Tuba Tuesday: Holton, medium, BB flat helicon, 3 pistons, 1914

[bisontuba]

Happy Tuba Tuesday. Today, the Museum features a Holton, medium, BB flat helicon, 3 pistons, 1914.

20” bell and .665 bore.



https://simonettitubacollection.com/ins ... t-helicon/

[Kirley]

That is one of the most unique valve wraps I’ve seen. It’s doing the tuning slide before the cluster thing like the Bueschers. And that 3rd valve upper loop! Creative.

[bloke]

.665" bore pretty much insures/proves (though there seems to have been very little frankentubaing - in past eras) that the entire instrument (and not just the bell) is absolutely "Holton" (if - ?? - there would otherwise be any suspicion that the rest of the instrument could possibly be Buescher-made).

(Holton's .665" bore tubing fit perfectly INSIDE their .750" bore tubing - as so many manufacturers use the "telescoping tubing" thing in order to minimize the number of tubing sizes required to make all their products.)

[humBell]

I think the MTS and third valve loop wrap are similar to European helicons of the era. But they usually have valve loop ports all on one side. Which means they probably could use the same valves for top action tubas and helicons, i think.