I bought that weird 5-valve-inline Alex 163 CC!

[arpthark]

Arrived today as a palletized shipment from Bellingham, WA. Original case, mouthpiece, and a big sheaf of vintage tuba music to go along with it, ranging from 1908 to 1948. Fifth valve is a two-step (2+3) combo and it has been converted from left hand to inline (not thumb) right hand. The thumb ring has also been moved to accommodate this interesting change.

A couple rotors were out of alignment, but once that was addressed, man, it sure sounds like an Alex. Minimal dents, clockspring linkage is fairly fast and mostly quiet. I feel like this has sat around for a long, long time unused.

Regular Euro shank actually fits decent, so I am not going to pony up for a custom super large shank thing just yet. As is typical with these, the supplied solid nickel-silver Alex mouthpiece is just way too small.

Intonation-wise, probably the best Alex CC I've played. 1+3 for D in the staff and that's about it. I'm sure more quirks will present themselves the more I play it.

The plan is to talk to my repairman and convert this back to either a 4+1 or a normal 5v tuba, and see about converting the 2+3 combo 5th valve to a flat whole step.

Tuba:


I love the thumbscrews:


Back:


Attention to detail with the 5th valve conversion. Check out the machining trying to get the post filigree on the added brass one close to the original nickel ones:


I'm a sucker for a gusset. Hand-made, super light.


Makes a great complement to my Piggy and I'm excited to get back into Alex-land after about eight years off!

[bloke]

well cared for

[MiBrassFS]

Wow! Super great. Congrats! I love this kind of stuff!

Curious what shipping company was used…

[arpthark]

Awesome! Congrats!

[arpthark]

@MiBrassFS, it was Estes. Dropped the pallet off in my driveway two days ahead of schedule. Cross-country shipping was relatively cheap, maybe $300 including door-to-door delivery.

I'll have to post pics of the case, too. I know our dear bloke is a sucker for an original hard case, and I don't think I have ever seen an original Alex case before this one. It's in great shape.

The music that came with the horn is all marked "C. Coffinger." The tuba came from WA, but some of the music was sold variously by a Phoenix, AZ music store, and the copyright date on the booklets ranges from 1908 to 1948, including a really old Kopprasch from the 1910s, a Bach Cello Suite edition from 1918 with Bb tuba fingerings written in above the staff, and a 1940s Tyrell book. Here is the ad on the back of the Tyrell:

[bort2.0]

I was wondering which of you bought it. Congrats!

[MiBrassFS]

Estes is one company I’ve never used. Sounds like they done good. Thanks for that.

The bonus print materials you received sound super cool, too!

[Sousaswag]

What a cool tuba! I wish you were closer so I could try it out! That is the one make of tuba that I’ve never played or seen in person. We don’t have too many in IL!

Looking forward to seeing what you do with it.

[Mary Ann]

I'm fascinated with the valve setup and simply cannot figure out how that is played.

[arpthark]

I'm fascinated with the valve setup and simply cannot figure out how that is played.

Since it's tuned as a two-step instead of long whole step, for low F (which is 235), I am able to move my index finger up to play the fifth valve while keeping my second and third fingers in place.

Based on the geometry, with a hinge bar/spring and some brass rod+paddle, it shouldn't be too hard to make this a thumb operated thing.

[Stryk]

CONGRATS! Welcome back to the club of Alex owners! That is an incredible looking horn. Have any idea what the manufacture year is? It's almost impossible to tell unless you have the provenance - even Alexander can't tell. They told me my BBb was from the 70s, but the man I bought it from bought it in 1969, the owner before him had it for 30 years and he bought it from a man who brought it from Germany and played it in opera orchestras of NYC.

[arpthark]

Based on the clocksprings and case, I am guessing 1940s-50s. I really have no idea.

[Schlitzz]

Yep, a real closet case……

[arpthark]

If anyone is curious about the size of this instrument, here it is next to a Miraphone 186 BBb:



Of course, the Alex has a larger bore, and the bell throat is a bit more broad, but it really doesn't have too much of a larger footprint than a 186.

[MiBrassFS]

Do you suppose that they worked that 5th valve lever with their left hand by hanging their arm over the top bow? The wear on one of the slide tubes and the oxidation on the bell stack makes me wonder. It would allow faster access to the first slide than the opposite side mounted 5th lever.

[bisontuba]

Congrats...neat horn!!

[arpthark]

Do you suppose that they worked that 5th valve lever with their left hand by hanging their arm over the top bow? The wear on one of the slide tubes and the oxidation on the bell stack makes me wonder. It would allow faster access to the first slide than the opposite side mounted 5th lever.

Maybe if they were very, very tall with long arms, but I am unable to do that. I actually guessed the opposite, that the tuba was converted (pretty artfully/thoughtfully, IMO) to a 5-right/no thumb because of the loss of use of the left hand which precluded a 4+1 setup. Maybe the player also lost a thumb. I have no idea. Sure plays well, though. I am having a blast with it. It's been well-preserved. All slides move, no green lime gunk, no rot, almost cherry. And there's nothing preventing someone from just playing it like a 4v and ignoring the fifth if it proves too distracting. 124 low F is actually pretty spot-on.

[gocsick]

I would put two silver coins as extended so you could use your index finger for either 1 or 5 but also actuate then both together.

[Tim Jackson]

This might be your guy. The only job listed was military. There is a phone number listed on Been Verified.
you may want to reach out to complete your file on the history of the horn. ays

Charles Coffinger was born on 12/22/1936 and is 87 years old. Right now, Charles Coffinger lives in Tacoma, WA. Other names that Charles uses includes Charles David Coffinger, Charles D Coffinger, Charles W Coffinger, Charles D Coppenger and Charles G Coffinger. Personal details about Charles include: political affiliation is currently a registered Unaffiliated/Non Affiliated; ethnicity is Caucasian; and religious views are listed as Christian. Currently, Charles is single.

TJ

[matt g]

If anyone is curious about the size of this instrument, here it is next to a Miraphone 186 BBb:



Of course, the Alex has a larger bore, and the bell throat is a bit more broad, but it really doesn't have too much of a larger footprint than a 186.

I’m guessing a bit bigger than the 188/187 as well.

My 2 bits: I’d probably have the setup rigged like a modern 5v setup and try my best to source Alex bits and pieces to do so. Probably swap out the clock springs for modern ones but I’d leave that wonderful linkage and thumbscrews as-is.

If the intonation is that good and the horn is clean with good valves, that’s a really solid all-purpose tuba. Awesome grab.