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107-year-old 19” bell Holton monster E-flat

Posted: Thu Jul 28, 2022 6:34 pm
by bloke
Missing two pistons, but bell and outer bows and everything else are in absolutely astonishing condition.
I laid claim to it several months ago, but was only able to pick it up today.
I can’t wait to web-host pictures on the road, but here’s all about it on Frankentubas on Facebook:


https://m.facebook.com/groups/763162600 ... 988107916/

Re: at least 105-year-old 19” bell Holton monster E-flat

Posted: Thu Jul 28, 2022 7:16 pm
by ken herrick
NOPE!!!

This Facebook post is no longer available. It may have been removed or the privacy settings of the post may have changed.

Re: at least 105-year-old 19” bell Holton monster E-flat

Posted: Thu Jul 28, 2022 8:47 pm
by MikeMason
What you gonna make us??

Re: at least 105-year-old 19” bell Holton monster E-flat

Posted: Thu Jul 28, 2022 9:08 pm
by bloke
ken herrick wrote: Thu Jul 28, 2022 7:16 pm NOPE!!!

This Facebook post is no longer available. It may have been removed or the privacy settings of the post may have changed.
If you are on Facebook, the link works and doesn’t work intermittently.

I posted the web address just below - that you can click on or touch with your finger.

Re: at least 105-year-old 19” bell Holton monster E-flat

Posted: Thu Jul 28, 2022 9:10 pm
by bloke
Mike,
I’m mostly just interested in the parts.
I’m not much of a early 20th century monster E-flat person, but the bell, bottom bow, and brace socket flanges are gems.

The lack of finish wear, lack of scratches, and lack of denting are spooky.

I picked this up just under 100 miles mostly west and a bit south of downtown Chicago.

Re: at least 105-year-old 19” bell Holton monster E-flat

Posted: Fri Jul 29, 2022 8:53 am
by 2nd tenor
It’d be interesting to know what you intend to do about the missing valves, perhaps you come across enough scrap instruments that you can lift a valve-set off of something else or even fit something new at cost price?

On the other hand if it’s really more parts interest to you then what will happen to them?

Re: at least 105-year-old 19” bell Holton monster E-flat

Posted: Fri Jul 29, 2022 11:21 am
by Tubajug
Put that York bell on your compact Holton to give it that York magic!

Re: at least 105-year-old 19” bell Holton monster E-flat

Posted: Fri Jul 29, 2022 11:21 am
by Tubajug
Double post. Sorry!

Re: at least 105-year-old 19” bell Holton monster E-flat

Posted: Fri Jul 29, 2022 6:42 pm
by York-aholic
That’s what I was figuring. Put the gorgeous Holton bell and bottom bow on the squat Holton but can think of two reasons that that won’t happen.

1) I don’t see Bloke going for the silver bell/bow with raw brass body look. Just not his style. And silver playing the body/valve set to match the bell/bow would still be a mismatch of silver I’d think.

2) I seem to think he got the original bell engraving freshened up before he built the horn.

Re: at least 105-year-old 19” bell Holton monster E-flat

Posted: Fri Jul 29, 2022 7:46 pm
by matt g
Guessing Joe has a few more 2341 bodies and parts laying around he could cobble together into a horn similar to the Holton.

Re: at least 105-year-old 19” bell Holton monster E-flat

Posted: Sat Jul 30, 2022 8:49 am
by bloke
I don’t have a project to which this bell and bottom bow would be assigned, but I’m not interested in selling them.

Were I in some weird mood and some Eastman 4/4 C with a trashed bell showed up for $1800… I’m *not sure what I would do. (??)
——————————
* being that I already have a same-size/same-features B-flat that probably plays better

107-year-old 19” bell Holton monster E-flat

Posted: Tue Aug 02, 2022 8:05 am
by bloke
This tuba's serial number indicates early 1915.

Image

Image

Re: at least 105-year-old 19” bell Holton monster E-flat

Posted: Tue Aug 02, 2022 8:14 am
by arpthark
Gorgeous engraving!

Re: 107-year-old 19” bell Holton monster E-flat

Posted: Tue Aug 02, 2022 8:52 am
by bloke
again:

Two pistons are missing (not that I need them for anything), but there's really no finish wear - and only the equivalent of a year-or-two of minor dent/crease boo-boos on this thing.

Re: 107-year-old 19” bell Holton monster E-flat

Posted: Tue Aug 02, 2022 8:56 am
by bloke
It might be nice to strip the silver and swap out my 1960's same-mandrel (obviously) bell for this one, but I really don't think I want to have the mouthpipe crossing the engraving - which would occur with this bell.

Re: 107-year-old 19” bell Holton monster E-flat

Posted: Tue Aug 02, 2022 10:11 pm
by bort2.0
bloke wrote: Tue Aug 02, 2022 8:56 am It might be nice to strip the silver and swap out my 1960's same-mandrel (obviously) bell for this one, but I really don't think I want to have the mouthpipe crossing the engraving - which would occur with this bell.
Then rotate it to point the engraving towards you!

Re: 107-year-old 19” bell Holton monster E-flat

Posted: Wed Aug 03, 2022 1:05 pm
by bloke
The bell and bottom bow are identical to the B-flat versions of these instruments.

The large upper bow (in remarkable condition, and with both a cap and a guard wire) ends up a bit smaller than the B-flat upper bow, but is stops (small end) at around the same place.

The offers an opportunity to splice on a smaller-diameter lower inside bow (ie. for a C tuba project).

The thing is this:

I have no current interest in a York/Holton4/4-Canadian Brass-Eastman-size C tuba. :coffee:

Re: 107-year-old 19” bell Holton monster E-flat

Posted: Mon Aug 15, 2022 5:05 pm
by Bob Kolada
I haven't played a bunch of these XXL Eb tubas but IMO the Holtons have a nicer sound than the Yorks or Conns; the one big King I played was like a circus clown playing freeform jazz while on LSD. I didn't know an instrument could produce such pitches. My Conn Giant was kind of meh but I knew a guy with a Rusk modded Holton Eb that was out of this world. I vote to keep it on an Eb of some kind.