Posted by Rick Denney on February 10, 2004 at 16:37:25:
In Reply to: Re: Re: Re: Re: BAT? posted by Conn 34J? on February 10, 2004 at 14:19:29:
The 34J Orchestra Grand Bass in BBb is the same as the 36J Orchestra Grand Bass in CC. It's about the same size as the 2xJ's. Yes, it's a BAT. It's only taller than the typical Yorkophone because of the way it's wrapped and because it's a BBb instead of a CC. Note that "34J" was also used at times for the upright-valve long-action BAT, which was the long-action version of the 24J. Conn has reused numbers at times, and it is quite confusing.
The typical Yorkophone has a 20" bell and sits about 37" tall. But they are as fat as any of the Conns. An old detachable-bell King 2341 is 41" tall and has a 22" bell, too, but it is too slender to be a BAT.
The picture above shows a Conn 20J (on the right) next to a Holton BB-345. The Conn has the same basic outer branches as the 34J Orchestra Grand Bass. They appear to me to be about the same fatness. The Holton is only bigger than a Yorkophone because it is in BBb, and even then it's only a little bigger (i.e. fits--barely--in the same gig bag). The picture linked below is the same Holton next to my York Master, which is a large 4/4 tuba but not at all a BAT.
BAT has come to denote the fatness more than anything.
Rick "who thinks tall guys don't show their weight as much" Denney
