1919 Los Angeles Philharmonic tuba

[York-aholic]

I've been digging into the past a bit recently and found this:

http://imgzoom.cdlib.org/Fullscreen.ics ... brand=oac4

This is the LA Phil in 1919. I'll add a close up of the tuba player. It looks to be a 3v front action BBb (curly cue in the third valve circuit) BAT.

The bell throat looks too big for a Conn, the valve cluster too high up for a York (bows are wrong for a York too). Me thinks it is a big Martin.

Doesn't really matter much, but thought it might be of interest to see that BATs were in use in orchestras before Mr. Jacobs (and by extension, Mr. Donatelli).

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[bort2.0]

Buescher or Holton?

The 3 valves basically on-line with the mouthpiece seems like a potential clue as well...?

[York-aholic]

Buescher or Holton?

The 3 valves basically on-line with the mouthpiece seems like a potential clue as well...?

It certainly could be.

Here is a Martin with valves up high, in line with the leadpipe:



Before Martin started making what we typically as think of as a Mammoth (in the configuration posted), they made shorter, larger bell (24") Mammoths.

I was keying in on the higher up that most valve cluster, but you're right. Its anyone's guess.

[matt g]

The “square-ish” large bows would seem to indicate Martin also.

[cjk]

The tuba in the pic screams Martin to me as well.

There was a guy in Chicago (?) some years back selling what was a big Martin tuba body with a Meinl-Weston rotor valve set. I wanted to find a picture of that just to compare the shape of the bell and bows. I have the feeling the overall shape of that tuba was very similar. I haven't found what I'm looking for though.

Trying to find that lead me to this (sorta unrelated, but check it out):
https://reverb.com/item/10569885-martin-band-tuba-1919

[bloke]

The instrument has tuning bits on board.

[bort2.0]

Chicago, about 5 years ago. I can't find the photos, but it's on YouTube:

https://youtu.be/XpmSyLtYKIo

I considered it, but a player I know and trust told me that the intonation was all over the place, and it was not worth the effort. So, I moved on. Never tried it for myself.

[cjk]

found what I was looking for.
The shape of this bell looks really similar.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XpmSyLtYKIo

[bloke]

It looks cool, because it's big.

[the elephant]

Smells like a Martin to me.

[York-aholic]

Smells like a Martin to me.

Yeah, my USN Martin needs cleaning out too.

[York-aholic]

The instrument has tuning bits on board.

I too see the kink in the lead pipe but I think it’s just that, a kink. I don’t think Martin had started using bits yet in 1919.

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@bloke please take note that it says Perfectly in tune. Not bad for a 3 banger!

[bort2.0]

BTW, who is the tuba player?

[cjk]

sorta off topic,
but check out this old Martin:
https://reverb.com/item/10569885-martin-band-tuba-1919

[York-aholic]

sorta off topic,
but check out this old Martin:
https://reverb.com/item/10569885-martin-band-tuba-1919

I know Martins are known for square bows, but that bottom bow looks like it’s got two 90s on it!