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Thread: 4 piston laquered imperial Bb Boosey and Hawkes Tuba

  1. 4 piston laquered imperial Bb Boosey and Hawkes Tuba

    Hello,

    I have bought a 1981 Bb Imperial Boosey and Hawkes 4 piston tuba. It is laquered. I have seen many silverplated Bb Boosey and Hawkes Tubas, but never a laquered one. It has a bell of 19 inch, which is also not standard, because many Imperials of the 1970's had 17 inch bells. It has a small shank.
    Probably it is build by the old factory, but before the souvereign model appeared. Maybe it is a intermediate model build on specifications by John Fletcher.
    Does anybody know something about the Tuba's build in that period by B&H ? Can it be a predesessor of the new souvereign.

    Pieter
    Pieter Ruber (MD

    1990 BBI Sterling compensated euphonium
    1989 Holton Basstrombone
    Weril GG95 Gagliardi Contrabasstrombone
    Eb BE 983 Besson Tuba Sovereign
    1938 Eb Mahillon Sousaphone

    Medical Doctor for Manual and Muscoloskeletal Medicine
    Specialised in musicians and dancers

  2. Pieter,

    What is the serial number? If it is indeed 1981, it could be a transition model from to the Sovereign. The Sovereign 967 euphonium came out in 1974 as a Boosey&Hawkes model. Major differences from the New Standard/Imperial were that it had a 12" bell instead of 11", different valve caps and finger buttons, and a new leadpipe with large shank receiver. The New Standard/Imperial continued to be manufactured for a few more years. Sometime in between 1974 and 1980, the New Standard/Imperial also got a large shank receiver. Around 1980, Besson quit making the New Standard/Imperial (in any flavor) and came out with the 966 model Sovereign (later named 968) with the 11" bell and all of the newer style trim, etc. They also got rid of the B&H vs. Besson distinction in the 1980s.

    Is your horn compensating? My brass band has a Besson 794 International BBb in lacquer. It was built in England (not India like some of the euphs) as an Intermediate non-comp horn using Sovereign parts in the late 1980's or early 1990's. Basically only the valve set is different from a Sovereign.

    A picture of your horn would help as well.

    Doug
    Last edited by daruby; 04-15-2017 at 01:39 PM.
    Adams E3 0.60 Sterling bell - Prototype top sprung valves
    Concord Band
    Winchendon Winds
    Townsend Military Band

  3. Hello Doug,

    Thank you for your information about the euphonium. My instrument is a Bbb Imperial Tuba. The serial number has a productiondate of 1981.Click image for larger version. 

Name:	039B443D-C242-4193-A8B6-9D974667F0C2-8403-0000082386A25AFD.jpeg 
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ID:	5071. This according to the files I have seen on the internet.

    Pieter
    Pieter Ruber (MD

    1990 BBI Sterling compensated euphonium
    1989 Holton Basstrombone
    Weril GG95 Gagliardi Contrabasstrombone
    Eb BE 983 Besson Tuba Sovereign
    1938 Eb Mahillon Sousaphone

    Medical Doctor for Manual and Muscoloskeletal Medicine
    Specialised in musicians and dancers

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