Re: Stange Besson Tuba?


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Posted by Klaus on September 22, 2001 at 21:49:20:

In Reply to: Stange Besson Tuba? posted by Tubist on September 22, 2001 at 20:35:14:

David Fedderly gives this description:

"Besson Rusk Cut Like new 3/4 size .689 bore 5V CC", so I am very inclined to think that this is what it is.

So much more as the 5th valve placement and wrap has been seen on illustrations of quite a few Rusk cut tubas. The piston cluster with its slide wrap to me looks like taken almost wholesale from a US made tuba.

I have taken a look on on the proportions of the Besson mainframe and have compared it to a cirka 1978 Bossey & Hawkes catalogue..

The not very wide bell, the high set top bow, and the quite low set 2nd level bottom bow lead me towards a hopefully qualified guess on the donor.

I would say that it is a pre-1980 (circa) Besson compensating (3 or 4 valves, most likely three if it is not pre circa1975) BBb tuba, The bell is about 17". The branch between the top bow and the 2nd level bottom bow has been shortened and most likely also has had its taper modified..

If the leadpipe takes a normal (large that is) stem, then it can not be a modification of the original Besson leadpipe. The original Besson bore through the valves was 0.730". It was a 3 top + 1 side valve model

Much deduction from a small picture with not much detail given. It annoys me a bit, that I can not tell from which tuba the valve cluster comes. Maybe a Conn 4J with a modified 4th valve wrapping.

Maybe I still got some of it right.

Klaus


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