[Dixielandjazz] Double-Belled Euphonium

[tcashwigg at aol.com]

Hi Dave:

That might all well be true, but I heard listmate Bob romans band play 
a lovely tune to day with three of the buggers, and it was indeed very 
nice, however they also featured their reed player Pete Main on a 
Sarusaphone solo that has to be the gawd auwfullest sounding instrument 
I have heard in a long time.   Not Pete's playing but the sound of the 
instrument which must have been the early prototype for a Bari sax.  At 
any case it is a good thing it never caught on big :))   Sounded like a 
Kazoo on Steroids :))

cheers,

Tom Wiggins

-----Original Message-----
From: dhs2 at peoplepc.com
To: dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com
Sent: Sun, 18 Feb 2007 8:05 PM
Subject: [Dixielandjazz] Double-Belled Euphonium

   Dear Listers:

I am not a double-bell euphonium expert, but I have played
alongside one, and played it some once upon a time.  The purpose of the 
DBE
was to provide two different sound qualities with one instrument.  The 
big
bell provided the euph/baritone sound, rich and mellow.  The smaller 
bell
was to provide a more open, trombone-like sound.

My prep school had an old silver DBE (this was during the 60s, so I am
guessing the horn dated from the 20s).  My comments on the genre are a 
bit
colored as a result of playing it, but I found the tone of the smaller 
bell
rather like an off-key foghorn.  It was more open, but did not measure 
up to
a real trombone.  What's more, the two sides of the horn were not in 
tune
with each other, so that to switch over you would have to re-tune the
instrument, and could not simply switch back and forth.  As I say, this 
was
an old instrument, and pitch was a bit of an adventure anyway.  The euph
player usually didn't bother with the second bell except for 
performances,
and then it was strictly for show.

I guess that others must have found the sound of the second bell 
lacking, as
well, because the DBE pretty well went away.  I am not aware of any
instrument manufacturers building them today.  Several years ago, there 
was
a York DBE on E-Bay that had been put together from components.  That 
is,
the York was a euphonium to which someone had grafted a valve and a 
second
bell salvaged from another brass instrument--a trumpet, alto horn or 
small
trombone.  I would have been interested in hearing the York.  A horn 
made up
of components and well put together might approach the unrealized 
promise of
the concept.

The double-belled euphonium certainly provides a unique visual aspect, 
and
is a good novelty instrument for that reason.

Regards,
Dave Stoddard
Round Rock, TX


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