Getzen/Canadian Brass CB-50/G50 Tubas


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Posted by Tom B. on January 11, 2002 at 20:53:47:

Recently it seems as if there has been quite a bit of interest in the Canadian Brass/ Getzen G-50 tuba. Many of these people ask for a little background on the horn, and seem only to get responses saying "get a bigger horn" or "quintet horn only," etc., etc., etc.
So, in an effort to fill people in on the background of these horns, I'm posting a little history.

Several years ago, Chuck Daellenbach contacted Bob Rusk while he was a member of the Milwaukee Symphony, to build a compact 4/4 CC tuba based on the York design. After construction of the initial prototype, Canadian Brass contracted with instrument maker Getzen (I am not aware of the details regarding this). The tuba was then built with parts made for Getzen by VMI (in Germany) and by parts made in the U.S. by Getzen. These "parts" made by VMI included just about everything except the valve section. In a conversation I had with Mr. Daellenbach, the Getzen was the tuba York could have built. The original prototype that Mr. Rusk (the first the 'recycle' old York parts) was built from a York 3/4 EEb bell, and a 4/4 BBb valve body. Mr. Daellenbach said that York did have a "similar" tuba that was not as compact, and that the mistake York made is that they had a .650 bore instead of the magical .689 bore Mr. Rusk wanted on the horn.

After the primary construction of the horn, it was to be marketed as a Canadian Brass Collection horn, which were all instruments "of their own design and construction." Dealing with the Canadian Brass always involves business realted financial problems, which led the their return to Yamaha in 1998, in which time they sold the rights to the tuba to Getzen. The name was then changed to the G-50.

Getzen has actually been the subject of many discussions on tubaeuph and tubenet. Simply some facts that are quite interesting...

Getzen and DEG are not the same thing. DEG is led by Donald E. Getzen and imports Meinl Weston and Willson instruments, among others. Getzen has been purchased in 1991 by Robert Getzen, whose sons currently run the company. At that time they wanted to establish a "custom pro shop" image, and produced some very good instruments, especially the tuba. However, as I said above, the profit just wasn't there.

A timeline from Getzen's website may help you date your instrument:

1990- Allied Music Corp. begins working with the Canadian Brass to design and market a line of professional instruments.

1991- Allied Music, owned by Ed and Tom Getzen, grandsons of Getzen company founder, purchase the Getzen company out of Federal Bankruptcy Court.

1993- Getzen quits making instruments for DEG

1995- Canadian Brass sells rights to Getzen. Mr. Dallenbach says this occured in 1998 when they went back to Yamaha, but Getzen says 1995, so who knows?





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