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The french C tuba is different to other brass, the same is with the Eb alto (UK:tenor horn).
Nearly all brass instruments have some "ideal" mouthpiece size, which only differs between players...

Looks like a good find! The condition is fine for 115 years, not restored but well kept.
This type of valve trombone with 3+1 valves was not uncommon in France but went out of fashion around WW1....

As I said, most french people don't care about. And some years ago they stopped the 166, which was a proper saxhorn basse. The 164 is a rock-solid horn with a great low register, but with four non...

I think the definition of tenor, baritone and bass is made for the playable range, not for the playing charcteristics. The saxhorns mostly differ in the number of valves, not in bore and taper like...

I used my french c for a while in my quintet, but only when we had to play as a quartet (after the trombone player worked abroad). I used it for better balance with the small bore trumpets and french...

It is a copy of the Courtois 164 and not compensating. On the rear are valve crooks one and two, giving space for the main tuning slide on the front before entering the valves.

The definition of...

I agree with German/Bohemian. Without to much nickel silver trim and fancy details it was a "budget" model of some small maker, copying the main features of the omnipresent Bohland&Fuchs. The...

This is a baritone saxhorn. With 4 non-compensated valves it will not play effortlessly the asked range. For that you need a real saxhorn basse with five valves, if you don`t want to use the french c...

Quick changes E-Eb and A-Ab are comfortable with 12-125!:cool:

This is exactly what I wanted to say. On compensated horns it is impossible not to sound stuffy low down, but even on non-compensators you can hear the played register by sound.
Best example: Chuck...

The effects of putting in cylindrical pieces of tubing into an instrument should be manageable. Otherwise every horn would bring you into trouble when pressing a valve.
More effect has the number of...

With a Kelly 51D mouthpiece I play it with A=438-440. It is OK to play with others, but not in my A=443 village band.

Maybe the intonation is in one key better than in the other, but for this special instrument I don't know, it is only one of my "horn porn" pictures.
I have a Thibouville-Lamy 4v Saxhorn in C/Bb,...

8809

Here is a Couesnon C Tuba with Bb extension and convertible 3rd valve for 1,5 or 2 tone

You can see this on most original works for the French C Tuba (or the typical edition for bass trombone, tuba or saxhorn basse).
In France/Belgium/Netherlands the Bb Saxhorns are written in Bb bass...

Hi Franz,
with this configuration (=doigtee ancien) you can finger down from c to BBb:
c=0 B=2 Bb=1 A=12 Ab=23 G=4 Gb=45 F=6 E=56 Eb=126 (or 256, you have to try)D=236 Db=46 C=0 (or 146!) BB=2346...

Good luck! It will be some work and nothing for the faint-hearted, but once you got it it will help your high range too.
And be not frustrated too soon: I have a picture of Brian Bowman playing my...

From the range it is easy to cover euphonium parts with the french c tuba, but it can be difficult to blend with other euphoniums soundwise. The euphoniums tend to velvety sound, while the french c...

Nice display of the different sounds! But how about the low register? That is the territory where the the French C shows the muscles to the others!
For those who didn't see my "Merry Christmas"...

For those who are curious about the French C Tuba:
https://youtu.be/NlyBtzk6TnE
Merry Christmas to you all!

Congratulations to your new baby!
It is a great instrument if you use it properly. To use the full potential of this type of horn you have to work on the low register. Coming from the ophicleide the...

I would play it for some time using an adapter before ordering some custom-made mp. If you don't like too much after four weeks this may be less expensive;)

Maybe some of you will call me haretic, but I would like to have an euphonium with the 4th valve layout of the 1980s Courtois 167. The 4th valve was located between 3rd valve slide and main bow, just...

The valve mechanism with adjustable clocksprings looks like Cerveny, but other makers in this region used this, too. With or without paying patent fees, who knows? For the horseshoe bumperplate on...

Wessex used a Besson of this type (with the same distinctive valve caps and buttons) as a template for their Festivo Euphonium. They sold it afterwards stating 1958 or 1959 for manufacturing date