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Here's another great tuba dorn shot certain to get the works of you keyboards gummed up. It's a York Master CC that I did about 8 years ago with a USA Line Eb bell. It went through the Allied overhaul shop before they shut down and came out as seen below. I'm working on one like it now. This one won't be as pretty but should sound and play just as great.
.749 bore, 19.5" bell, about 33" tall. The King conversions that I do have a smaller bore at .687" I'll post a picture of the work-in-progress later. This one will have a 5th valve just after the 4th and a JW York bell.

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Bob1062 wrote:Awesome!


Sam, how long have you been building horns and what started you off on it?

I've been involved in it for around 10 years. I got started because I found some great looking old 4/4 BBbs that were missing or had trashed valve clusters. I had just returned from Germany. On my way back at the Frankfurt airport I had taken delivery of a 4/4 piston CC from one of the smaller makers. I hadn't gotten a chance to try that particular horn until I unpacked it here, and it turned out to be a real dog. I figured I might be able to put together something better for myself out of what I had. I did and haven't looked back. There's a lot more to the story about my history as a violin maker and my thoughts on the correlation between 19th century luthiers adding longer necks to 18th century violins and what I do by putting vintage Eb bells on BBb bodies to give voice to great old neglected horns. I firmly believe that much of the color and character of the sound of a horn comes from its throat, the bell.

Here's a progress shot. It looks pretty rough now but should turn out looking quite nice with lots more attention and hours. I have to get busy now putting braces in the cluster, getting it set in the bugle, bending a new lead pipe, de-denting tuning crooks, clean up and hand polishing. Then we get the reward of doing some playing on her.

I'd love to try one of these sometime. I had an opportunity to buy Mr. Ed Owen's Gnagey tuba a while back. I have heard Sam does an masterful work with these beauties.

I can't see the pictures; usually on Tubenet they show up fine. Can anybody help?

Thx.
MA

PS: how is Gnagey pronounced?

I'm curious why you used a York Eb bell for this one, Sam.

You had to whack, what, about 5" off the tail of the York bell to get it to fit the YM bottom bow? That would seem to make for a very "squat" horn.

Chuck(G) wrote:I'm curious why you used a York Eb bell for this one, Sam.

You had to whack, what, about 5" off the tail of the York bell to get it to fit the YM bottom bow? That would seem to make for a very "squat" horn.

Yes, I had to take quite a bit off, but that serves the purpose of moving the horn closer to CC. What other bell would you suggest for the project? The 4/4 York BBbs like the one Dan O. just did are pretty rare.

Sam Gnagey wrote:Yes, I had to take quite a bit off, but that serves the purpose of moving the horn closer to CC. What other bell would you suggest for the project? The 4/4 York BBbs like the one Dan O. just did are pretty rare.

Hi Sam. I've got a similar YM project on my bench and was looking at two possiblities--a 20" 4/4 Martin BBb bell (about only 2.5" off the bottom) or a Miraphone 186 17" bell (more projection). One of the old Conn 24J Eb bells (22") might be another possibility.

I've got a couple of Eb York bells, but I want to try them last.

MaryAnn wrote: PS: how is Gnagey pronounced?

Nay-gee. (Hard 'g').

Chuck(G) wrote:

Sam Gnagey wrote:Yes, I had to take quite a bit off, but that serves the purpose of moving the horn closer to CC. What other bell would you suggest for the project? The 4/4 York BBbs like the one Dan O. just did are pretty rare.

Hi Sam. I've got a similar YM project on my bench and was looking at two possiblities--a 20" 4/4 Martin BBb bell (about only 2.5" off the bottom) or a Miraphone 186 17" bell (more projection). One of the old Conn 24J Eb bells (22") might be another possibility.

I've got a couple of Eb York bells, but I want to try them last.

I'm very partial to the Martins. The first CC that I owned was a Martin rotary horn that had belonged to L.B. Oliver. I bought it from Mr. Bell. Looked like a diminutive Marzan with the slanted valve section. I have a big Eb Martin here with that bell. I'll probably use the bottom bow on it as well and mate it up with 2341 branches to build a CC. I haven't seen a 22" Conn Eb bell. That seems unusual to me. All my Conn Ebs have 20" or less.
If you're going to CC with your work you won't go wrong with the York Eb bells. I'd try them first. That also keeps it within the same marque more or less. Best of luck with the project.