cool vintage Holton rec. bell BBb $600 (Pontiac, MI/FB)

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arpthark
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cool vintage Holton rec. bell BBb $600 (Pontiac, MI/FB)

Post by arpthark »

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hrender (Tue May 19, 2026 10:26 am) • PRO (Wed May 20, 2026 8:20 am)


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Re: cool vintage Holton rec. bell BBb $600 (Pontiac, MI/FB)

Post by TheConnsequence »

I'm in talks. Very excited for this tuba.
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humBell (Tue May 19, 2026 3:19 pm) • gocsick (Tue May 19, 2026 3:58 pm) • arpthark (Tue May 19, 2026 4:58 pm) • MN_TimTuba (Fri May 22, 2026 7:15 am)
1921 Conn Donatelli BBb
1923 Martin Mammoth 4v FA Fixed Upright BBb Tuba
1937 Frank Holton Short action recording 3v
1936 Conn 36J
1929 Frank Holton Mammoth (Upright bell, 3v FA)
1915 Conn Eb Giant
1929 Frank Holton mammoth 3v sousaphone
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Re: cool vintage Holton rec. bell BBb $600 (Pontiac, MI/FB)

Post by PRO »

I own one of these -- made in 1929. Has a York 33 bell. (I still have the original bell and throat.) A very sweet instrument that was my brass quintet horn for a long time.
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Re: cool vintage Holton rec. bell BBb $600 (Pontiac, MI/FB)

Post by arpthark »

PRO wrote: Wed May 20, 2026 8:23 am I own one of these -- made in 1929. Has a York 33 bell. (I still have the original bell and throat.) A very sweet instrument that was my brass quintet horn for a long time.
I was having a hard time gauging the size of it based on photos -- I thought it was a larger tuba until I saw your comment. Would you say it's medium-ish/4/4-sized?
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Re: cool vintage Holton rec. bell BBb $600 (Pontiac, MI/FB)

Post by bort2.0 »

That's really cool! A little silver polish and that thing will look amazing!
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Re: cool vintage Holton rec. bell BBb $600 (Pontiac, MI/FB)

Post by humBell »

TheConnsequence wrote: Tue May 19, 2026 3:01 pm I'm in talks. Very excited for this tuba.
If you're going that way anyway, feel free to kick the tires on https://m.facebook.com/marketplace/ite ... ref=search
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For years i was clever, and i recommend pleasant"
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Re: cool vintage Holton rec. bell BBb $600 (Pontiac, MI/FB)

Post by York-aholic »

humBell wrote: Wed May 20, 2026 5:25 pm
TheConnsequence wrote: Tue May 19, 2026 3:01 pm I'm in talks. Very excited for this tuba.
If you're going that way anyway, feel free to kick the tires on https://m.facebook.com/marketplace/ite ... ref=search
6/4 York 726.
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humBell (Wed May 20, 2026 10:56 pm)
Some old Yorks, Martins, and perhaps a King rotary valved CC
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Re: cool vintage Holton rec. bell BBb $600 (Pontiac, MI/FB)

Post by PRO »

Hi Arpthark,

This Holton "Standard" is 29" from floor to top of top bow. Width is 16" from left side of big end of bottom bow to right side of small end of same (i.e., widest width of bottom bow at the ferrules). The horn is about the same size as a York 33. Smallish compared to my two large tubas -- Conn 27J and Hirsbrunner HBS193 -- if any tuba can be considered "small".

The valves are copper-plated, apparently done that way at the factory -- real nice feel.

I am having problems with DropBox. Will send photo to a friend in hopes he can post it here for you.

Hope it all works out for the best, TheConnsequence !!!
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arpthark (Sun May 24, 2026 6:02 am)
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Re: cool vintage Holton rec. bell BBb $600 (Pontiac, MI/FB)

Post by York-aholic »

@PRO’s Holton Standard:
1929 Holton Ogushwitz IMG_1731.jpeg
1929 Holton Ogushwitz IMG_1731.jpeg (98.72 KiB) Viewed 3321 times
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PRO (Sun May 24, 2026 9:02 am) • arpthark (Sun May 24, 2026 9:30 am) • bort2.0 (Sun May 24, 2026 1:05 pm)
Some old Yorks, Martins, and perhaps a King rotary valved CC
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Re: cool vintage Holton rec. bell BBb $600 (Pontiac, MI/FB)

Post by arpthark »

Looking good!

I like that low-slung valve section.
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Re: cool vintage Holton rec. bell BBb $600 (Pontiac, MI/FB)

Post by York-aholic »

arpthark wrote: Sun May 24, 2026 9:30 am Looking good!

I like that low-slung valve section.
It looks like it would definitely be easier to reach through the horn to adjust the valve slide…
Some old Yorks, Martins, and perhaps a King rotary valved CC
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Re: cool vintage Holton rec. bell BBb $600 (Pontiac, MI/FB)

Post by PRO »

They have used a sousaphone-style third valve wrap, which enables the low-slung valve section, which in turn enables a long straight run of leadpipe (which I suspect has something to do with the easy blow and sweet voice). Also lowers the center of gravity, making for nice balance on the lap.

Very easy to reach to reach through the bugle to adjust tuning. Although the tuning is pretty good on this one, it does help to extend first valve slide for low F, low E, and false Eb and D.
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Re: cool vintage Holton rec. bell BBb $600 (Pontiac, MI/FB)

Post by Eric Murphy »

Did anybody ever pick this up? I messaged the seller, but they never responded. I was up for a road trip!
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Re: cool vintage Holton rec. bell BBb $600 (Pontiac, MI/FB)

Post by TheConnsequence »

I got one reply and then nothing. I followed up several times.
1921 Conn Donatelli BBb
1923 Martin Mammoth 4v FA Fixed Upright BBb Tuba
1937 Frank Holton Short action recording 3v
1936 Conn 36J
1929 Frank Holton Mammoth (Upright bell, 3v FA)
1915 Conn Eb Giant
1929 Frank Holton mammoth 3v sousaphone
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Re: cool vintage Holton rec. bell BBb $600 (Pontiac, MI/FB)

Post by PRO »

TheConnsequence -- Sorry to hear that. I was rooting for you.
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Re: cool vintage Holton rec. bell BBb $600 (Pontiac, MI/FB)

Post by EmptyCase »

TheConnsequence wrote: Thu Jun 04, 2026 10:57 am I got one reply and then nothing. I followed up several times.
I was close to buying it. The guy seemed a little questionable but I had to back out. So I don’t think he’s selling anything to anyone not local. He also took about a week to respond to me
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PRO (Fri Jun 05, 2026 7:25 am)
HI :smilie7:
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Re: cool vintage Holton rec. bell BBb $600 (Pontiac, MI/FB)

Post by TheConnsequence »

Man, that really is too bad though. It'd be a neat tuba.
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PRO (Fri Jun 05, 2026 7:25 am)
1921 Conn Donatelli BBb
1923 Martin Mammoth 4v FA Fixed Upright BBb Tuba
1937 Frank Holton Short action recording 3v
1936 Conn 36J
1929 Frank Holton Mammoth (Upright bell, 3v FA)
1915 Conn Eb Giant
1929 Frank Holton mammoth 3v sousaphone
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