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Walter Sear De Prins tuba on eBay (auction ended)
Posted: Wed Sep 11, 2024 8:23 am
by arpthark
https://www.ebay.com/itm/365107691630?m ... media=COPY
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.
Re: Walter Sear De Prins tuba on eBay (auction ended)
Posted: Wed Sep 11, 2024 4:34 pm
by bloke
buttons/caps look really similar to Reynolds... (only a comment, not an implication)
Re: Walter Sear De Prins tuba on eBay (auction ended)
Posted: Wed Sep 11, 2024 7:24 pm
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...
Re: Walter Sear De Prins tuba on eBay (auction ended)
Posted: Wed Sep 11, 2024 10:22 pm
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...
Re: Walter Sear De Prins tuba on eBay (auction ended)
Posted: Thu Sep 12, 2024 8:38 am
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.
Re: Walter Sear De Prins tuba on eBay (auction ended)
Posted: Mon Sep 16, 2024 8:15 pm
by catgrowlB
Re: Walter Sear De Prins tuba on eBay (auction ended)
Posted: Mon Sep 16, 2024 8:49 pm
by PlayTheTuba
They sure do look neat!
Re: Walter Sear De Prins tuba on eBay (auction ended)
Posted: Mon Sep 16, 2024 9:00 pm
by arpthark
Saw that. There's a slightly gnarly patch around the receiver.
Re: Walter Sear De Prins tuba on eBay (auction ended)
Posted: Sun Sep 22, 2024 10:05 am
by humBell