Posted by Steve C on September 19, 2001 at 10:02:10:
In Reply to: Re: Left hand side action pistons posted by Paul Scott on September 19, 2001 at 08:14:45:
I was thinking this same thing, until I looked at the leadpipe. That is one long piece of tubing, from the bell, down to about where the bell meets the bottome bow, u to just over the valve cluster, then into the 1st valve. If this was originally an OTS instrument, It would have been played with the feel and a bell in the gutt...There were many interesting instruments that were made in this time period, remember, the valve was still new, so our concepts on what a valved instrument should look like we still being developed.
One thing also, which I think Klause knows of. Photo equipment of the Cival War period had a tendancy of mirroring images. This scan is not clear enough to tell if this is what happened, but would not suprise me if it did.
Steve C