Walter Sear De Prins tuba on eBay (auction ended)

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arpthark
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Walter Sear De Prins tuba on eBay (auction ended)

Post by arpthark »

https://www.ebay.com/itm/365107691630?m ... media=COPY

Image

Thought this was kind of interesting. De Prins Bros. tuba imported by Walter Sear. This kinda looks like a CC as it is missing the signature loop in the 3rd valve tubing that BBb De Prins have. Shame it's missing a valve, maybe a franken-candidate. Nickel plated?

Anybody end up with this?

Further, anybody had any experience with De Prins tubas?

I have Belgian ancestry and am sort of dorkily interested.


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Re: Walter Sear De Prins tuba on eBay (auction ended)

Post by bloke »

buttons/caps look really similar to Reynolds... (only a comment, not an implication)
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Re: Walter Sear De Prins tuba on eBay (auction ended)

Post by Jim Williams »

For three or so years (1968-70) I uncrated and prepared dozens of the dePrins tubas when I worked for Walter Sear.
As I recall, they were--to me--a distant third behind the Cerveny and Mahillon models he also imported. My high school in NJ, knowing that I was studying with and worked for Walter, bought an upright-bell Mahillon (on which I played principal tuba in the 1969 NJ All-State Band under Frederick Fennell), a recording bell Mahillon (an absolute POS), and a couple of the front-action dePrins models, all in BB flat.
Walter traded lessons for work in his studio--he knew I had a top-class amateur radio license and was experienced with tube-based circuitry. Pulling patch cords, tweaking voltage pots, replacing tubes, soldering capacitors and resistors into place...big fun.
I also learned about synching sound to (interesting) films...
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Re: Walter Sear De Prins tuba on eBay (auction ended)

Post by humBell »

No great wisdom on my end, but i expect it to be BBb.

For some reason i think this was the normal 3rd valve circuit, and the odder variant was made for someone who wanted to be able to reach through the upper bow for some reason? I think i got that impression from a comment i saw on horn-u-copia, but i didn't understand it then and still don't.

I really liked the one i played when i played it, but i'd only been playing for a couple years...
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Re: Walter Sear De Prins tuba on eBay (auction ended)

Post by Jim Williams »

IIRC, both the Mahillon and dePrins tubas used very thick brass, and thus became popular in schools. The Cerveny tubas had very thin brass.
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Re: Walter Sear De Prins tuba on eBay (auction ended)

Post by catgrowlB »

Another one in better condition:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/305785367128
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Re: Walter Sear De Prins tuba on eBay (auction ended)

Post by PlayTheTuba »

They sure do look neat!
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Re: Walter Sear De Prins tuba on eBay (auction ended)

Post by arpthark »

Saw that. There's a slightly gnarly patch around the receiver.
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Re: Walter Sear De Prins tuba on eBay (auction ended)

Post by humBell »

catgrowlB wrote: Mon Sep 16, 2024 8:15 pm Another one in better condition:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/305785367128
That auction ended, too.
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