In a message dated 2/20/2004 3:52:23 AM Eastern Standard Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes:
> > In Austria & in Bavaria it is called #Scheisshaken# (sheet hook). But > it comes in the Mellofone form (very unusual here) or in the > Es-alto-horn form or as little upright basset. Anyway, the sound is > special ugly special when played with the alto (alto > trombone like) > mouthpiece. Over here, the mellophone form is often referred to as 'snitweasel', certainly by me. I made a solo alto by taking a small upright alto and rotating the valve cluster. It was originally in high pitch, but I spliced in a length of French horn leadpipe and dropped it to modern pitch I agree on the sound of the thing in any form. I always play it with a horn mouthpiece. My son plays it with a cup mouthpiece, and actually gets a decent tone. He says the secret is to convince yourself beforehand that it does have a beautiful sound. Then you can find the sound in the instrument. I'm sure you do that naturally with a French horn. I think of it as getting to know the inside of a horn. My son plays all the brasses, so he is extraordinarily good at dialing in a strange instrument. However, an alto horn with a cup mouthpiece stretches his ability to produce a beautiful sound about as far as it stretches my ability to hear a beautiful sound. I can live with it in an antique brass group, but I don't have high expectations to hearing it any better. I recently obtained an upright alto by the Boston Musical Instrument Mfgy., from about 1875. Based on their reputation and my own experience, this horn should sound about as good as any American alto ever will. But first, I have to reconstruct the second valve, and it's not high on my priority list. I'm trying to collect a set of good working instruments from the Civil War period. I have a rotary Bb cornet and a rotary saxhorn (Eb bass), but I still need a euphonium and rotary Eb cornet.
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