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Question for all the repair gurus. Is it possible to replace the 15" bell of a Boosey Imperial with a 17" or 19" bell from a Soverign? I haven't purchased either yet, but was just curious if its possible.

I understand it is - I had planned on it. But they were VERY resistant to it, when I wanted to order a new one. They wanted the serial number of the "sovereign" I was working on before replacing it.

In retrospect, I'm glad I stuck with the Imperial Bell.

Do you have a bell? Where'd you get it if you do?

J.c.

You won't find old 17 inch bells. My understanding is that there were only very few 17 inch bells made way back when. Many moons ago, I went looking for such a thing for my 184.

There are newer 17 inch 983 bells (or the 3+1 version, I don't recall the model number), but I would expect those are pricey.

I'm certain that there are folks who have replaced 15 inch bells with 19 inch bells.

I am looking for a tuning slide assembly to a Boosey/Besson 981 / 982, if anyone has any spare parts lying around....

ken k

Check with Windcraft. (They have more parts than are listed on the website.)

cjk wrote:There are newer 17 inch 983 bells (or the 3+1 version, I don't recall the model number).....

980.

If you find a 17" bell let me know.
I presently have two Imperial Eb tubas with 15" bells and a very recent 981 with the 19" bell but would like something in between.


Cheers,

Sylvain

It is possible. That's exactly what John Fletcher had done.

Feasibility is another matter. A new bell may be cost prohibitive, if even available. But talk to the guys on this forum and elsewhere that do such work, and you might find other manufacturer's bells that might fit and do what you're looking for.

The Fletcher tricks with the time tried 15" model were twofold. The 19" bell is well known and very visible.

The other one was about the leadpipe. As Fletcher was not tall, the pipe was horizontal out of the valves and hence shorter with a faster expansion between the venturi and the valve block.

That pipe in combinationt with the 19" bell and the old valves and branches became the 981. The old leadpipe version, albeit with a large receiver, combined with same bell and body became the 982.

You own the extreme permutations in shape of two samples of the old model and one 981. The easy way to re-create one of the old ones as something in-between would be to fit it with a 981-leadpipe. It has shifted shape since the days of Fletcher, but exactly that longer shape should keep the pitch of your instrument down without extra slide pulling. The bore expansion profile is the same.

Klaus Smedegaard Bjerre

I agree with Klaus completely about the leadpipe. I believe even my 186 is from an era with a slightly smaller leadpipe, and that has really helped me. That is so overlooked, and usually only comes into discussion in recent times about the Miraphone 1291 vs 1292.