Posted by Okay on January 18, 2004 at 13:44:04:
In Reply to: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: '20s Conn CC tubas? posted by I still think on January 18, 2004 at 11:45:35:
Ranting aside, get a copy of Andersen's "Practical Orchestration" (Boston, copyright 1929) and have a look at the section on the tuba. Very detailed and accurate drawings of a 3-valve front-action Eb, a 5-valve DB euph, a 4-valve euphonium, and a top-action BBb. They look to be Conns by the braces and ferrules.
Now, let me quote:
As to the instruments used, we find four of different compass quite commonly employed--
the Bb euphonium, the bass tuba in F, the Eb bass and the BBb bass. The last two are sometimes called bombardons, and when curled in a circular manner, so as to be carried on the march, receive the name of helicons.
Of these four instruments, all of which are non-transposing, the tuba in F is most commonly used in the concert hall. This instrument, when fitted with the fourth or compensating piston has a range similar to that of the BBb tuba. As all the newer instruments are fitted with this fourth valve, the range need not be restricted to that of the three-valve tuba.
He then goes on to illustrate examples of tuba literature, including Grainger's "In a Nutshell" suite going down to a low D.
Okay, so what do we take away from this? That the F tuba was making use of a relatively modern 4th valve addition, and that F tubas were most common in orchestral use. He mentions that the range of the 4-valve F could have nearly the range of the 3-valve BBb.
In fact, using privleged tones, it's quite possible to play into the pedal register on a three-valve instument. The person who ordered the three-valve CC back in the 1920's might well have wanted the extended low register of the CC and felt that three valves was quite sufficient and probably better in tune in the low register than a 4-valve F tuba.
Orchestral tuba players were sometimes recruited from the ranks of double-bassists (e.g. Oscar LaGasse) and there may have indeed been a lack of sophistication at the time.
Further, let's consider that this horn was made in the 1920's and may well have been ordered by a tuba player who was already rather long in the tooth and wanted something that reflected his own playing practices. He may have been tired of wrestling with the low register on a 4-valve F and wanted something that would play in tune.
I've seen one or two very old 3-valve CC's, including one made of copper, on that unmentionable auction site over the years.
In summary, you've given lots of opinion about why you think the horn couldn't possibly have been a custom horn. Rather than opinion, please furnish some hard proof or evidence that it wasn't.
I've not seen the horn in question, nor do I have a particular opinion on its authenticity. But, given its vintage, I don't consider the claimed provenance to be impossible as you clearly do.