Help Tuning a vintage Euphonium

PaperTiger

New member
Helping a friend of a friend move in I found a Baritone Euphonium in their attic space that was given to him by a his friend as a gag gift as he does play an instrument. Anyway I talked him in to letting me have it thinking I could restore it.

Half way through getting decades of corrosion off I decided to try to tune it. And here is where the fun begins.

He told me that all he knew about it was that it was an A horn, I disagreed and said it looked like a Eb Horn Like I used to play. I took it to a repair shop to get advise on restoring it and he thought it was an A or Bb Horn, after comparing it to an A horn he had and seeing that in had less tubing than the A horn he agree in could be an Eb.

However, the Tuning Issue. It has unfortunately be a while since I played, and when I did I play a French Horn, and to my understanding when playing open F on my F Horn I was playing concert C which all brass play concert C when playing respective tuning (example Bb trumpet play Concert C on open Bb)

When I play open it reads concert G on my tuner, and to my knowledge and small amount of research there is no such thing as a G Euphonium. But it is a Martin horn and if the serial number record is correct it is from about 1920. Maybe there were some made back then.

Hopefully this made since, and some one can help, and the following it the troubleshooting I have already done.

Adjusted tuning slides

Cleaned the in side of most the interior

Changed mouth pieces

There is no lacquer and there is still a moderate amount of corrosion I have considered this to be the issue, though I have play instrument that looked worst and still played in tune.
 

John Watt

Member
You must have done some hard work that I can't see, talking corrosion.
The patina I see looks like the horn has been kept clean and moisture free,
understandable in a dry and dusty attic.
You have a major find here, starting off describing it as a gag gift.
What do you expect when you say there is no lacquer?
A local move by desperate rustologists is to soak it in diet Pepsi overnight.
Some automotive types use diet Pepsi for rust on bumpers.

I've had a lot of experience with brass and similar metals, even marine applications for lake boats,
having a tool collection that features a lot of brass and mahogany tools, maintaining them.
Do you have any round, wire brush balls you can work around inside,
or long, pipe cleaner style wire brushes for inside the tube lengths?
When I used to take my trumpet, as a teen, on camping trips,
I could be sitting behind a waterfall with the bell sticking out on the other side,
or be blowing it into the water, making bubbles of aquatic tones, a nice mute mutation.
Just drying it off, shaking the water out, was good enough, not getting rust or corrosion.
You're more of a player here than me, but I'd wonder about mouthpiece choices,
for such an old instrument of so far, unknown tuning.

How about putting up more photos, possibly looking inside?
Have you tried Drano or Comet cleanser? Just asking.
It looks like a solid instrument.
And you're saying baritone while I'm thinking Heraldic tenor.
 
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PaperTiger

New member
I am sorry for all the detail here is my question for those you don't want to read the rest. I am looking for some one who knows or might know where I can find somebody that knows how I can figure out what it was turned in originally what it plays now and if I can change it by maybe replacing one or more of the tuning slides.

I am out of town at the moment I can puush more pictures when I get back, though the inside and valves are in pretty good shape. I broke the crook where the mouth piece inserts, to was rusted through but I finished it off. I plan to turn a new piece of brass to replace it and have it's bore accept a french horn mouth piece instead.

As far as the restoration of the instrument I have that covered. I have given my French Horn vinegar baths that eat the corrosion but leave the brass alone. Followed by a polish and lacquer looks good as new. I have given my self the time to do it yet but I plan to show my progress on the forums here.

Though another reason I am putting it off is I want to know if I can play it or not. Every instrument shop I when to that had any idea what it was suspects as I do that it may not be tuned to today's standards. In the time it was made The 1920's there was both instruments make to fit a odd key signature as well as instruments turned to keys that are used anymore.

If this is the case I could make music with it once restored but I would have to transcribe any piece I play into a different key, and I would go to that trouble especially when I play French Horn. So at that point if it is going to be a wall decoration I have the plan to under go a processes similar to case hardening or bluing steel. which to brass weakens it but gives is a red to purple tone. This also probably wouldn't make it sound any good. And I would have to fix the crook properly.

Thank you very much for your interest.

What do you expect when you say there is no lacquer?

Sorry John but I don't understand this. the lacquer is what kept your horn from rusting after it's water fall bath, But i expect you know this. but may not all brass instruments are lacquer and I didn't know but from my experience they are.

And I think the Cola is a bad idea, but maybe :grin: And I haven't trying Drano or Comet but I never have a reason to try anything other than vinegar.

I have never heard of a Heraldic tenor before and a internet search didn't find anything that looked like it. Could put post a reference? Though I agree it might be a tenor it is a little smaller than the Baritone I played in middle school.

Thanks again
 
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