Post a pic of the coolest tuba modification you have seen

The bulk of the musical talk
User avatar
iiipopes
Utility Infielder
Utility Infielder
Posts: 8556
Joined: Tue Sep 06, 2005 1:10 am

Re: Post a pic of the coolest tuba modification you have see

Post by iiipopes »

If "coolest" includes "utilitarian," then converting the top loop of the 1st valve circuit of a Conn souzy into a moveable slide has to rank right in there.
Jupiter JTU1110, RT-82.
"Real" Conn 36K.
User avatar
The Big Ben
6 valves
6 valves
Posts: 3169
Joined: Sat Dec 16, 2006 11:54 am
Location: Port Townsend, WA

Re: Post a pic of the coolest tuba modification you have see

Post by The Big Ben »

the elephant wrote:I will toot my own horn here a bit, heh, heh, heh...

This is the coolest mod I have seen because *I* did it. Thank goodness for my dial calipers, bench motor, jeweler's saw and acetylene torch!
I really enjoyed the series you posted during the process. I found it inspirational. Not for the skills of a tuba tech but just the general craftsmanship and process. I don't work on tubas but work on other things (cameras, motorcycles, radios) and seeing what you accomplished with what you had to work with was great.
User avatar
Dean E
5 valves
5 valves
Posts: 1019
Joined: Fri Mar 19, 2004 10:36 am
Location: Northern Virginia, USA
Contact:

Re: Post a pic of the coolest tuba modification you have see

Post by Dean E »

Flatland low brass.
Dean E
[S]tudy politics and war, that our sons may have liberty to study mathematics and philosophy. Our sons ought to study mathematics and philosophy . . . in order to give their children a right to study painting, poetry [and] music. . . . John Adams (1780)
User avatar
Dean E
5 valves
5 valves
Posts: 1019
Joined: Fri Mar 19, 2004 10:36 am
Location: Northern Virginia, USA
Contact:

Re: Post a pic of the coolest tuba modification you have see

Post by Dean E »

But seriously, take Dr Fred Young's chromatic King/Gronitz double tuba.
Dean E
[S]tudy politics and war, that our sons may have liberty to study mathematics and philosophy. Our sons ought to study mathematics and philosophy . . . in order to give their children a right to study painting, poetry [and] music. . . . John Adams (1780)
barry grrr-ero
4 valves
4 valves
Posts: 837
Joined: Tue Oct 07, 2008 4:40 am

Re: Post a pic of the coolest tuba modification you have see

Post by barry grrr-ero »

If you search the topic 'double tuba', Tommy Johnson's Yamaha 822 d.t. will come up. Here's my understanding of it.

Tommy had an old German 'double tuba' sitting around that had that really long cross-over valve on it. In the photo, you'll see that same valve is placed laterally near the bell. It opens up the air to extra tubing that basically makes the low register play something like CC tuba fingerings. The idea was simply make it easier to play rapidly in the low register. Rob Stewart in L.A. did the work. My understanding is that Yamaha did show some interest in developing this, but nothing has come of it (as far as I know). I might have this part wrong, but I think there was a second one of these made as well (?). I know no idea what recordings Tommy used this instrument on. My understanding is that he used his Miraphone 190 CC quite a bit in his last two decades. When I studied briefly with Tommy in the latter '70s, he had a do-everything 185 that was a great tuba. I think he felt it was a bit small for the big movies that were coming out with large and heavy low brass sections in them.
User avatar
imperialbari
6 valves
6 valves
Posts: 7461
Joined: Fri Mar 19, 2004 3:47 am

Re: Post a pic of the coolest tuba modification you have see

Post by imperialbari »

Tommy Johnson’s Walzentuba is a compensating double tuba. The compensating valve loops do not sit in the CC addition loop, which is activated by the original 5th valve rotor, the action of which is coupled with that of the 4-story Walzen rotor. The Walzenrotor adds the compensating loops to their respective F-side valve loop.


This Lehmann system was invented for compensating double horns. I have such a horn by Lidl. The low F-side range is amazingly good. The main problem with this system is that the 2nd valve loop of the Bb-side cannot be adjusted lengthwise.

Klaus
User avatar
Art Hovey
pro musician
pro musician
Posts: 1506
Joined: Sun May 02, 2004 12:28 am
Location: Connecticut

Re: Post a pic of the coolest tuba modification you have see

Post by Art Hovey »

Here's last month's project: a 20J with a chinese valve section. It works!
User avatar
PaulTkachenko
3 valves
3 valves
Posts: 372
Joined: Fri Oct 17, 2008 3:34 pm
Contact:

Re: Post a pic of the coolest tuba modification you have see

Post by PaulTkachenko »

What is the valve set on that helicon? Looks amazing.
Yamahas YFB621, YBB621 & YEB 631
Conn 20K, Bubbie, Tornister & Amati Bb helicon
Perinet ophicleide, Kaiser serpent, YEP 321 Euphonium, King 3B bone, YBL612II bass bone, Meinl flugabone
Double bass, bass guitar, bass sax
User avatar
PaulTkachenko
3 valves
3 valves
Posts: 372
Joined: Fri Oct 17, 2008 3:34 pm
Contact:

Re: Post a pic of the coolest tuba modification you have see

Post by PaulTkachenko »

Thanks...
Yamahas YFB621, YBB621 & YEB 631
Conn 20K, Bubbie, Tornister & Amati Bb helicon
Perinet ophicleide, Kaiser serpent, YEP 321 Euphonium, King 3B bone, YBL612II bass bone, Meinl flugabone
Double bass, bass guitar, bass sax
User avatar
bigtubby
4 valves
4 valves
Posts: 747
Joined: Mon Jan 07, 2013 9:43 pm
Location: Ohio

Re: Post a pic of the coolest tuba modification you have see

Post by bigtubby »

American sailboats, airplanes, banjos, guitars and flutes ...
Italian motorcycles and cars ...
German cameras and tubas ...
Life is Good.
User avatar
imperialbari
6 valves
6 valves
Posts: 7461
Joined: Fri Mar 19, 2004 3:47 am

Re: Post a pic of the coolest tuba modification you have see

Post by imperialbari »

Not American, therefore it isn’t a Conntraption.
Last edited by imperialbari on Wed Nov 26, 2014 1:17 am, edited 1 time in total.
User avatar
bigtubby
4 valves
4 valves
Posts: 747
Joined: Mon Jan 07, 2013 9:43 pm
Location: Ohio

Re: Post a pic of the coolest tuba modification you have see

Post by bigtubby »

Far and away not the "coolest" but a couple of very practical modifications:

A year or so ago I ended my search for a small tuba by acquiring a 19th Century Schuster "Army" model that was in very good condition and almost 100% complete.

The one problem was the fact that the 4th valve was tuned to the old German "2+3" pitch. Since this was to be a player, I fabricated a 4th valve slide long enough to make it play the modern "1+3" pitch.
Image

More recently I purchased a King 1258 raincatcher sousaphone, also in excellent condition. This is a great player with a great voice but I thought that a bell front option would be nice - to save owning something like a 1250/2350 as well. I grafted a straight bell that Dan sent me onto it but decided that the horn simply wasn't suited for use as a helicon (the first branch's end points too low so the bell ended up approaching the horizontal.

Recently I dug an old King 25" sousaphone bell out of storage at the request of a someone interested in buying it. Around the time that their communications dried up I began putting two and two together.

King's economy of design (some of their designs are largely unchanged from the early 20th Century until very recently) began sinking in and I found a 2350 whose first and second branches had been buffed to paper thinness, later failing in a spectacular manner. With the bell bow from this carcass, I only had to fabricate a tenon to fit into the raincatcher's bell receiver.

When I get it finished up I will have the sousaphone equivalent of a 2341 with both bells.

Since this is American I guess for Klaus it will have to be a Kingtraption.
Image

I like old horns and dislike making permanent alterations to them. In both of these mods the instruments are utterly unchanged and the mods can be reversed without a trace by simply removing the new parts and replacing them with the originals.
American sailboats, airplanes, banjos, guitars and flutes ...
Italian motorcycles and cars ...
German cameras and tubas ...
Life is Good.
User avatar
Tubajug
5 valves
5 valves
Posts: 1712
Joined: Wed Jun 10, 2009 7:23 pm
Location: Lincoln, NE

Re: Post a pic of the coolest tuba modification you have see

Post by Tubajug »

That "Kingtraption" is fantastic! I love raincatchers, and that's even better that you can convert it without harming the original configuration.
Jordan
King 2341 with a Holton "Monster" Eb bell
Eb Frankentuba
Martin Medium Eb Helicon

If at first you don't succeed, skydiving's probably not for you.
User avatar
MikeW
3 valves
3 valves
Posts: 443
Joined: Sat Mar 24, 2012 2:44 pm
Location: North Vancouver, BC

Re: Post a pic of the coolest tuba modification you have see

Post by MikeW »

I stumbled upon this e-book, which may be relevant to this thread. It looks as if it describes compensating systems and other design questions. I haven't had time to read it all myself - with luck I'll have time to get into the tuba relevant sections next week, but it looks like a goldmine of ageing musical trivia

http://books.google.ca/books?id=LNsPAAA ... g=PA193&dq
Imperial Eb Kellyberg
dilettante & gigless wannabe
User avatar
Chasetbr
bugler
bugler
Posts: 69
Joined: Mon Nov 04, 2013 3:41 pm
Location: Columbus Ohio

Re: Post a pic of the coolest tuba modification you have see

Post by Chasetbr »

Bump to keep on the front page for a while
Miraphone 186 BBb
King 625 baritone
Custom bass flugelhorn
Dillion double trigger bass trombone
Chinese Superbone
Post Reply