TubeNet

Bringing this post back from the dead, because I too, am curious.

I would love if someone with actual experience were able to comment on the perceived benefits. I see no real harm or benefit as pictured.

I own a VERY nice rotor PT6 and have spent a fair amount of time contemplating ways to 'shrink the beast' into a smaller case for flight.

By my math, a more optimal solution would be to make the leadpipe removeable and detach the bell from the body AT the bottom bow. At that point the body would *just* fit in a large samsonite suitcase. The bell could then be chopped once or twice more to telescope it into a smaller box.

When time and money finally align I'll do this and post the pictures. Might take a couple years unless someone wants to volunteer to fund the experiment, learn from my mistakes, and if it works I could do the same for you at a discount.

That's a picture of a PT6 with a removable bell.
The description makes no mention of it having a removable bell.
I expect the picture is in error. If you ordered it, I would bet it didn't come with a removable bell.

joh_tuba wrote:
By my math, a more optimal solution would be to make the leadpipe removeable and detach the bell from the body AT the bottom bow. At that point the body would *just* fit in a large samsonite suitcase. The bell could then be chopped once or twice more to telescope it into a smaller box.

When time and money finally align I'll do this and post the pictures. Might take a couple years unless someone wants to volunteer to fund the experiment, learn from my mistakes, and if it works I could do the same for you at a discount.

I think Oystein has a horn built up like that...

cjk wrote:That's a picture of a PT6 with a removable bell.
The description makes no mention of it having a removable bell.
I expect the picture is in error. If you ordered it, I would bet it didn't come with a removable bell.

I agree.

Although there MAY have been a PT6 made with a removable bell, I highly doubt that it's sitting -today-, presumably available for purchase, at WWBW. I strongly suspect, just like cjk said, that if you order it, you'll be told "sorry, we don't have ANY PT-6 tubas" or they'll send you a run-of-the-mill PT6 without a detachable bell.

I played a PT6P with the detachable bell setup about 10 years ago when I was studying at the RNCM. After the first rehearsal of Mahler 5, it was apparent that my HB2P was not going to balance the brass section so I borrowed a PT6P from the college for that final concert cycle in the Bridgewater Hall.

I found it to be the darkest PT6 I've ever played (and I've owned 3 of them) and its the only one I've ever seen with a cut bell.

Josh Wirt