I once featured this unusual tuba on my "Phil's Wish List" until June 2005- when a good friend noticed one on German eBay.  I managed to win the auction- and had it sent - in two boxes - directly to my favorite restorer - Dick Hansen in MA.  This tuba has seen some really tough days, including World War II (see bottom photo) !! But with Dick's tender massaging, this bit of brass has been fully restored to its former glory and was played at Tuba Christmas 2005!! (That's me in my silly Christmas hat!)

What makes this tuba truly unusual is its height of 66 inches. This configuration apparently was used primarily in pit orchestras or dance bands where the tuba remained permanently on a stand, allowing the bassist to shift quickly back and forth from the string bass to the tuba. The mouthpiece is 37.5 inches above the bottom bow!

It is uncommon to see string operated side action rotary valves on a US made tuba. According to a grandson of H.N White, the rotary valves were the idea of the late Bill Bell.   This particular tuba (serial # 166294) was made in a .687 bore.  A model in .750 bore was also made.  They apparently were produced from 1934 to 1939.  Scroll down to see the HN White catalog listing where one could buy a heavily gold plated version for $690!! Below that is a  picture of one of these babies with  bassist Jack Barnsby.