The fifth valve switches the windway to the smaller bell, allowing the player to change from the sound of a euphonium to something like the sound of a trombone. Lent by A. Myers.
The Buesher Manufacturing Comapny was an American manufacturing firm established in 1894 by Ferdinand August Buesher (1861-1937). The firm was the first to make saxophones in America, but but also produced band instruments. Following a disastrous local bank crash in 1903, the company renamed to the Buesher Band Instrument Company and limited their production to just band instruments. The Buesher Company was sold in 1963 to Selmer.
4 valves + bell change.
Technical description: Silver-plated brass. Large bell fixed and directed upwards; small bell detachable and rotatable with ligature fixing, angled at nearly 90° from upwards. Water-keys on 2nd & 4th v.t.s. and on both m.t.s. Fitting for music card holder. Loop for R thumb. Two loops for carriage strap.
Valve type: 4 Périnet valves, 5th valve Périnet-type; bottom sprung, with circular ports; alignment by key on piston, groove on casing bore.
Overall size: 638; bells 176 and 305.
Sounding length: minimum to small bell, 2802; minimum to large bell, 2693.
Bore: mouthpipe at c 55mm from mouthpiece receiver (minimum bore) 11.5; centre of 3 valve cluster at c 360mm from mouthpiece receiver, v.t.s. bore (2,1,3) 14.5; centre of 2 valve cluster at c 678mm from mouthpiece receiver, v.t.s. bore (4,5) 14.5. Small bell m.t.s. at c 1078mm and at c 1153mm from mouthpiece receiver, tuning slide bore, 14.5; 1401mm from small bell end, c 14.6; c 482mm from small bell end, 20.6. B = 0.68 (small bell). Large bell m.t.s. at c 806mm from mouthpiece receiver, tuning slide bore 16.6; m.t.s. at c 967mm from mouthpiece receiver, tuning slide bore 18.6; 1346mm from large bell end, c 25.9; c 1165mm from large bell end, 36.6. B = 0.42 (large bell).
Dia of mouthpiece receiver: m.r.t. 12.8 - 11.9.
Performance characteristics: Distinct contrast in tone quality between bells.
Decorative features: Mother-of-pearl buttons, foliage pattern around inscription on bell.
Inscribed on large bell "THE / Buescher / ELKHART / IND."; on side of valve casings "1", "2", "3", "4", "5"; on side of 2nd valve casing "CURTABEL" / "MPD / P.I.U" within shield / "20342".
With fitted case.
Performance characteristics: Distinct contrast in tone quality between bells.
Purchased by lender with mouthpiece (3490).
Illustration references: World Wide Web picture at http://www.music.ed.ac.uk/euchmi/
Provenance
ex- Trevor Picken collection.; on loan to the Collection.
