Old Marching Horns

[AZFan]

Two people today at auditions were discussing old brass instruments. and they were talking about this marching baritone (which was beat to hell) and the guy who owned it swore up and down that it was from the late 70's / early 80's, and another guy said that that wasn't possible because no one made marching instruments in Bb with 3 valves until much later than that. And it looked like a standard front facing, marching baritone, like every one that dci uses.

the horn was definitely pitched in Bb, i played it. And i just kept my mouth shut because i really didn't know, but i imagined that marching bands used Bb horns before that but i really had no idea.

But is this true? is it conceivable that this horn made in the 80's?

[BMBob]

There were definitely Bb marching horns with three valves during that time. It would be much less likely (very improbably) that it would be from that time period if it were in G. As far as I know, bands playing in Bb have never had rules limiting horns to fewer than three valves. Corps playing in G, as they would have in the 80s, would be limited to two valves until years later than that.

[drumno5]

Two people today at auditions were discussing old brass instruments. and they were talking about this marching baritone (which was beat to hell) and the guy who owned it swore up and down that it was from the late 70's / early 80's, and another guy said that that wasn't possible because no one made marching instruments in Bb with 3 valves until much later than that. And it looked like a standard front facing, marching baritone, like every one that dci uses.

the horn was definitely pitched in Bb, i played it. And i just kept my mouth shut because i really didn't know, but i imagined that marching bands used Bb horns before that but i really had no idea.

But is this true? is it conceivable that this horn made in the 80's?

3 valve corps style marching horns in Bb (made by Bach/Selmer, King, Olds and probably a couple other manufacturers) have been around at least since the mid/late 70's, and became increasingly visible on the band scene as bands and corps began to adopt elements of each others' characteristics during that era. At the school where I teach we've been using them since the early eighties. You can find both marching trombones (shaped like a drum corps baritone, but with a slightly smaller and more "cylindrical" bore) and baritones (pretty much like the Bb 3-valve job you see on the field today) from that time period.

Fred O.

[AZFan]

There were definitely Bb marching horns with three valves during that time. It would be much less likely (very improbably) that it would be from that time period if it were in G. As far as I know, bands playing in Bb have never had rules limiting horns to fewer than three valves. Corps playing in G, as they would have in the 80s, would be limited to two valves until years later than that.

Yeah the accusation was that this person was lying about how old the horn was.

thanks for clearing it up for me!

[JimF-LowBari]

Definitely three valved bell front French Horns in the late 70s as my college band used them. Was talk about 3 valve Baris to replace the trombones we kept smacking up in close drill but most of the players never played valved instruments.

[HornsUp]

is it conceivable that this horn made in the 80's?

Post the make and the serial #.

[MiniSopGuy]

Definitely three valved bell front French Horns in the late 70s as my college band used them.

I wish my college had them in the early '80's. I used a concert horn on the field marching facing forward with the bell facing back.

Second person from the left in the front rank. What made that worse is at the second high school I worked at 4 years later, I had 5 "marching french horns". They were made in the late 60's around 68 or 69, so they existed when I was in college!

[84BDsop]

Hmmm...what was the story there, Bob??

[JimF-LowBari]

"Big Brown Music Machine"????? Bet the band took a lot of the "brown stuff" for thet nickname.

And to think my college in PA got an NCAA "death penalty" threat because the sports teams name was the "Big Indians". "Death Penalty" = NCAA would not allow any team to go to the playoffs with a non-Politically Correct name. Irony is "Indians" is one of the top 3 or 5 HS team names in PA.

As for the marching frenchies, it was funny watching students who never played one try them out the two weeks of band camp. They didn't know how to place their hands and arms, especially on snapping the horns up and down.

Edited December 8, 2009 by JimF-3rdBari

[mpron]

For sure there were. I play an Olds marching trombone circa the 70's, kind of like a flugabone. I think the best of the marching bones as I also have a Getzen and have played the King. Seems most Jazz trumpet players double on the Old Olds.

A guy I play with just bought a circa 70's 3 valve Getzen marching baritone in chrome(?).