Contrabass

From DrumCorpsWiki

The deepest voice in the bugle section is akin to a horizontal tuba, and is pitched one octave below the baritone, bass-baritone and euphonium.

After some experimental prototypes were built by the Frank Holton company and Whaley, Royce and Company in the 1950s, a practical contrabass bugle was introduced by the rival Getzen company in 1961. Other manufacturers then quickly developed their own contrabass models. For being a bass voice, the first Getzen contrabass was a smallish bugle and unsatisfactory in some respects, but had the advantage of resting on the player's left shoulder to relieve weight. Among the first drum corps to order this bugle was the St. Raphael's Golden Buccaneers of Bridgeport, Connecticut.