The Recording Bell Conundrum

[roughrider]

I have played my recording bell tuba for 35 years and have yet to have had a complaint about it. Dan Schultz is correct, an edgy player will make the horn and its player stand out much more than they would probably like. Our community band now has three tubas and we are happy about the number of players and somewhat less concerned about the type of horn that each player has at their disposal.

[Bill Troiano]

Back in my Guy Lombardo days, he insisted I use a recording bell tuba. For a recording session, I once brought my Miraphone 186, thinking it might record better. Guy wasn't happy. Luckily, I also had the recording bell tuba with me.

[J.c. Sherman]

In the current iteration of the Guy Lombardo Orchestra, Al always smiles at me when I play with them, because I always bring a bell front tuba

J.c.S.

[modelerdc]

This whole thing about the people assuming the bell upright is always the better instrument without regard to the actual acoustic circumstances just shows how people hear with their eyes. While I like the bell up euphonuim for concert use, most schools were better off in the old days with bell forward baritones, which imho were better instruments than todays bell forward core style baritiones, so now schools often have to have two sets of instruments, instead of one that will serve both concert and marching well, a boone for manufacturers, but not for schools and players. And wasn't the sousaphone invented becuase Sousa wanted bells up for concert, and not as most peoples bias leads them to assume that the sousa was invented for bell forward marching? Most forget that the first sousas were raincatchers for concert use.

[jstrother123]

My Marzan has both an upright and recording bell. In my 9 piece jazz group, they always want me playing the recording bell, indoors or out. In my community band, the request is recording bell outside, upright inside. But that was also changed when we played on a stage with a huge catwalk above us where the tuba sound got trapped and/or lost. Luckily I had put the recording bell in the trunk of my car and I was able to swap it out before we played. My sound was the only one that made it past the stage, the other 3 tuba players were really only window dressing that night.

Jim

[Z-Tuba Dude]

bloke "Though probably true, I really don't find that factoid to be particularly significant or important, but (mostly) wanted to counter your offering of 'conundrum' into the TubeNet lexicon with 'predilection'."

[pjv]

Usually when the bell-up/-front discussion shows up its usually quite polar; up vs front. And it seems that if you want the both of best worlds you got to carry 2 bells around.

I don't get it? The bell can be turned around 360 degrees. This gives the tubist a plethora of directions to choose from for his/her sound.

We all know what its like to have your bell pointed towards a dead spot in the hall (curtain, sound absorber, etc) or towards a low point in the ceiling, projecting our sound in an undesirable direction. Turning your chair a bit might solve this but maybe you can't see the conductor anymore. Or maybe your bells blasting into the bass section. They love that.

A front bell gives a wide variety of options in order to find the best sound possible because its multidirectional.

Upright bell; many players hold their axe at an 80 degree angle (just like the TubeNet Smiley). In this instance the bells not upright but pointing at an upright angle. I also hold my bell-front tuba at an 80 degree angle. And when I turn the bell 90 degrees (to the side) tah dah!!! my bell also points at an upright 80 degree angle.

My 2 cents.
Pat

[Dan Schultz]

.... I don't get it? The bell can be turned around 360 degrees. This gives the tubist a plethora of directions to choose from for his/her sound....

180 degrees would be just 'payback' for the timpanist! Maybe you could even pull your main slide out a couple of inches to drive him/her crazy for a change!

[Dan Schultz]

Why not make all of the valves interchangeable on piston tubas (like the 1970's Olds "Pinto" trumpet) ?

Most tuba players (I know I'm not) are really not smart enough to keep track of all of those valves and holes.

That's a nice thing about the Yamaha YBB-103. It's just not possible to mix up the pistons!

[J.c. Sherman]

Why not make all of the valves interchangeable on piston tubas (like the 1970's Olds "Pinto" trumpet) ?

Most tuba players (I know I'm not) are really not smart enough to keep track of all of those valves and holes.

Same with the Yamaha YBB-103

(actually not a bad idea...)