___________________________________________________ | | |CONTRABASS-L | | An email list for discussion of bass and | | contrabass instruments of all kinds. | | Contact gdgreen@crl.com for subscription. | | See www.crl.com/~gdgreen/c-arch1.html for | | back issues. | |___________________________________________________|
Vol. 1, No. 65
13 December 1996
EDITOR'S NOTE: Let's welcome new subscribers Jeff Brody < JbJazzman@aol.com > and < BarbMuth@aol.com > (sorry I didn't get your name). Care to say a few words?
To: JimKatz@JohnAbbott.qc.ca (Jim Katz)
From: gdgreen@crl.com (Grant Green)
Subject: Re: Contrabass-L No. 64
>Contabass-L is getting juicier by the day! #64 here is wonderful.
Guess I need to install a spit valve ;-)
>Any modelmakers (who work cheap) out there? I'm looking for a miniature
>bassoon.
How about a soprano dulcian? True, it doesn't have any keys, but it's pitched 1.5 octaves above the bassoon (six fingers = D above middle C). Still has a sound that recognizably bassoon-like (or at least, what you'd expect from an 8" bassoon). I found one second hand at the EMS (Bradford, UK).
Grant
Author: JbJazzman@aol.com
Date: 12/13/96 6:47 AM
Subject: contras, of course!
Hi Grant,
Checked out your contrabass clarinet page and some others the other nite. Great job! If you could, I'd like to find out more about your Leblanc BBb contrabass. It looks almost exactly like one I just traded for. Mine is serial #177. It is finished in satin silverplate (only one I've ever seen in this finish) and has the same range of yours. Even looks like the same case. What is the serial # of yours and how did you establish date of manufacture? Is yours silverplated? Do you know if Leblanc made a similar contralto horn?
Last, but not least, could you subscribe me to your Contrabass mailing list?
Thanks much, Jeff Brody (Buffalo, NY)
I think my serial number is around 120. It looks like a satin silverplate too. I was told by the restorer (Charles Fail Music) that Leblanc lost all their serial number records (at least for contras, maybe other horns as well) around 1950, so older horns are only known to be made "prior to 1950".
Grant
Author: "Sydney R. Polk" <jazzman@rahul.net>
Date: 12/12/96 7:38 PM
Subject: Re: Contrabass-L No. 64
Sombody asked about bass harmonicas. I played a show called Big River, which is based on Huck Finn. There is an awesome harmonica part, and it calls for bass harmonica. It is a really unique sound; I would try to find a recording of the show to hear it.
It is also played on one of my many CD's comewhere; I thought it was the Beatles' White Album, but I can't find it there. I will continue looking.
Syd Polk
Author: BarbMuth@aol.com
Date: 12/12/96 7:35 PM
Subject: SUBSCRIBE CONTRABASS-L
SUBSCRIBE CONTRABASS-L
Date: Fri, 13 Dec 1996 17:39:51 -0400
From: JimKatz@JohnAbbott.qc.ca (Jim Katz)
Subject: Re: Contrabass-L No. 64
>How about a soprano dulcian? True, it doesn't have any keys, but it's
>pitched 1.5 octaves above the bassoon (six fingers = D above middle C).
>Still has a sound that recognizably bassoon-like (or at least, what you'd
>expect from an 8" bassoon). I found one second hand at the EMS (Bradford, UK).
Sounds very interesting - tell me more!
_÷}
jimkatz@johnabbott.qc.ca
Jim Katz
292 Senneville Road, RR1
Senneville, Quebec
Canada, H9X 3L2
To: JimKatz@JohnAbbott.qc.ca (Jim Katz)
From: gdgreen@crl.com (GDG)
Subject: Re: Contrabass-L No. 64
>>How about a soprano dulcian? True, it doesn't have any keys, but it's
>>pitched 1.5 octaves above the bassoon (six fingers = D above middle C).
>>Still has a sound that recognizably bassoon-like (or at least, what you'd
>>expect from an 8" bassoon). I found one second hand at the EMS (Bradford, UK).
>Sounds very interesting - tell me more!
Well, not much more to tell. Let's see, (from memory), it's pretty small, has no keys, but does have fingerholes for all 10 fingers (including thumbs). The reed looks like a miniature bassoon reed, and attaches to a short crook that looks like an English horn bocal (or maybe a bit smaller). I've only played it "solo", so I can't say for sure even what key its in, but I think that the 6-finger note is D above middle C. The two little finger holes and thumb holes extend the range below that (they connect with the ascending bore).
It sounds like a tiny bassoon, like a bassoon breathing helium. The timbre is noticeably mellower than a shawm in the same range. At some point, I'll upload images and sound clips.
Grant
BTW, finally found an old price list from EMS (April 1995, so I don't guarantee these prices are accurate!). They list the following soprano curtals (all prices in pounds):
| w/o VAT | with VAT | |
| EMS (1 key) | 560 £ | 660 £ |
| Moulder (0 key) | 353 £ | 415 £ |
They're listed as c'(G), meaning 7 fingers down is middle C, and the range continues downward to G below. They also have altos, g(D), with or without keys, tenors, and basses. The bass corresponds to the modern bassoon. The June '96 newsletter lists a Wood tenor curtal 2nd hand for 895 pounds (no VAT)
I've just remembered that there's an image of Eric Moulder's family of curtals linked to his address on renwind.html. The image should be found at http://www.crl.com/~gdgreen/emoulder.gif .
Grant
Date: Fri, 13 Dec 1996 19:22:49 -0500
From: Reedsmike@aol.com
Subject: contrabass: bass sax correction
I recently posted a message regarding a "Holert" bass sax. I guess I crossed a Holton with a Kohlert. The horn is a Holton. It has silver lacquer and pearl on the keys. It has a pat'd date of Dec 8, 1914 and the ser. # is 120000 series which dates it in the 1930's. There is no marking of "High Pitch" or "Low Pitch" so it must be pitched at A440. The previous owner used to use a baritone sax mouthpiece and claims the pitch was pretty good (He is dead now. This info is coming from the repairman.) The horn is not yet playable, so I can't try it out using my bari mouthpiece.
Is anyone familiar with Holton basses? What would be the best (cheapest) way to get a case made for it? ($$?)
Thanks for any feedback.
-Mike Mori
Turlock, CA
To: Reedsmike@aol.com
From: gdgreen@crl.com (GDG)
Subject: Re: contrabass: bass sax correction
If you want a gig bag instead of a case, you could custom-order one from Altieri. They make gig bags for many instruments, including contrabassoons, tubas, flutes, and my sarrusophone and reed contrabass. They'll probably ask you to trace the horn (both sides) on a large (!) sheet of paper, and indicate the thickness of the horn at various points. At least, that's what I've done in the past for the sarrusophone and reed contra. The result is an attractive black luggage-grade nylon (I think) padded case. There are no rigid parts, so I wouldn't drop it down the stairs, but its pretty light-weight. Altieri is at (303) 291-0658.
You could also try Reunion Blues, at 415-861-7220. They make a large variety of case covers and gig bags. My WW&BW catalog doesn't list anything for bass sax, but they may have one anyway.
If you want a real hard-shell case, you could try telephoning the Woodwind & Brasswind : they carry a number of things like that that just aren't in the catalog (for example, I just bought a contrabass clarinet stand from them: sure wasn't in the catalog). Their telephone number is 1-800-348-5003.
As for $$, my guess is that any of the gig bags will cost you at least $200. Cases will probably cost a bit more, and you'll want to be careful that the case actually fits your horn.
Good luck!
Anyone else know something about the horn itself?
Grant
End Contrabass-L No. 65
