This is an example of one of the earliest valved bass tubas – a  design  which would ultimately replace the keyed Opheclide as a bass instrument - especially in military bands, and which would eventually led to today’s modern tuba designs.  From the valve configuration and style of decoration it is believed this tuba was made by Johann Godfried Moritz in Berlin.  Moritz, in collaboration with Wilhelm Friedrich Wieprecht, devised in 1833 a new wide bore “Berliner Pumpen” valve, which was used on an entire range of brass instruments. A patent (Prussia #9121) was issued to Moritz and Wieprecht in 1835 for a 5 valve bass tuba in the key of F.  Moritz died in 1835 and was succeeded by his son Carl Wilhelm Moritz.   Carl received a Court appointment in 1840 as "Koniglicher Hofinstrumentenmacher”.  84 of these “chromatic bass tubas” were produced from 1835 to 1845 by Moritz and Wieprecht - primarily for use in military bands.

A tuba of similar design is found in the Edinburgh University Collection of Historic Musical Instruments and attributed as: Baßtuba in F - C.F. Zetsche Söhne, Berlin.  This was the first instrument to carry the name Bass Tuba. Arnold Myers, Director of the Edinburgh Museum  suggests that my tuba is an improved and somewhat later model as it  employs tuning slides for each valve. A side-by-side comparison of my tuba and the Zetsche is seen in the last photo below. Myers indicates that the oldest and best preserved of these F tubas is in Brussels.

As in most early brass instruments, there is no waterkey.  The bell is only 8 inches in diameter and the overall height is 30 inches. The mouthpiece receiver is too large for any modern mouthpiece shank - 1.53 cm (.6125 inches). An old Conn 2 Mouthpiece fits all the way into the receiver. The medallian is elaborately engraved with a floral design - instead of carrying the maker's name - possibly as the tuba may have been made for a military contract.  The decorative braces and ferrules are made of German silver. Counting the valves 1 to 5 from top to bottom, a scale can be played: F-Open; G-5 (like 1+3 or 4 on modern tubas); A-1+2; Bb-1; C-open;  D-1+2; E-2; F-Open.. The tuba has a great big sound for a small tuba.