A real travel tuba

[Trumgottist]

I agree with Øystein's statement that it's not the sound of the tuba defines an artist, but I'd still find it interesting to know what, if any, differences this caused to the playing of the instrument.

[jacobg]

Could someone make a poor man's version of this buy buying an old detachable bell tuba (like a king recording bell, those seem cheap?) and having a two piece upright bell made for it? How much would it cost to make a simple bell?

[zangerzzz]

I'd be interested also in an estimated cost for removing a fixed bell and making it a 2 piece for easier traveling.

ThnkZ

[Rick Denney]

Even I have had occasions when being able to fly with a small F tuba would have been a real boon. I have flown with my Yamaha 621, but its case is too weak to avoid depending on luck to get there without damage. And the most vulnerable part of the case is the part this design avoids--the projecting valves and the edges of the bell.

Not everyone needs a small F only when they travel, but it would be nice to have.

Time to start buying Lotto tickets again.

Rick "betting anyone with the scratch could persuade Miraphone to make one for them, too" Denney

[the elephant]

Not exactly inexpensive, but you can completely disassemble a hard case and have the two shell halves sprayed with fiberglass so that they are nearly bomb proof. Use Peavey amp hardware for handles and hinges with strong pop rivets to reassemble and then hot glue the liner material back into place. Et voila! I have done this to several Yamaha cases for customers in the past to beef up the plastic shells. I have also done this to an Alexander wooden case. It was remarkably strong, but heavy!

[J.c. Sherman]

I'm still despairing that I have no photo of the assembled instrument...

As for the cost of making an assembly like this, you'd need a LOT of scratch, since so few of us would want to get NEAR a project like that

J.c.S. (who notes the only thing worse than making one removable bell joint is...)

[Lew]

This is a very cool looking horn and I think it is a very clever solution to a real problem, at least facing Øystein. There are probably a reasonable number of tuba players who travel for whom this would be a good solution, but still not enough to make this a standard production model.

Still, the best part of this thread is that Øystein took the time to comment and clarify some things. There is nothing as good as hearing it from the source.

[jacobg]

If removable bells are the most convenient way to travel, and have been widely adopted by horn players despite the (debatable) cons, why have they not caught on with tubas and trombone players?
I have a trombone with a detachable bell, which is unbelievable convenient. Why is this not standard for tubas, which are now so vulnerable to oversize flight charges?
The double bass community has changed habits radically since 9/11 - it's virtually impossible to use a bass flight case anymore. Shouldn't tubas do the same?