost his wife, and - knowing that via a bit of introductory chatting - I wasn't sure of his state of mind, so I told him that if he kept track and contacted me exactly a year later, I would sell it to him for that price. The money arrived on that date, and he came down and got it.

The bore is the original York bore (the same size as all of those Olds/Reynolds/Bach tubas), so it doesn't "blow" as "open" as those with King valvesets pasted onto them...but it's nice.
analogy: People can play King 3B, Conn 6H, and similar trombones nicely (as we've all heard), but trying to play them as if they "large bore" trombones doesn't offer particularly wonderful results.
Playing this tuba AS a c. 21/32" bore instrument (vs. AS IF 11/16" or 3/4" bore instrument) renders very satisfactory results...and perhaps neither with the world's deepest nor largest-throated mouthpiece.

[the elephant]

I was not sure these guys were ready to announce the existence of their massive collection of tubas to the world last July when I bought my Adams from them… so I didn't. I decided to wait until I saw evidence that they were ready for this. (I suppose this would have been easier had I thought to ask them, but my MIL had a medical emergency and I had to test the tuba in like 30 minutes, eat lunch with them, and hit the road. This was a shame because where they are happens to be my favorite place in the world and a place I had hoped to live many years ago. I did not want to do all that driving and then get to spend zero time sightseeing, etc. But that is another story…

So here I am with that same Kruspe owned by Kilton Vinal Smith and played in BSO for many years, It is a super interesting tuba and I would like to see it carefully recreated so it could be studied. It played very well — far better than old rotary F tubas usually do. I could play that tuba at work today and no one would have any idea of how old or "low-tech" it is.

Note that the old elephant is about 60 pounds lighter than this nowadays…


Here are some photos I snapped. They show nothing of the size of this place or its warehouse/repair shop or the upstairs "practice room" area. Fantastic facilities, with a famous repair stud working in the shop, at least at that time.









Here is a happy elephant with his new-to-him Adams F tuba…


I still am not sure I am supposed to talk about this place yet, so I will not mention names or locations; I will leave that to others (or the owners).

All they need is a roller coaster and an ice cream machine and this place will be the perfect tuba player vacation destination!

[bloke]

Again, there will be two or three more on those shelves very shortly.

[arpthark]

Yes, I also thought the Kruspe played very well.

[Mary Ann]

I want the Alex tenor tuba.

[arpthark]

I want the Alex tenor tuba.

For reference, I am only 5'6" on a good day, and it felt pretty small to me. I think it would be a great size for you.

[Heavy_Metal]

So many tubas, so little time..................

[jtuba]

I still am not sure I am supposed to talk about this place yet, so I will not mention names or locations; I will leave that to others (or the owners).

@the elephant If I'm right about this, I may know of they guys in this new venture. Would they be more than several hours northeast of you?