Tuba Tuesday: Esquire, Miniature, B flat sousaphone, 3 piston, ca.1950

[bisontuba]

Happy Tuba Tuesday. Today, the Museum features an Esquire, Miniature, B flat sousaphone, 3 piston, ca.1950.

Serial #: 8740

Bell Diameter 18 1/8”, Bore Size .575”.

Comments:

“ESQUIRE” on bell. Some floral engraving around identification marks. “MADE IN ITALY” on valve 2.



https://simonettitubacollection.com/ins ... ousaphone/

[humBell]

I've tooted on a Barcone model of these, and it is an interesting challenge to get the sound one is used to out of them. It's there somewhere!

Thanks!

[Three Valves]

I've tooted on a Barcone model of these, and it is an interesting challenge to get the sound one is used to out of them. It's there somewhere!

Thanks!

Is it a sousaphone or a sousaphone shaped baritone?

[bisontuba]

I believe a sousaphone shaped baritone.

[arpthark]

Valve slides seem much too long to my eye. My money is on very small bore BBb. Hard to tell without a banana for scale...

[humBell]

Valve slides seem much too long to my eye. My money is on very small bore BBb. Hard to tell without a banana for scale...

Concur.

Now i wonder how much a banana weighs...

[humBell]

Compare and contrast with viewtopic.php?t=9983

[bisontuba]

Courtesy of the Saxophone Museum. From a 4 pg 1927 Buescher baritone catalog….


34262_761_579 by [url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/129235491@N05/]

[arpthark]

Yes, apologies, you all are definitely right -- I see it now, especially compared to the size of that mouthpiece! Very interesting and odd stuff (which, in my opinion, is the best kind of stuff).

edit: or not!?

[York-aholic]

When comparing the pictured sousa-whatever from the museum to the pictured Helicone Baritone in the ad,

The first valve circuit of the museum instrument is longer.
The 3rd valve circuit has a curly Q at the top. <-- this is usually a give away that a sousaphone is in BBb but given the small size of things, perhaps this is an Eb with the Curly Q employed to keep the tubing within the wrap.

Beats me. Its interesting though.

[arpthark]

When comparing the pictured sousa-whatever from the museum to the pictured Helicone Baritone in the ad,

The first valve circuit of the museum instrument is longer.
The 3rd valve circuit has a curly Q at the top. <-- this is usually a give away that a sousaphone is in BBb but given the small size of things, perhaps this is an Eb with the Curly Q employed to keep the tubing within the wrap.

Beats me. Its interesting though.

Oof, now you got me doubting again. I'm waffling!

[York-aholic]

Time for a road trip Blake!

But given that it has a neck and a mouthpiece on it, I’m going to assume that the Tuba Museum will have given it a honk and since they have it labeled as Bb and that 3rd valve circuit is way too long for a Bb baritone, I’m going with it being a rinkity dinkity peashooter BBb sousaphone.

Cimbasso is wearable form?

[Three Valves]

Courtesy of the Saxophone Museum. From a 4 pg 1927 Buescher baritone catalog….


34262_761_579 by [url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/129235491@N05/]

Well, there is no banana in this illustration either.

We ain’t getting nowhere!