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26 September 1997
EDITOR'S NOTE: Scott is now tweaking the mail system. Hopefully, we'll
be in "automatic mode" within a week or so! Then, we'll all get more regular
digests (and possibly individual posts, for those who prefer "non-digest"
versions).
>Return-Path: <NINEWINDS@aol.com>
>Date: Sat, 20 Sep 1997 17:54:41 -0400 (EDT)
>From: NINEWINDS@aol.com
>Subject: Nine Winds Records and Contra Bass Instruments>
>We have a number od CDs which feature many of ourwoodwind artists on low >instruments. We would be happy to compile a list and send it to you. For
>instance, on one disc alone, The CD Razor, Vinny Golia plays Bass
>Clarinet-Bass Flute-and Bass Saxophone. On yet another he plays the Leblanc
>and Selmer versions of the Contra Alto Calinet- Contra Bass abnd Bass
>clarinet and Bass Saxophone- so we do have a lot of low instruments. Upcoming
>plans have the Large Ensemble playing a piece for 2 Conta Bass Trombone! Let
>us know what you think.>Thanks
>Ed Beach
>9 Winds>PS
>Fantastic and inforative site
Now this looks interesting! Apparently, NineWinds has been around
for years, and was started by Vinny Golia. VG apparently plays flute/clarinet/sax,
in just about every available size. At least, every commercially available
size...
Author: "J.C. Hartog" <jchartog@xs4all.nl>
Date: 9/19/97 12:57 PM
Subject: AW: contra bass in Bes
Grant:
Sorry I didn't mention that.
I was in a kind of hurry (although that's no excuse!) so I forgot about that. My homepage is at http://www.xs4all.nl/~jchartog
Good luck!
Han
----------
Van: contrabass-gdgreen
Verzonden: vrijdag 19 september 1997 0:41 Aan: J.C. Hartog
Onderwerp: Re: contra bass in Bes
At 10:53 PM 9/18/97 +-200, you wrote:
>Please check my homepage (sub pages makers): i have some information on a subcontra bass in Bes build by Adriana Breukink.
>It's length is close to 3 metre. It has been build based on drawings studied by Adriana in Vienna, Brussels and Berlin. I think it must be made of maple wood.
>I'd like to see it: what is the web page address?
Thanks,
Grant
You don't have to figure out the genesis of that message: just check
the image at the address listed! When you get to the first page, click
on the "Makers" link, and scroll down just a little (if needed), and you'll
see an image of someone playing a subcontrabass recorder. This horn is
not folded. An amazing sight/site!
Date: Mon, 22 Sep 1997 23:06:42 -0500
From: bonedaddy@Connections.ultranet.com
Subject: Helicon Convergence!!
The mention of the Eb tuba prompted me to tell you all about the parade I just played in yesterday (9/21/97). My band, the Boston City Band (a Sousa type marching band) featured a tuba line made up entirely of helicons! For those of you not familiar with the helicon, it's much like the sousaphone except that the bell is a continuation of the helical curve instead of the "S" curve that sousaphones have. It looks a bit like a sousaphone with an upright tuba bell shooting up at a 45 degree angle. My band leader recently bought an Eb Keefer made in Pennsylvania that was silver plated and had extensive engraving on about all of the joints where tubing was soldered together and on the brace "feet". It has a beautifully mellow tone! If he doesn't get too attached to it, it might be for sale, by the way. His other helicon was engraved Michigan Band Instrument Company. A big sounding BBb horn. The third was my own BBb helicon engraved Carl Fischer, New York - American Model, which I discovered was manufactured by C.G. Conn (pre "Ltd") in Elkhorn, WI in 1891. She has such a huge sound, I sold my sousaphone. My band leader and I seem to feel that helicons seem to be easier blowing than sousaphones, but that is subject to somewhat limited experience with other tubas. Anyone else had any experience playing helicons?
The other thing is that my mom clipped an article from "The Weirs", a newspaper from the town of the same name in N.H. about the Yankee Brass Band which performed in Gilford, NH this past July. The accompanying picture shows 22 musicians in bright red uniforms perched on and around an old Boston & Maine RR Steam engine (#494) and coal car holding their various cornets, saxhorns, drums, cymbals and perhaps an instrument or two that I don't know the correct name of. They were conducted by Paul Mayberry of St Paul, MN and their publicist is Donna Valliere of Lebanon, NH. They do their best to accurately recreate the brass band of about 1850. Apparently most of the musicians are from the eastern states. I found out about the concert too late to hear them. ;{ One of the gents on the bass saxhorn looks like a guy I met at Tuba Christmas last year, playing his 1861 bass saxhorn, which looks like a baritone horn with a really long bell that shoots back over your left shoulder (towards the troops).
Oh, I forgot to mention that while we were warming up our helicons at the Allston-Brighton (MA) parade, the tuba player from the Colonial Band strolled by with his silver BBb Beuscher helicon!
OK...gotta go. Time to work!
Bonedaddy@connections.ultranet.com
Yes! The last time I was in Southern California, I dropped in on Lyn Marcus to see what he had left in the way of instruments. One of the larger ones left was an old Eb helicon, so I blatted on it for a while. OK, maybe I didn't blat - it was a nice horn. I can't say I have enough experience on tuba/helicon/sousaphone to render an informed opinion, but it seemed to play much like my old White Eb. It seems to be a good horn, although the appraiser didn't seem much impressed with it. His review says:
"Helicon Tuba in Eb by the Brua C. Keefer Co., Williamsport, PA, c.1918. A helicon made of brass. Stamped "Brua C. Keefer /#3292/Williamsport" Serial number 6860. Condition: Fair to poor. The body pitted with dents to the valve section. FMV: $750."Grant
Date: Tue, 23 Sep 1997 01:14:08 -0800
From: Delmatto <massageglass@hocking.net>
Subject: 1922 conn bari modifications
i had some requests for info about my user friendly modifications on this bari sax so i thought i'd send it thru you to forward to everyone since i don't know how to e-mail to more than one person.
1922 conn bari (92,...)
nick delmatto
Date: Mon, 22 Sep 1997 09:15:18 -0700
From: David DeJarnett <contrabassoon@geocities.com>
Subject: Contrabassoon everything
Hello Contra-?????? Players!
My name is David DeJarnett and I am a Contrabassoon fanatic! I have a website at: http://www.geocities.com/Vienna/2395
It has info about reeds, tone, general info, picture, etc. Just about everything to know about the Contra. If anyone has any questions, don't be afraid to mail me. Meanwhile, browse my website, and take my survey. I'd love to hear from you.
Happy Contra-playing,
David DeJarnett
Bassoonist/Contrabassoonist
http://www.geocities.com/Vienna/2395
--The Contrabassoon
Date: Mon, 22 Sep 1997 21:16:43 -0600 (MDT)
From: Shouryu Nohe <jnohe@NMSU.Edu>
Subject: Contra Reeds and stuff
For Alexandra, who had a lot of concerns:
Ah, yes. The elusive reed search. Well, it helps if you live in a college town, since colleges often employ every sort of clarinet known to man; the local music shop is certain to carry those huge planks for your horn. However, this is not always the case (I am lucky.). None the less, contra-reeds are hard to find if your local school system doesn't tell the music shops what to stock. So you need to turn to mail order. My suggestion would be to contact Muncy Winds in North Carolina; Philip Muncy sells instruments and supplies at fantastic prices, and he inspects everything tediously before he sells it, and then makes adjustements to instruments before retailing them (adding tone tubes to clarinets to stablize the 12ths and remove undertones, etc.). You can contact them at 1(800) 333-6415, and at muncywinds@aol.com . They also have a homepage at members.aol.com/muncywinds.
As for prices on horns, my suggestion would be to contact either Buffet, Selmer, or Leblanc (all of them are tops in the field of low clarinets) and get their suggested retail price lists. Then look around in places like Muncy, Woodwind/Brasswind, etc., and compare. A lot of places sell for a lot lower than list price if you look carefully. (Again, I'd go with Muncy Winds; I just purchased a Bb Greenline from them for $1100 under list. I will purchase a low C bass from them in the future, those also are provided for around $1500 under list.)
Anyways, that's all the advice I can give you now. Once you get your reeds, MAKE SURE YOU BREAK THEM IN PROPERLY, OR THEY WILL BE WORTHLESS! If you don't know the complete proper procedure for breaking in reeds (it is ESSENTIAL to large reed instruments), email me privately, and I'll explain it to you.
Shouryu
________________ Visit me at: http://web.nmsu.edu/~jnohe ________________
Shouryuzani Nohe, Musician, Writer, Hacker, Nabiki's PPE, and Jesus Freak
|________A Founder of the School of Improvised Night Martial Arts_______|
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Fujisawa is My Hero!!____________________| |_________A Gennusa Mousthpiece
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