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Thread: Any info on a vintage Boosey?

  1. Any info on a vintage Boosey?

    Hi,

    I was just searching around and found a store was selling a used vintage 4 valve boosey and hawkes euph.
    http://www.brassandwoodwind.ca/tubas.html
    I was just wondering if it was worth it to check it out and possibly purchase it.

    Thanks,
    Justin

  2. #2

    Any info on a vintage Boosey?

    First, make sure that the seller posts good pictures so you can determine condition and playability. Second, verify that the horn has been modified to play in low-pitch (A=440 hz). There is a high probability that a horn of this vintage (Boosey Solbron?) was originally high-pitch (A~450 hz or greater). $600 is a good price for a playable, vintage, low-pitch compensating euph. Otherwise, all you have is an expensive wall-hanger.
    Bruce H Ward
    Houston TX

    Besson BE2056-2 4-Valve Compensating Baritone
    1946 Conn 30-I Wonderphone 5-Valve Double-bell

  3. Any info on a vintage Boosey?

    Ohhh~~ Thanks for the information. =D just sent an email to the sales to get some more information

  4. #4

    Any info on a vintage Boosey?

    I have a such a horn, a 1928 Boosey & Sons Solbron Imperial converted from high pitch to low pitch (pictured in my avatar).

    These are *very* old instruments and as such expect a multitude of problems including: dents, mis-matched parts, brittle or corroded tubing, poor repairs, worn out valves, leaks, worn out finish... I'm sure there are many more!

    So, ask for detailed photos and a detailed assessment of the condition of the instrument. Every slide, tube, and piston should be described as well as miscellaneous parts. I paid $1250 for a restored Solbron "Imperial" 2 years ago, and one was sold recently on eBay for a slightly higher amount. The Imperial was the top of the line for Boosey & Sons. $600 might be a reasonable price if the horn for sale is an Imperial, and an additional $600 dollars will get it close to excellent condition (no playing defects).

    These instruments have a 10.5" bell - small by todays standards. I like the sound of mine though, slightly brighter than most modern euphs. It has a .580 bore, similiar to most of it's descendants.

    I found it to be an inexpensive way to get into a 3+1 compensating instrument of good quality, but, liking owning old houses, it's not for everyone!

    - Carroll


    Carroll Arbogast
    Piano Technician
    CMA Piano Care

  5. Any info on a vintage Boosey?

    Thanks for the feed back Carroll~

    So I've gotten the sales to post pictures on the site. And they also told me that it tunes to A=440Hz so that's good. I was also wondering if this horn would be a good euph for me to play because I am currently using a Besson 700 series? 4 valve euph non compensating. And will plan on going to University but am currently in Grade 11.

    Thanks =DDD

  6. Any info on a vintage Boosey?

    Oh just one more thing forgot to mention. Don't know if it changes any opinions.... but I don't own the besson either. It's a school euph.

  7. #7

    Any info on a vintage Boosey?

    Judging by appearance, $600 for that horn is probably a fair price. If you played it for two or three years, you could probably sell it and get a good part (50%) of your investment back. I did notice that the fingerbuttons were incorrectly setup with felt - instead, the top caps should have a ring shaped cork insert, adjusted so that the piston ports line up exactly with the tubes when the piston is depressed (the felt might be adequate, but that is not the design). This is one example of the type of issue you might encounter.

    There are many on this forum who can offer an opinion on wether an antique instrument is suitable for a university-bound student. As a casual player, I'm not qualified to make a recommendation.

    If you do choose to buy it, be sure there is a return policy, and have it checked out thoroughly by a professional repairman or teacher before the return period expires.

    - Carroll

    PS, during a 2nd look at the photos I noticed what might be dents in the topmost of the 3rd valve tubes. I believe this tube involves notes that are *not* played with the 3rd valve depressed. A badly dented tube would cause stuffiness and intonation issues.
    Carroll Arbogast
    Piano Technician
    CMA Piano Care

  8. #8

    Any info on a vintage Boosey?

    Kinda necroing this thread, but what is the difference between the low and high pitch as mentioned above? An antique shop I saw online has a vintage Boosey Solbron from the late 20's that just looks beautiful. I spoke to the owner and they said the valves move freely and quietly as do the slides, the instrument they said has a good sound, but definitely isnt something I could play test due to location. Price seemed reasonable though so I was thinking about it.

  9. #9

    Any info on a vintage Boosey?

    Please read the Wikipedia reference:
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/P...ized_pitch_.28A440.29
    Bruce H Ward
    Houston TX

    Besson BE2056-2 4-Valve Compensating Baritone
    1946 Conn 30-I Wonderphone 5-Valve Double-bell

  10. #10

    Any info on a vintage Boosey?

    High, medium, and low pitch are exactly what they sound like. Tunings based on a' >447Hz are generally classified as high pitch; tunings based on a'=436-446Hz are generally classified as medium pitch; tunings based on a' < 432Hz are generally classified as low pitch. (A'=432-435Hz is termed Diapason Normal.)

    Tuning based on a'=440Hz (often referred to as "Modern Pitch") was not adopted as a standard by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) until 1939; and even then, not all organizations have adopted that standard. (The Berlin Philharmonic, for example, tunes to a'=445Hz.) Prior to that, tuning could vary quite widely by region and manufacturer. Tuning forks from the mid-ninteenth century belonging to the New York Philharmonic, for example, suggest that the the NYPO tuned to a'=465Hz, while a tuning fork belonging to the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra from the same period has a'-447.11 Hz, and a tuning fork belonging to Handel from a century earlier is a'=422.5Hz. And in L'Art du Facteur d'Orgues , the eighteenth century master organ builder, Dom Bédos gives a'=378Hz (to put that into perspective, that works out to C' (third space C, treble clef)=450.5Hz, i.e. 10 cents above modern pitch A.

    From what reading I've done, it appears that the British Military adopted the a'=440Hz standard in 1928; prior to that, their most common tuning appears to have been a'=456Hz. (British Brass Bands did not formally adopt the modern pitch standard - which, in brass band circles - is referred to as "low pitch" - until the mid-1960s.) It appears that modern pitch was adopted in the US in the early 1920s. For obvious reason, a mix of high and modern ("low") pitch instruments in an ensemble would not be desirable, so for a period of time, instruments manufacturers supplied both high pitch and "low pitch" tuning slides that allowed a player to convert his or her horn to the appropriate tuning.

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