Buescher BBb Tuba Restoration (Amature)

[Tubaing]

Hey everyone! I've been working on and off on my Buescher Tuba for a few months now with the little tools I have and a few minuets ago, I got it back into playable condition!

When I got it, the tube before the bottom bow and about 2 inches of the bottom bow was flattened about half way in. The upper bow had some pretty nasty dents. The bell had some huge dents in the flare and an even bigger (5x5 inch) dent immediatly above the leadpipe.


I have taken off the leadpipe, bottom bow, and bell, taken out the dents to the best of my ability, and just put it back together except the braces will be another day. Also the water keys don't have cork yet I am new to soldering and putting tubas back together, so right now the leadpipe is 2 inches off the bell rather the the original design of being soldered to it.
It plays great and will be a much better practice tuba than I was expected since I payed only $120 for it.

^Me Tubaing after playing repair man^

[Dan Schultz]

Bravo! Most aspiring tubaists never get a practice horn. If it plays, that's what counts.

[The Big Ben]

Bravo! Most aspiring tubaists never get a practice horn. If it plays, that's what counts.

Yeah! it looks OK. At least lots better than it did. And, I bet if you look at it long enough, you will figure out how to get the lead pipe back whee it should be. It looks like the bottom bow got opened up a little when you took the dents out and the bell is now sticking out at a different angle and the leadpipe doesn't fit right any more.

If it's fun for you and the horn works better, that's great!

[Tubaing]

Yours is stamped "Buescher"

Actually the stamp (colored lacquer) is completly gone now. An odd thing about this tuba is that not only does it not have a maker name or logo on it any more, but it also doesn't have a serial number.

[Tubaing]

Nope, not unless it's under the solder of where a brace should be.

[iiipopes]

And being made on Edgeware Street, once you get it back together, it will last like a tank. Congrats.

[Tubaing]

And being made on Edgeware Street, once you get it back together, it will last like a tank. Congrats.

Absolutely. I have no idea how someone managed to dent it so badly. This is a tough horn.

[Tubaing]

I have taken off the leadpipe, bottom bow, and bell, taken out the dents to the best of my ability, and just put it back together except the braces will be another day.

That day was today. I just soldered the 2 bell braces you can see in the pictures and the brace for the leadpipe. I have to take it to the repair shop for the last 2 bell braces (since they were broken when I got it), new water key springs and cork. After that, it should be mechanically done getting fixed.

[imperialbari]

Also I admire your work, which I never did myself and hardly ever will do. My fields were more to make valves and trombone slides work optimally and to make add-ons in wood and leather for better ergonomics.

You probably will have to buy the water key springs. With a wine bottle cork, a sharp knife, and some glue you should be able to make them tight yourself.

As I get it, the bell stays have become short because of the work on the bottom bow. But can't you still make them work by moving them a bit up the bell and the branch?

My own basses are larger and aside from one of the sousaphones all have 4 valves comp or non-comp. However I once was the leader and teacher of a very poor youth band, which couldn't afford a tuba. We loaned the very small Eb equivalent of your BBb (that was a Besson Westminster). In some ways a limiting instrument, but with adequate slide pulling and inventive arranging it became a great asset for the band.

The special wrap of your 3rd slide tubing makes me wonder whether its top slide could be honed for fast operation with your left hand, so that all 1+3 and 1+2+3 constellations became better in tune. If that is possible the odd 5th partials also might be improved by alternative fingering.

You probably will have to make a slide stop out of some type of string to prevent the slide from dropping out, when the tuba is placed on its bell.

Klaus Smedegaard Bjerre

[Tubaing]

As I get it, the bell stays have become short because of the work on the bottom bow. But can't you still make them work by moving them a bit up the bell and the branch?

I can't do this because the top circular part (washer maybe) of both braces broke off and I don't know how (also don't think I have (m)any of the tools I need) to do silversoldering.

I removed the bell's creases with the palms of my hands (using washcloths and a lot of pressure), used 000 steel wool to remove the bell's crappy lacquer...

Yikes! I remember back in Jr. High (before I had gotten my amazing hammer for removing bell dents) taking creases out a bell with my hands on a euphonium but never on a tuba (besides on a Juipiter and when unbending rims.)

[The Big Ben]

As I get it, the bell stays have become short because of the work on the bottom bow. But can't you still make them work by moving them a bit up the bell and the branch?

I can't do this because the top circular part (washer maybe) of both braces broke off and I don't know how (also don't think I have (m)any of the tools I need) to do silversoldering.

You might be able to get some generic parts for making braces and other things here"

http://www.votawtool.com/

I've never bought anything from them but they list many items including generic parts and tools. Worth a look.

[Tubaing]

The special wrap of your 3rd slide tubing makes me wonder whether its top slide could be honed for fast operation with your left hand, so that all 1+3 and 1+2+3 constellations became better in tune. If that is possible the odd 5th partials also might be improved by alternative fingering.

You probably will have to make a slide stop out of some type of string to prevent the slide from dropping out, when the tuba is placed on its bell.

Actually, there is no top slide so there goes that idea.



------------------------

Also, I double checked my small supply of spare braces for the bell and I found one (Bell brace on a junker Conn French horn I had laying around) to use as the upper brace. I just installed it... Yay! Only one more brace left to get!

[Tubaing]

You might be able to get some generic parts for making braces and other things here"

http://www.votawtool.com/

I've never bought anything from them but they list many items including generic parts and tools. Worth a look.

Seems to be a little better deal to just get one from the local shop.

[Tubaing]

I just found another brace from that horn to use on the bell. It was a leadpipe brace, but now will be serving a much greater purpose.

Yay! Soldered Braces


And here are those horn braces I have been bragging about.


Now I've done all the soldering needed and all thats left to do is refinish it and get those water keys fixed.