This particular horn does indeed exist. It's a Bb/Ascending C in nickel silver with a fairly large width bell throat. I sold this horn almost ten years ago for a client. I have also seen a double horn made in a similar valve cluster and wrap. (In fact, I believe the person who owned the double also played it with one of McCracken's carbon fiber bells.) The goal of the design seems to have been to eliminate any bend in the tubing with a more acute angle than 120 degrees.
The valves were as many have described. One valve rotor was for input and one for output, and the linkage was a fork, articulated to the valve lever, and linked to the two rotors with string. Each valve in the rest position had a 120 degree bend in and out, so that the input connected to the output, and then on out of the horn. In the engaged position, the rotor turned 120 degrees to allow the sound wave to go down into the slide tube, and similarly back out through the output valve. Hence, no ninety degree bends in the pathway through the valves. IMO, these horns were concept horns. Some of the parts appeared to be "production" and many of the parts associated with the valve levers appeared to be made of off-the-shelf parts. In other words, the horns had quite the look of prototyping construction. Whether or not McCracken intended to make these horns in large numbers is a question that only he could answer. Clearly, large production of these horns never came into being. I don't know if I have any existing pics of this Bb horn, but if I find them I'll make them available. -- Regards, Dave Weiner Brass Arts Unlimited _______________________________________________ post: [email protected] unsubscribe or set options at https://pegasus.memphis.edu/cgi-bin/mailman/options/horn/archive%40jab.org
