TubeNet

I own a Wessex Sousaphone in CC, which as you can see from the pictures has an additional valve and tubing that makes it playable in Bb. It plays better on the C side, and however, there's no way to use it partly in C and partly in Bb while playing due to the position of the trigger. I am thinking about cutting the additional tubing and valve and keep it as a CC only, any advice? I am a bit reluctant as it might be harder to find a buyer for a CC sousaphone if I will decide to sell it someday..

Leave it alone. Don't cut on it! If you try it in BBb, do you also pull the valve slides to adjust for the longer bugle?

Ace amazed by the innovative products coming with the Wessex badge

If anything, get an extension made so you can do the switch with your thumb. Should be fairly easy.

eupher61 wrote:If anything, get an extension made so you can do the switch with your thumb. Should be fairly easy.

Ascending valve for the win!

Ace wrote:Leave it alone. Don't cut on it! If you try it in BBb, do you also pull the valve slides to adjust for the longer bugle?

Ace amazed by the innovative products coming with the Wessex badge

What Ace said, +1! - when you play it on the BBb side, each of the valve slides needs to be lengthened to keep the pitch centered. Old horns made a century ago that had high pitch/low pitch settings actually had a ring turned into the inner slide tubes so a player had a reference as to roughly how far to pull each valve slide.

I always thought that you use the the rotary valve as a flat whole step so you could play the D and C# more in tune. What do I know though.