Tuba Tuesday: King Symphony 1280 BBb

[bisontuba]

Happy Tuba Tuesday

In today’s edition, from the Museum, we showcase our tallest instrument: a King Symphony model 1280 four rotary valve BBb tuba circa 1934. This instrument is unusual in several ways. It is 65 inches high, came with its own stand and was meant to be played standing up by string bass players who doubled on tuba. The stand allowed the instrument to be raised to whatever height was comfortable for the player and could be raised to over 72 inches high. King was the only American maker who made rotary valve tubas in any number and did this only during the 1930s. The 1280 shown below is in lacquered brass and has a .750 inch valve bore. It was also offered with a .687 inch valve bore. We also have one of the smaller bore 1280 King models in the collection in silver plate with a gold inner bell.

https://simonettitubacollection.com/ins ... hony-tuba/

[JRaymo]

This could have been my friends old horn. I know he had one of those and traded it to them for a St Pete BBb. I would have bought him a St Pete for that horn. He had all the original cases, The stand and the case for the stand.

[JRaymo]

Actually reading the entire post his was probably the silver one. His was silver.