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The Wagner tuba is a narrow-bore tuba with a French-horn mouthpiece. Tubas appeared first in Berlin in the 1820s, soon after the invention of the valve. They were soon accepted into the band and orchestra, displacing the serpent, ophicleide, and other such instruments of poorer tone quality and intonation.
The general design of the tuba has changed little since the early days of its development. It is a massive instrument with a large bell of anywhere from 14-30 in (35.56-76.2 cm) in diameter. The main tubing is shaped in an elliptical coil with the bell pointing up. There are numerous variations on this shape however.