Re: Pitch change


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Posted by Rob Perelli-Minetti on July 10, 2000 at 09:04:48:

In Reply to: Pitch change posted by Dan Schultz on July 08, 2000 at 16:35:34:

Actually, I think A=440 is a fairly late standard and was called International Pitch, what is called low pitch on old American horns is A=435. Horns built for A=435 are ususally tunable to A=440. The old high pitch was quite a bit higher, something like A=453.

In catalogs in the 1930s, e.g. several King catalogs in my collection, it is stated that low pitch will be supplied unless high pitch is requested. When high pitch is requested, one would usually also get extra slide(s) for low pitch.

In an old 1920s York catalog, the basses all have a patented reversible slide mechanism so that one doesn't have to have a loose replaceable slide. The patent date on the little extra tube mechanism is sometime in 1910.

A late 20s/early 30s Conn bass catalog states low pitch unless otherwise specified.

Many instruments of the teens or twenties are marked "L.P." somewhere to indicate low pitch.

While my own research is quite incomplete, I would suggest that by the end of WWI low pitch predominated, but that some bands or individual musicians still preferred high pitch instruments. By the late 1930s, high pitch was a special order item. After WWII, one no longer hears anything about high pitch.

I have never seen (though I can recall at least one on e-bay) a high pitch sousaphone.

In looking at old tubas, anything built after 1930 is almost certainly either low pitch or modern International pitch. Be very careful to ask about anything older. Yorks will not be an issue, because they can be played in both pitches (but make sure if you are playing in low pitch to pull the branch slides out to the scored marks as the place to begin tuning the valves). Our community bank has a nice WWI era York 'Monster' BBb with the patented attachment, and scoring on the slides. The horn tunes to A=435, A=440 and A=453 without significant problems.


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