Posted by Kevin Miller on December 22, 2002 at 17:41:02:
In Reply to: Re: Re: Tuba Returnee seeks Eb advice posted by Huh? I guess we ... on December 22, 2002 at 14:36:09:
The EEb designation is simply a distinction of bore size and bell size. For many years the Besson 981 was listed as a EEb by Boosey & Hawkes and still is I believe. I believe all Boosey 3 valve Eb's have the same .689 bore as the 981, but with a much narrower bow and flair and only a 15" bell, whereas the 981 has a broader bow and flair with a 19" bell. That would be the basic difference in the Eb and EEb designation. It is just understood among players and within the industry that both EEb and Eb refer to the same sort of "bass tubas". The EEb is intended to denote a larger instrument such as the Besson 981 and the big Willson EEb horn.
Kevin Miller