Posted by Mike Solms on December 18, 2003 at 09:09:34:
In Reply to: Karl Zeiss Tuba posted by Jamey on December 18, 2003 at 01:57:22:
First off, a close examination of the bell will reveal that it is a Karl ZIESS tuba. I am betting that the confusion with Karl ZEISS was strictly intentional. Ziess was a "stencil" brand that a U.S. importer used to label tubas made by various manufacturers. I have seen Ziess tubas that were made by B&S and Cerveny. I have heard rumors that there were some Alexander-made Ziess's, but I cannot confirm that.
That said, the tuba in the auction was made by B&S and was the precursor to the PT-1. The same tuba was sold in Europe under the "Weltklang" label and was also stenciled by another U.S. importer as "Gebhard Schneider." I believe, but am not sure, that this horn also appeared in the U.S. labelled "Sonora." The ones I've played were very decent horns. They were responsive and, outside of the fifth partial, had pretty good intonation. The ones I've seen change hands over the last few years have sold in the $1200-$1800 range, depending on condition. Beyond the usual warnings about buying a horn without seeing it or playing it, keep in mind that a lot of these horns were initially purchased by schools. Overall condition will vary a great deal depending on the amount of use/abuse they have encountered.