The very latest in King basses (1934)

While exchanging emails with a fellow-music history buff this week, I was introduced to a rather striking tuba that I had never seen before. It is the King Rotary Valve Symphony Model Orchestra Bass (No. 1280).

It was apparently introduced by H. N. White in 1934, and it seems to have been discontinued a mere five years later, in 1939 (at least I could no longer find any listing for it in that year, or any year after). Here's the promotional page for this unique instrument from White Way News No. 7 (1934), and pulled from Mark Overton's fabulous online museum at Saxophone.org:

As you can perhaps see, in the upper right corner of the page, it was endorsed by the great Bill Bell, who claimed that "It is just what the Bass players have long been looking for." And the description, in the left-hand column, states that "the instrument has the same impressive appearance in an orchestra as a Sousaphone but is more convenient for players changing from the stringed Bass to the wind instrument" (as shown below). You'll also notice above that it required three cases - one for the body, one for the bell, and one for the stand!

The specifications for this slender giant are as follows:

Built in BBb, four valve model. Diameter of bell, 22". Size of bore: Medium bore .687 or can be furnished in the large bore .750. Weight 22 lbs. Height overall 66" Width across instrument at valve section 14 1/4". Length from bottom bow to mouthpiece position 37 1/2". Furnished complete with stand as standard equipment.

The cost for the instrument ranged from $290 for the brass finish with nickel silver trimmings, to $690 for the "Artists Special, Heavily Gold Plated, Bright Hand Burnished all over." The three cases added an extra $70 to the cost.

The horn was enthusiastically endorsed by Hollywood studio musician Jack Barsby, as can be seen in his December 27, 1934 letter to the H. N. White company (again, courtesy of Mark Overton):

Despite this stellar review (and note the last line in the commentary, which says, "Surely his opinion is sound and worth considering"), it appears that this model didn't really live up to the hopes that H. N. White had for it. As I said above, a mere five years later, it was gone from their catalog.

But at least one of these unusual horns can be seen today, in the V. & E. Simonetti Historic Tuba Collection, which also provided the photo of Barsby at the top of this post.