Tenor horn. Nominal pitch: F etc.

Henry Distin

Alternative Title

Tenor tuba.

Instrument

Alto saxhorn

Instrument Family

Wind

Maker

Henry Distin

Place Made

United Kingdom; London; Europe; England

Date Made

1849-57, probably c 1855

Description

Tenor tuba. Technical description: Brass; 3 Périnet valves; with music card-holder (complete). With one short shank and four crooks.Valve Type: 3 Périnet valves, bottom sprung; alignment by groove on piston, key screwed in casing. Repair History: Original springs have evidently been replaced; there are three springs in an envelope marked "original springs; interesting, but they don't work too well"; also one odd spring, 40mm long, unlabelled. Overall size: 396; bell 170. Sounding length: minimum with shank (a) 1705; overall air column length of shank (a) 52; of crooks (b) 146; (c) 255; (d) 414; (e) 520. Bore: shank (a) at distal end (minimum bore) 10.95; instrument body at c 37mm from shank/crook receiver (local minimum bore), 11.05; m.t.s. at c 104mm from shank/crook receiver, tuning slide bores 10.95 - 11.65; centre of valve cluster at c 347mm from shank/crook receiver, v.t.s. bore (1, 2, 3) 11.65; 852mm from bell end, c 15.9; c498mm from bell end, 22.4; B = 0.59. Dia of mouthpiece receiver: crook receiver taper 12.4 - 11.9. m.r.t. of shank (a): 11.6 - 11.0; of crooks: (b): 11.5 - 11.2; (c): 11.6 - 11.1; (d): 11.5 - 11.2; (e): 11.5 - 11.3. external taper of shank (a): 11.5 - 12.5; of crooks (b): 11.9 - 12.5; (c): 11.7 -12.4; (d): 11.8 - 12.5; (e): 11.7 - 12.6. Inscribed on front of bell "No 1977 / HENRY DISTIN / MAKER / 31. CRANBOURN ST. / LEICESTER SQUARE /LONDON / CLS.1"; on back of bell trademark, upper case "D" with "DISTIN" vertically in stem and "LONDON" vertically in bow; on valve casings and top bottom caps "1", "2", "3". Inscribed on shank (a), "TENOR / Eb"; inscribed on crooks (b), "F. TENOR / E"; (c), "Eb"; (d), "F. TENOR / D"; (e), "F. TENOR / Db". In original fitted wooden case, painted black with red baize lining. General literature references: Distin' catalogue of 1857 illustrates this model, one of a family of `tubas'. Purchased by lender with, probably formerly used with and probably supplied by manufacturer with mouthpieces (3546), probably intended for use with the higher crooks, and (3547), probably intended for use with the lower crooks. Specific literature references: Phillips auction catalogue 11.8.94, lot 17. Illustration references: Myers 2000, p.175; World Wide Web picture at http://www.music.ed.ac.uk/euchmi/

Notes

R. Parks, 22.6.96, 6.11.99; A. Myers (bore) 16.1.10.

Measurements

396; bell 170.

Provenance

on loan to the Collection.

Collection

MIMEd

Accession Number

3545