Re: Change tuba bell and leadpipe


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Posted by Klaus on March 30, 2001 at 13:59:28:

In Reply to: Change tuba bell and leadpipe posted by Bill Schultz on March 30, 2001 at 12:42:28:

The 19" for 15" bell exchange was common in the pre-Sovereign years around 1970 was quite common.

One of my personal sources tells of John Fletcher being a proponent of the shift towards the larger bell. I know of at least one pro symph player here having that shift done.

The transition model between the Besson New Standard/Boosey&Hawkes Imperial models and their Sovereign successors was called the Besson Imperial. It had the 19" bells for both Eb and BBb 4 valve comp models, whereas the 3 valve comp models kept their narrower bell withs.

Sadly the Besson Imperials kept the narrow receivers/leadpipes. Leading to sounds and playing characteristics I do not like.

Your e-mail address does not reveal your location on this planet, but anyway parts should be obtainable from B&H for your local repairman to mount.

I would start the project with the minor replacement in form of the leadpipe, which should be the one used on the 981.

If you register the change as an improvement, then you might research the closer circumstances of a bell change. If you do not like the shift of lead pipe, the shift back to the original will have been kept within lower losses, than the total project done at once.

As for Brit repair shops my source (a different from that about JF) tells of a good one:

McQueens Musical Instruments

Sunset Business Park

Manchester, Kearsley, Bolton BL4 8RT, England

(00 44) 16 17 94 35 43

Klaus


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