Setting horns on bells

[MaryAnn]

Unfortunately the woman was known to us. For years she hung out as her husband descending into Alzheimer's tried to keep playing. But she was very annoying with the camera all that time.

[Matt Walters]

The best way to prevent damage to a tuba is to leave it in the original packaging it came in from the manufacturer and never open up the case. Forget that! I play my tubas and they ALL have a few dings and scratches. If you lay the tuba down flat at break time, you increase the target area for idiots to step onto. If you put the tuba on the bell and lean it up against a chair, you make it more visible but now the horn can be "knocked over".

"Gentleness is a velvet covered brick." I don't know where I first heard of or read that saying, but it is true. Just do what needs to be done but protect yourself and others from the sharp little edges in life. Come break time in a community band setting, I slide my music stand forward and set my tuba on the bell between the chair and the stand with top branch resting against my chair. I've increase the visibility of my tuba and increased it stability. That is all I can do without being like that person who buys a new sofa and wanting it to stay nice looking leaves the nasty plastic covering on it.

[Bill Troiano]

I think I posted this here before, but I can't find it. When I was in the Long Island Symphony, the bs. tbn. player was the personnel mngr. and during the required breaks he would announce for anyone who had issues, complaints or wuddeva, to see him in his office. Well, his office was his chair and members would gather around his chair, with some standing on the edge of my bell because I left my tuba at my chair. The smart thing for me to do would have been to move my tuba, but no. I was young and rough around the edges. So, I just started tossing water from my horn all around my chair. By break time, a moat was always clearly visible and I would stand off stage with other brass players (because we hung together and liked this sort of thing) and watch the mostly string players approach the bs. tbn. office, suddenly see my moat, back off and form a line on the other side of his office. We found it to be hilarious and nobody came near my tuba again as long as the orchestra existed. Of course, you don't want to do this in your house, but hopefully, nobody would step on your tuba in your house. I've always just stood it on its bell leaning against a chair, wall, or other furniture. I've never had one fall over. I dropped a few and fell over one though.

[bort]

Forget that!

Well that's easy for you to say! Every time your horns get dinged up, you get to take them to Matt Walters to get them repaired!

[mbell]

I cannot leave my Cerveny Piggy on its bell. It will fall over. It is from the 1970s, so that might make a difference. I can put it on its bell if it is braced against a wall or something and it is OK. Although, I don't really like to do that either. I normally lay it down flat on top of the gig bag. Since it is short, this isn't really too much of a problem.

My Kaiser is fine on its bell, but I try to brace it against a wall or something whenever possible.

mike

"Meinl-Weston"..."at home"..."no little kids around" - probably fine

"Cerveny"..."anywhere other than at home" - maybe not such a great idea

The last 28 of my 35 years are with cerveny tubas, good idea or not, it's worked for me

[opus37]

I never place my horn on the bell. I've seen too many horns fall victim to getting knocked over. I do place it flat on the floor, but I am careful to place out of the way of normal traffic. I like the suggestion of placing it on/in the gig bag. I also think the "on the bell" position caused the condensation to redistribute it's self throughout the tuba making it harder to remove during playing.

[andrew the tuba player]

I also have to say that my horn has only been on its bell once in its life and wasn't put there by me. When at rehearsal it usually goes back in the open case during break as I put it close enough to not be a bother. If I can't do that or its during intermission I just wait for everyone up front to go by (as I'm usually emptying condensation anyways) and then gently set it on its back between my stand and chair. It's never been kicked or stepped on. And my bright silver bell is still perfect 6 years later. No crease, bend or scratching.

I first started this when I had a satin silver 25j that the bell was deformed and scratched deeply around the rim from being sat on the bell. I don't have enough money to pour into fixing the bell or if my horn got knocked over fixing all the problems that come from that. I'd rather just take a few extra minutes and steps to ensure it stays the way it is.

[Paul Scott]

I almost never put a horn on its' bell. If it's a top-action horn all the water will run into the pistons and with a side-action horn the upper slides can fall out. Saw this happen with a certain famous tuba from Chicago. Nothing like hearing that "clang" of a dropping slide from one of those two horns! I also had a student who came to me with a bashed in bugle. Yep, the whole horn (Miraphone 186) fell over.

[tubapix]

FWIW - I use a piece of 3/8 clear tubing around the rim of the bell on my horns. It protects them from scratches on the edge and I can set it down on rough surfaces (concrete...) without a problem.

[Donn]

unless there's a really wide crack in the floor, or something like that.

pictures, please.

[doublebuzzing]

I've only seen a disaster one time in this regard. Back in HS, being the naive kids we were, we would put the tuba on its bell after class and it would be ready for the next class. Well I came into the band room one day and the tuba was on the floor with the rotors smashed into the floor!

With all the high-energy kids (you know the type) always horsing / running around once they get out of the perceived imprisonment of the math or history room and into the freedom of the band room, I can only imagine one of those nimrods side-swiped it without intending it.

[andrew the tuba player]

I've stopped trying to balance my recording bass on its bell.
It falls over virtually 100% of the time...well...unless there's a really wide crack in the floor, or something like that.

That's where a 20j comes in handy. It's makes the Crack in the floor for you.

[tofu]

I almost never put a horn on its' bell. If it's a top-action horn all the water will run into the pistons and with a side-action horn the upper slides can fall out. Saw this happen with a certain famous tuba from Chicago.

I remember that happened at the 95 ITEC @ NU on stage in Pick Steiger Hall to his HB when he was giving a presentation or are you referring to another incident?