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Date: Wed, 25 Jul 2001 16:12:50 -0700
From: Grant Green
Subject: Re: [CB] Contrabass sarrusophone FS>The high D alternate key is present on this instrument--like the Conn model,
>it is operated by the right thumb and is situated on the rear. What isHi Peter,
Yes, I saw the RT high D key. What I meant was that there doesn't appear to be a high D key on the *front* of the horn, only the Bb and C keys. If you look at the RH detail at http://www.wfg.sneezy.org/sarrus_fing.html#d, this picture shows the key configuration on my horn (it is, in fact, a picture of my horn). In the pictures at
http://cgi.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1449633003, this key appears to be absent.>unusual is that there are only two register vents, instead of the three
>usually provided (it is similar to my Gautrot Eb contrabass sarrusophone
>made between 1865 and 1868 with only two register vents). This would tend to
>indicate a relatively early model, in spite of the rollers on the pinky keysMine also lacks the 3rd octave key, but was appraised as being made around 1920-1925.
>(which might have been inserted later?).
Hard to tell from the pictures, but certainly not impossible.
Grant
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Grant Green http://www.contrabass.com
Professional Fool -> http://www.mp3.com/ProFools
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---------------------------------------------------------Date: Wed, 25 Jul 2001 19:55:37 -0400
From: jim & joyce
Subject: [CB] re: scotch guardI recently ran into someone who recommended applying Scotch
Guard (r) or some similar waterproofing to leather pads. He
said that it would greatly lengthen the life of pads. Any
opinions? or evidence?jim lande
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Date: Thu, 26 Jul 2001 04:31:23 EDT
From: BJacobs571
Subject: Re: [CB] Helicons#A bit further back than that, by a few years - the
#Romans used a Helical coil shape brass horn during the
#height of the Roman Empire (what, since 100BCE?)
#If you watch any old gladiator flick you will probably
#see a few.I am a member of The Ermine Street Guard which is the oldest and IMHO the best Roman Living History society and we have one of thease horns. It was made by one of our members called Mike Garlick. It is almost one turn and is about 4 feet in Diameter and about 9 feet long. The mouthpiece points slightly down and then curves down, back , up and finally forward to finally appear above the players head. The bell is different to modern instruments as the bore tapers to the bell at a constant rate and then turns out to make a flat circular plate with a hole in the middle. It is an accurate reconstruction of ones found in Pompei. They are called a Cornu and are made of bronze rather than brass. Brass was rarer in roman times as the romans could not make zinc but knew how to smelt zinc and copper ore together to make brass. Their coins were made of brass so the goverment had a monopoly on its manufacture. It is made up in sections each one being made from flat sheet rolled into a cone!, soldered and then bent to follow the curve. The instrument is supported by a woodern rod across the diameter of the instrument which rests on the sholder of the player. The cornu has a tone like the french horn when played well but of course it has no valves.
unfortuneatly to say if you watch a old gladiator flick you will see what one looks like is akin to saying if you look at an alto sax you will know what a Contra Bass clarinet looks like. The people who make films have no real intrest in accuracy only in what looks good and will sell.
regards Bernard Jacobs
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