TubeNet

I have a Miraphone 186 BBb with a recording bell and want to convert it to a straight bell. Is there a bell that will fit the taper of the bell ferrule other than a Miraphone bell? I don't really want to spend $1500 on a new Miraphone bell. I've heard that a Yamaha 201 or 321 bell will fit, Is this true?

Thanks

Yes... a Yamaha YBB-201 or 321 bell will fit on a Mirafone 186 without any problems. The problem here might be finding a used Yamaha bell in good condition. The bells, leadpipes, and cases are usually the first things to go!

An option might be for you to have an upright bell built and keep your recording bell for when you do outdoor gigs. A spare bell tenon can be purchased from a Mirafone dealer. The tenon will come with a matched receiver which you will not need, though. I can build an upright bell for a 186 using one of these tenon sets and an import 186 'clone' bell.

I am a happy customer in reverse of Tubatinker. My 186 had already had the tenon taken off the recording bell and put on the upright bell. So I purchased a tenon from Dan and had a local tech solder it back onto my recording bell.

I strongly recommend you keep both bells, as you will have gigs that require each bell, or that either the upright or recording bell will do better for the particular gig than the other bell will.

CAVEAT: Make sure when you purchase an upright bell for your tuba that you get one long enough or tall enough. Otherwise, you will have to get an additional main tuning slide, if you want to continue to use both bells interchangably, and the legs of which ARE NOT the same diameter as current 186 "standard" spec, in either bow spread or leg o.d. Dan has the correct sized bells.

Since mine had been converted when I got it, with too short an upright bell, it required lengthening of the main tuning slide. So when I finally got the recording bell up and running, it was a hell of a mess getting a main tuning slide going for it as well. Dan literally went the extra mile with me to make it all work, or I'd still be wondering what to do next. As it is, I have a great pair of bells and matching main tuning slides that cover even more gigs than I was doing before, even a couple of gigs that were formerly the province of the 38K. Now, if only I could get a biergarten gig at the annual regional Oktoberfest....