Talk:Subcontrabass tuba

Latest comment: 1 year ago by Jonathanischoice in topic Sousa toured with it?


Sousa toured with it? edit

The 1976 McWhirter claim that Sousa had and toured with a contrabass tuba is said to be mistaken. The current "Book of World Records" does not make the claim. Can anyone produce anything to substantiate the story besides re-quoting the out-of-date Guinness book? — Preceding unsigned comment added by 23.119.205.88 (talk) 13:49, 4 January 2014 (UTC)Reply

Dave Detwilter's blog has some good info that that the Harvard instrument was probably built for Gilmore, not Sousa. See https://tubapastor.blogspot.com/2018/12/gilmore-and-giant-harvard-tuba.html
Fixed for now; Douglas Yeo's excellent dictionary serves as a reference, and states (based on Detwiler's work) that it was the Gilmore Band, not Sousa.—Jon (talk) 13:55, 5 June 2022 (UTC)Reply

Novelty and noteworthiness edit

Can we all agree that this is at best a novelty instrument with no current manufacturers, virtually no written repertoire, and barely one or two practically playable instruments in the world? This should be mentioned up front, at the very least, if this article is not reduced to a couple of sentences on the tuba article. — Jon (talk) 19:46, 15 February 2022 (UTC)Reply

Meanwhile, some interesting potential references:

  • Cox, Paul (17 March 2009). "From The Horniman: BBB♭ Tuba". Londonist. Retrieved 16 February 2022.
  • Detwiler, Dave (30 December 2018). "Gilmore and the giant Harvard tuba". Strictly Oompah. Retrieved 16 February 2022.
  • Hoffnung, Annetta (2021). "The Hoffnung Concerts". Gerald Hoffnung Website. The Hoffnung Partnership. Retrieved 16 February 2022.
  • The New York Times (1 October 2014). "Playing a Titanic Tuba". YouTube. Retrieved 16 February 2022.
  • Roberts, Sam (27 September 2014). "It's a Giant. It's a Novelty. It's a Tuba Named Big Carl". The New York Times. Retrieved 15 February 2022.

Jon (talk) 02:24, 16 February 2022 (UTC)Reply

Dave Detwiler's blog edit

I'm just noting here for any future visiting ban-hammer wielding admins, that including Dave Detwiler's excellent blog article about the 1850s bourdon saxhorn as a reference triggered a nasty automated warning that admonished me not to use anything from Blogspot sites. I think in this case however, the material is relevant, well researched and considered, and is not self-promotional. It also appears to have been used as a source in Yeo's dictionary entry on the subject.—Jon (talk) 12:32, 5 June 2022 (UTC)Reply