Posted by French Horn Section on October 23, 2003 at 14:38:19:
In Reply to: Re: Re: ..an old approach to tuba transport posted by henry on October 23, 2003 at 13:10:07:
yes, there is some controversy, but not nearly the flames you get if you bring up beta blockers. What I like about a detachable bell (and I have one) is exactly what the original poster was talking about. I can get my fragile horn in a case that meets the airline carry-on specs, and that is worth just about anything at this point. Also....it allows me to try different bells on my horn, which is common practice. It has been my experience that the difference in sound between mouthpieces is chicken feed compared to the difference in sound between bells. I hopped around with the full range of mouthpiece sizes for years...wider, narrower, shallower, deeper, blah blah....and then I tried a GOOD bell on my horn and shelled out $800 without even blinking. Then I went back to the mouthpiece that was easiest to play on.
MA