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I'm just about done creating my first Frankenhorn. It's a valve trombone made by Los Liran (or something like that) in Chicago with an interchangeable bell to allow it to be a bass valve trombone in F. The bell is a donor from a junker Silver Conn Alto horn made in 1916.

Standard look

Franken Horn


How does it play? Well, it sounds like a trombone. It has a nice sound. The low range is pretty tough to articulate. The tuning is as you would expect from a very old 3 valve: fair.

As you can imagine, the slides have to be pulled out a lot. The main slide has to be pulled out about 4 inches and still has about 4 inches to spare.

It has a kinda nifty, completely removable brace, made from a modified flute lyre, for the bass bell.

Trombone Before Restoration
http://s220.photobucket.com/albums/dd18 ... 0Pictures/" target="_blank
Trombone after restoration and Frankenizing.
http://s220.photobucket.com/albums/dd18 ... s%20Liran/" target="_blank

goodgigs wrote:dear tubaing
I just love it !
Not because it plays ( as well as it does)
Not because it sounds good, but because you were able to ignore the
possability of failure long enough to go ahead and build it !
And you evedently soldered it well enough to be air tight !!
You're way ahead of a lot of folks who lack either the skills or the
imagination to BUILD WHAT THEY WANT.
Dude, kudos to you.

Now for the harsh critisum - come on now, turn the bell around
so you will fit in a little so you can play it with the "regular" triombones !

I wish I started instrument building when I was your age !
Thanks for sharing !

Wow! Thanks.
But... The Bell is not soldered on, it stays put with a tuning slide and that brace I put on. As I said, the bells are interchangeable and I have not altered the valve section (besides resoldering the teaser tube, recork the valves, wash it, polish it, and take apart, remove dent, & reassemble 1st valve slide.)

I'll try to figure out a way to have the bell like others, but right now, I'm more worried about getting (making) a counterweight. As you can see, the valve section and bell is in front of me.

goodgigs wrote:Now for the harsh criticism - come on now, turn the bell around
so you will fit in a little so you can play it with the "regular" trombones!

Sure thing!

All of the added tubing is from the Alto horn and now allows it to play in Eb, so I don't have learn to play in F. I did this without altering the trombone valve set, so the original bell is still interchangeable.
I still have to add 1 more brace and clean it up.
http://s220.photobucket.com/albums/dd18 ... s%20Liran/" target="_blank" target="_blank

tuben wrote:

Tubaing wrote: I did this without altering the trombone valve set, so the original bell is still interchangeable.

How does that work? Aren't the slides on a F tuba a different length than a euphonium?

RC

I just pull the slides almost all the way out.

It's spring break for me and I got bored so I decided to reconfigure this thing yet again. I stayed up late last night figuring out the design, and this morning, I assembled it. I like it a bit more now.

It starts off with french horn tubing then goes to the alto horn tubing.

http://s220.photobucket.com/albums/dd18 ... ne/Rotary/

So now it's a Bb baritone horn. I still have to figure out the lengths for the valve tubings.

I've got too much time on my hands... or not enough!

You forgot the all-important, multi-colored bicycle handlebar streamers.

Bob1062 wrote:

Tubaing wrote:
All of the added tubing is from the Alto horn and now allows it to play in Eb, so I don't have learn to play in F.

Don't you have an F tuba?

Yep. I got the F tuba a few days after the switch to Eb, so I did end up learning F.

Bob1062 wrote:You should attach the bell of your Olds trigger trombone to the valve trombone valve section!



OR.... better yet trade the Olds for one of my tubas!

I'd love to but I sold it 'bout a year ago.

Also, notice there is no linkage for the rotors on the baritone. I am currently finishing/perfecting a new style made of an Alan wrench, nut, penny, segment of a flute lyre, and spring (currently substituted by a rubber band) So far it is turning out quite well.

Tubaing wrote:Also, notice there is no linkage for the rotors on the baritone. I am currently finishing/perfecting a new style made of an Alan wrench, nut, penny, segment of a flute lyre, and spring (currently substituted by a rubber band) So far it is turning out quite well.

I have finished the first valve's linkage. I think it's kinda cool... eh.

http://s220.photobucket.com/albums/dd18 ... 0Baritone/

Does any one know how much tubing I have to cut from each valve's slide. I believe this is the equivalent of cutting an F tuba's tubing down to Bb.

I think I liked it better as a valve trombone. It seems as of now, you may be trying to re-invent the wheel. As long as you're having fun and learning something in the process.

Naptown Tuba wrote:I think I liked it better as a valve trombone.

I like the sound and ease of playing of it now a lot more. (An Eb bass with small shank trombone mouthpiece and a slide dented half way in is as easy to play as some may expect)

I cut down the slides today. It plays pretty well. The tuning is decent, the tone is good, it isn't stuffy. Another nice thing is the valves operate well. I still have to add some water keys, braces, and the 3rd valve linkage (gotta go the hardware store to get another Alan wrench.)

wchoc86 wrote:so do you play it left-handed, or do you wrap your right hand around and kink it to push the buttons.

doesn't look very ergonomically either way.

still pretty sweet you can do that though, I know I can't.

I use my right hand. It isn't as bad as it looks like it'd be since it is such a small horn.

Well, here I go again. I took it all apart... again. But when I put it all back together it played about 20 times better, looks a little better, and is a heck-of-a lot easier to hold and play.





The 3 valves are from a Bundy Cornet The 4th valve was from the alto horn.

This stuff is almost as fun as legos!