Left-Handed Tuba

Dan Schultz · Post by **Dan Schultz** » Tue Apr 24, 2012 12:01 am

No... this image isn't 'flipped'!

More about this conversion to change this horn from right-hand operation to left-hand can be found here:
http://www.thevillagetinker.com/projects.htm

bisontuba · Post by **bisontuba** » Tue Apr 24, 2012 6:35 am

Fantastic!

Mark

windshieldbug · Post by **windshieldbug** » Tue Apr 24, 2012 10:26 am

Horn players try to get in on all the fun!

awaters · Post by **awaters** » Tue Apr 24, 2012 10:30 am

great job! i play left handed(handicap) and all of my horns have been converted

Trevor Bjorklund · Post by **Trevor Bjorklund** » Tue Apr 24, 2012 10:37 am

windshieldbug wrote:Horn players try to get in on all the fun!

But they need to have recording bells and turn them backwards so they can stick a hand in there!

eupher61 · Post by **eupher61** » Tue Apr 24, 2012 12:05 pm

Dan, you mentioned it was an "OK player". How does it play now?

And, will it still be in your shop tomorrow???????

toobagrowl · Post by **toobagrowl** » Tue Apr 24, 2012 2:21 pm

Very neat. Seems to be a lot of work though. The 'brass techs' in my area would bitch and complain about a much smaller 'project', such as lowering the mouthpipe.

Dan Schultz · Post by **Dan Schultz** » Tue Apr 24, 2012 2:32 pm

eupher61 wrote:Dan, you mentioned it was an "OK player". How does it play now?

And, will it still be in your shop tomorrow???????

This horn will be here for a while yet. I still have a little 'clean-up' to do on it. Also... since I am not a CC player... I have a friend coming by to evaluate the horn. Not sure yet when that will happen. By the time you get here I might have all the schmutz off it!

Dan Schultz · Post by **Dan Schultz** » Tue Apr 24, 2012 2:36 pm

tooba wrote:Very neat. Seems to be a lot of work though. The 'brass techs' in my area would bitch and complain about a much smaller 'project', such as lowering the mouthpipe.

That's EXACTLY why I do what I do. Fifteen years ago I was getting the same treatment from my local music store. When I would ask about even simple things I got tired of always being told that "we don't do that" or "we'll have to order it".

iiipopes · Post by **iiipopes** » Tue Apr 24, 2012 4:37 pm

Dan, beyond the stellar workmanship, all of my best compliments in working with a person to help him continue to play.

bisontuba · Post by **bisontuba** » Tue Apr 24, 2012 4:55 pm

iiipopes wrote:Dan, beyond the stellar workmanship, all of my best compliments in working with a person to help him continue to play.

Big +1!!!

Mark

rodgeman · Post by **rodgeman** » Tue Apr 24, 2012 7:27 pm

Great job!

Thanks for taking the time to document it.

Dan Schultz · Post by **Dan Schultz** » Wed Apr 25, 2012 12:17 am

KiltieTuba wrote:is it normal for the valve tubing to sit at an angle like this? Or is this a perspective issue?...

It's your eyes, Ian!

That's the way the leadpipe was originally made. All I did was add the ferrule and turn that area 180 degrees. I suppose I could have eliminated that two inches or so. But.... the mission here was to re-use all of the original parts.

eupher61 · Post by **eupher61** » Wed Apr 25, 2012 10:04 pm

I was at Dan's shop today. Amazing place, and a class guy.

Ian, that 4th valve slide isn't exactly how it was originally, obviously. As Dan explained to me,
if he hadn't made a cut at the bottom of the 4th tube, the tubing would have been about 1.5"
beyond the outer bow. Not good. So, he made a cut at the bottom and extended the top to
make up for it. It looked to me like there was no option but to have that strange angle.

That horn plays remarkably well. There are a few funky pitches, but considering what it
was to start with, it's really fun. I'm surprised at the weight of it, frankly. The pictures would make you
think it's a really lightweight, thin metal horn. Not at all.

Dan Schultz · Post by **Dan Schultz** » Wed Apr 25, 2012 11:43 pm

KiltieTuba wrote:... I was referring to the fourth valve wrap. I'm sure this is due to the size difference between the bottom bow and top, but from this angle is looks really weird...

OK... I thought you were talking about the 'jog' in the leadpipe. It may be the camera angle. The 3rd and 4th slides are side-by-side on the back of the horn in a location very close to where they were originally. These too were 'reversed' by changing the direction via additional ferrules. Check out the other views on my web page.

J.c. Sherman · Post by **J.c. Sherman** » Thu Apr 26, 2012 9:44 am

Great work, Dan!!!

Art Hovey · Post by **Art Hovey** » Sat Apr 28, 2012 11:29 pm

A few years ago I saw an Eb St. Pete that had been modified for left-hand operation. They just moved the paddles and linkage to the other side, leaving all the tubing where it was. The owner did not have much of a right hand, but did have enough to hold the horn upright while fingering with his left hand. Before obtaining the modified St. Pete he had been playing a tuba with 3 front-action pistons for many years by reaching around with his left hand. The new tuba was a lot more comfortable for this individual, and the modification was pretty simple.

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