Posted by Lew on September 26, 2002 at 14:36:46:
In Reply to: Couesnon Tuba? posted by Shane Harris on September 26, 2002 at 13:38:18:
The company that became Couesnon was established in 1827, in Château Thierry as Gautrot-Durand et Cie. In 1883 Auguste Cousenon took over the company and changed the name to Cousenon. By the early 20th century they were one of the largest musical instrument makers in the world, selling instruments in Europe using various trade names and importing many instruments to the US using music store and other private label names.
They still make brass instruments today, but in very small quantities, and they are primarily known for their fluegelhorns. In the 1960's through 1978 Gretch had a contract to import Cousenon instruments into the US. After that time very few were imported. Most of the Cousenon tubas that I have seen have been relatively small, small bore student line horns. They never had much of a reputation for making high quality low brass, although their cornets, trumpets, and fluegelhorns were highly thought of. Their top of the line instruments would have been marked "Modele Monopole" or Monopole Conservatoire."
Your tuba was probably made in the 1960s or 1970s and imported as a student horn.