Posted by Jay Bertolet on February 14, 2003 at 17:36:08:
In Reply to: Please help identify 2 anon BBb tubas posted by Klaus on February 14, 2003 at 11:17:17:
I have never seen an instrument like that! Honestly, it doesn't look like any tuba I've ever seen. It does, however, have several elements similar to manufacturers I do know:
1) The vertical tuning slide looks very B&S to me.
2) The thumbring looks very old-style Cerveny to me. Especially so, the shape of the metal used to form the ring (hollow semi-circle) if I'm seeing the picture accurately.
3) The circular valves paddles combined with the clockspring mechanism looks very much to me like a Scherzer product.
4) At first, I thought the lyre holder, with its diamond-shaped holding plate, might be a Miraphone product but Miraphone's diamond is not made of straight edges. I'm not familiar with a straight-edged diamond plate like that except on some european instruments that I've seen that simply said "Made in Germany" and no manufacturer identification.
I don't believe this could be a Pre-PT B&S product because I have seen one of those, made in the 1970's, and the branches looked very different and distinctive (almost squared off). That 4th valve tubing is unlike anything I've seen so I am guessing, like you are, that this will be distinctive in identifying the manufacturer if the wrap isn't a custom job of some sort.
Sorry I couldn't be of more help to you!
My opinion for what it's worth...