Posted by Gus Pratt on January 27, 2001 at 08:33:45:
In Reply to: Re: Compensating Systems on Tubas posted by Frederick J. Young on January 26, 2001 at 21:48:39:
I believe that the compensating phenomenon is best understood from a historical stand point. Boosey which later joined with Besson was the first tuba and euphonium with compensated systems and owned the patent for the compensating system. This patent was good until the seventies when it expired. From the turn of the century (no not last year but 101 years ago) until the seventies no manufacturers except Boosey/Besson were allowed to make compensated horns, hence all non-English tubas were noncompensating. It's hard to break tradition. Americans got used to making noncompensating horns and it has stuck.
The history of the euphonium usage is different. They way I was told about the history of the compensating euphonium in America had to do with Art Lehman. When he was in the military he had the oppurtunity to try out some of these Boosey euphoniums when the U.S. and Great Britian did a joint concert. He liked the sound of theses horns, probably due to the larger leadpipe, and had the military purchase some for use in the military bands. Since the military bands were where a majority of the professionals played euphonium they had the opportunity to play these compensating horns. It is my belief that it wasn't really the compensating system that was liked so much, but rather the sound that these euphoniums had due to the larger leadpipe.
Trends are sometimes hard to break.