Old Obscure Tuba


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Posted by Dan Randolph on April 10, 2002 at 16:39:54:

This will date me terribly but I just need to know. Back in 1980 I attended the T.U.B.A. convention in Denton, TX at North Texas State University. I remember attending a presentation by a gentleman who had modified a BBb Miraphone 186 so it could double as a F tuba. He had added a second set of rotary valves stacked under the original set and added a trigger valve much like what you would find on a double French Horn. When the valve was open the tuba played as a BBb. When you closed the valve the air was diverted to the lower set of rotary valves and the tuba played in F. He did not feel he had succeeded in building a double tuba because the tuning was not consistent and the horn did not transition well from low to high. As a strictly BBb or F horn it was adequate but it was inconsistent when trying to do both jobs at the same time. It was also stuffy in the low range due to the extreme change in bore size in a very short distance of tubing. He said he had invested about $25,000.00 intrying to make it work and he was open to suggestions. I don't know if anyone came to his aid but I never heard about him or the horn again. Does anyone remember this instrument? Was anyone out there in attendance at this and remembers more? I would sure like to track down this horn and find out more about it.

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