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Tuba Tuesday: Boosey & Hawkes, Imperial Model, BB flat tuba, 3 piston, ca. 1938
Posted: Tue Feb 17, 2026 12:26 am
by bisontuba
Happy Tuba Tuesday. The Museum features a Boosey & Hawkes, Imperial Model, BB flat tuba, 3 piston, ca. 1938.
Serial #: 151476
Bell diameter: 17″, Bore size: .720″
, Height: 40.5″.
Comments: “IMPERIAL MODEL/BOOSEY & HAWKES LTD./MAKERS/295 REGENT ST./LONDON W1./151476” on bell. Floral engraving around text with a bird holding a horn with its feet under “IMPERIAL MODEL”. Correct serial number is on bell, which is stamped on.
https://simonettitubacollection.com/ins ... piston-ca/
Re: Tuba Tuesday: Boosey & Hawkes, Imperial Model, BB flat tuba, 3 piston, ca. 1938
Posted: Tue Feb 17, 2026 9:52 pm
by humBell
bisontuba wrote: Tue Feb 17, 2026 12:26 am
....
Correct serial number is on bell, which is stamped on.
...
Is that how it works?
The bell serial number is what more accurately indicates the age of the instrument?
Re: Tuba Tuesday: Boosey & Hawkes, Imperial Model, BB flat tuba, 3 piston, ca. 1938
Posted: Wed Feb 18, 2026 5:16 am
by bisontuba
humBell wrote: Tue Feb 17, 2026 9:52 pm
bisontuba wrote: Tue Feb 17, 2026 12:26 am
....
Correct serial number is on bell, which is stamped on.
...
Is that how it works?
The bell serial number is what more accurately indicates the age of the instrument?
As written by Vince....contact the Tuba Museum for additional information....
Re: Tuba Tuesday: Boosey & Hawkes, Imperial Model, BB flat tuba, 3 piston, ca. 1938
Posted: Wed Feb 18, 2026 6:08 am
by humBell
bisontuba wrote: Wed Feb 18, 2026 5:16 am
humBell wrote: Tue Feb 17, 2026 9:52 pm
bisontuba wrote: Tue Feb 17, 2026 12:26 am
....
Correct serial number is on bell, which is stamped on.
...
Is that how it works?
The bell serial number is what more accurately indicates the age of the instrument?
As written by Vince....contact the Tuba Museum for additional information....
Indeed, I should probably be more outgoing.
But seems reasonably easy to justify the later serial number as the meaningful one, and clearly in this instance the bell is the later one. (for those who like me (at least normally) are too lazy to follow the link to the original site, there is a picture of the valve serial number which is in the 110k range i believe (although the 1s digit is almost out of sight round the more tightly curved surface of the piston)
I do wonder if the bell was usually the last thing made, and what more attention was given, in that it is less forgiving soundwise? It doesn't say Imperial model on the valve set, so that is probably the case (more fun to work things out from first principles as it were)
Anyway, i hear really good things about these imperial models. I wonder if anyone has played the march on these?