TubaForum.net

This Tuba Tuesday the Museum features this impressive instrument which was acquired from the ownership of Mr. Leonard Jung, former principal tuba of the premier Navy band.  His tenure with the Navy bands was from 1941-1962.
Mr. Jung had played a similar Martin tuba in the navy fleet during WWII.  Unfortunately, that instrument was lost at sea when his boat was sunk.  Later in the 1950’s, once he had been promoted to the principal tuba position with the concert band, Mr. Jung went to the Martin factory to pick out the new horn’s for the Navy band.  He appreciated the playing characteristics of these large Martins so much, that he later purchased this exquisite 1931 example for his personal collection in the 60’s.  The Museum acquired this magnificent instrument from Mr. Jung in 2003, when he was in his 80’s, and felt he could no longer tote this 30+ pound instrument to and from rehearsals.
This horn exhibits the original leadpipe shanks that these tubas were provided pwith from the factory, to accommodate seating position.  The abalone buttons were added by Mr. Jung.





https://simonettitubacollection.com/ins ... -piston-2/

Very nice. Good choice for the week!

Regarding the second picture, I have one from the same DC Navy Band special order that was missing its tuning lever. I came across someone with one spare (pretty random) and yesterday made the vertical rod that goes from the lever to the MTS. Pretty nifty setup. Today I semi-smoothed out some bell damage.

Nice horns, these Martins...

Does anyone know how to get a hold of Mr. Jung if he is still with us? I’d like to ask h8m about the special order for this batch.

York-aholic wrote: ↑Mon Jun 28, 2021 11:56 pm Does anyone know how to get a hold of Mr. Jung if he is still with us? I’d like to ask h8m about the special order for this batch.

Copying and pasting something I wrote a week or two ago...

I had the privilege to play alongside Lenny in a community band in Maryland back when I was 17 or 18 years old. An exceptionally fine tuba player, and an extremely nice man. He must have been about 80 years old then...

I didn't know until just now when he passed, or that he had passed at all (although when I started to do the math, the probability got pretty low). Wow, age 97. You can't live forever, but he sure gave it a run! Also didn't know that he was a Minnesotan, so that explains the "nice". :)

https://www.beallfuneral.com/memsol.cgi?user_id=1886953

Thank you @bort2.0 . I remembered that you played next to him but must have missed you last post.

That is indeed a long and full life.

Here is an interview he did in 2003:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=3j2ogXm46g0

Great post and great story!

Some of the things in this "collection" need to be in the hands of (responsible/caregiving) players, rather than collecting dust and their slide tubes permanently seizing.

bloke "I respect/champion the concept of private property, and they ain't mine...but just sayin'..."

bloke wrote: ↑Sat Jul 03, 2021 12:08 pm Some of the things in this "collection" need to be in the hands of (responsible/caregiving) players, rather than collecting dust and their slide tubes permanently seizing.

bloke "I respect/champion the concept of private property, and they ain't mine...but just sayin'..."

Joe, I've been saying that since day one.

Some of those tubes are long past their point of use. Others have many many many years left in them. It's a horrible irony for a beautiful music instrument tomsit silently. Actually, that sounds like my house right now. :-)

That front-action Martin B-flat is big-five-orchestra-worthy. It wasn’t built to be a monument, monolith, or sculpture.