Posted by Rick Denney on July 09, 2001 at 12:48:44:
In Reply to: Re: Re: Re: Difference between Euphonium & Baritone posted by Dan Schultz on July 09, 2001 at 12:08:41:
I would call it a "bass tuba in Eb with a four-valve compensation system". But I think the ad's description is appropriate.
If you changed the label on the Yamaha to "Besson 981" (I think I got that right), it would be called an EEb tuba. My memory suggests that Boosey and Hawkes adopted the "EEb" label to distinguish the low-range extension of the compensating tuba from that of other Eb tubas of the day, most of which had only three valves or four non-compensating valves.
For those who don't know, the use of the doubled CC and BBb for contrabass tubas is derived (incorrectly, as it turns out) from a system of octave designations that went, CCC, CC, C, c, c', and so on. It seems to me that the Boosey folks were trying to couple their compensating Eb tuba to the contrabass tubas by use of the doubled EEb. The non-compensated Eb tubas were not so designated. So, it was either a marketing gimmick or a means of clearly separating two otherwise similar instruments in their catalog.
Because the Yamaha is quite similar to the so-called "EEb" tubas sold by Boosey and Hawkes, I would suggest that its use in the ad is entirely appropriate.
Rick "who realizes that a serious answer might not have been sought" Denney