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I know I've seen several of you on this board who have made their own helicons. What about raincatchers? I'm wondering what considerations go into making those types of conversions? If anyone has pictures of such projects, please share and describe. Thanks!

The guy who sold me my 40K had a raincatcher bell made for it. To me, it looked kind of like a brass trash can with a sousaphone flare soldered on top. I left it with him and have never regretted it in the least. Don't know what became of it.

So is a helicon made by removing the elbow portion of the sousaphone bell and replacing that with an upright bell? Who has a homemade helicon project to show off?

My gallery has photos of two sousaphone to helicon conversions made by Joe Sellmansberger. They may be found by searching for Sellmansberger in the index linked to in my signature

Klaus

Only it would have a fixed bell angle unlike the real raincatchers that have the adjustable joint below the elbow.

Klaus

imperialbari wrote:Only it would have a fixed bell angle unlike the real raincatchers that have the adjustable joint below the elbow.

Klaus

That was my other thought, how to make it with the adjustable bell angle?

Your best chance likely is to find a set of bell collars for a smaller sousaphone, where the collars will fit the wide end of the large back bow and the narrow end of the bell knee.

Klaus