1920's Tuba (Besson?) on The Rapair Shop

[rodgeman]

I am a fan of this show on Youtube. Always interesting repairs and sometimes restored older objects with high sentimental value.

They made a third valve for this tuba from brass. I think it is Besson - possibly Eb compensating - judging by the long valves. There are other objects in this episode. I hope you all enjoy it.

https://youtu.be/0qcMZ0HcTf4?si=B1BVTF9gEbObshRw

[arpthark]

I believe that is a Besson 3v "Enharmonic" compensating BBb. Thanks for sharing.

[BramJ]

I am not allowed to view it :/
The Netherlands is blocked for some reason

[2nd tenor]

I am not allowed to view it :/
The Netherlands is blocked for some reason

I couldn’t view it in the UK either, but I managed a very quick screen-shot before being dumped.

It’s a BBb and it’s not compensating, well not in the usual use of the term.

[arpthark]

I am not allowed to view it :/
The Netherlands is blocked for some reason

I couldn’t view it in the UK either, but I managed a very quick screen-shot before being dumped.

It’s a BBb and it’s not compensating, well not in the usual use of the term.

It's not the traditional Blaikley system of compensation seen on modern instruments and older Boosey & Co. instruments, but rather Besson's own rival proprietary "Enharmonic" compensating system that uses a different routing for the tubing (before they merged with Boosey). I think the Blaikley system was still under patent. Instead of the tubing being rerouted through the valves again to pass through the compensating loops to add length, it used two full different sets of slides for the compensating and noncompensating sides of the horn.

Best screenshot I could manage:



So yes, not your typical 3v compensator. That is, if my visual ID is correct!

[2nd tenor]

I think your identification is correct.
On this site there’s a BBb enharmonic, ID 885: https://www.horn-u-copia.net/show.php?s ... 2Besson%22
And below it (on that site) is an Eb enharmonic.

[iiipopes]

The only downside of the Besson Enharmonic system was that with two sets of slides made the tuba significantly heavier. Of course, when Besson merged with B&H, the Enharmonic system was mothballed in favor of the Blaikley compensation system. I would like to have one of these tubas to compare it to the New Standard 3-valve comp I used to have. I sold it to a friend, so if I ever got one, we would get together to trade observations and listen to their respective tonalities, intonation details, and physical comparisons.