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I have a beat up Yamaha 621 cc tuba that I would like to get converted into a removable bell tuba for travelling. The bell would go in one box and the rest of the tuba in another. I was thinking to have the normal collar and 3 screws like the sousaphones and old Kings etc do it, but my repair guy mentioned having a screw-in bell like on a french horn.

Has anyone performed this operation before?

good point, cheers.

I was made aware of this horn near the potential ending of my traveling career. The horn plays great! Lines up with a tuner, and burys a 621 volume wise. I don't own one because I'm not touring for now, but if I do again, I most likely will. It is an amazing little horn that allegedly travels very well. http://bethmitchelltubastudio.com/BethM ... _TUBA.html" target="_blank

This might sound crazy, but I find ideas like this to be interesting.....

Would it be possible to make the entire bell detachable at the bottom bow? All of the brace-work could be replaced with Conn-Selmer detachable braces (maybe even the mouthpipe too, depending on the tubing size where it meets the valve block). Then, you would face the puzzle of putting a tenon assembly at the bottom bow; maybe a baritone horn set up would be close enough?

Just thinking out loud.....

bloke wrote: This wouldn't solve anything... A complete uncut bell + a body wouldn't take up any less space (nor fit in a smaller container) that the complete tuba.

This actually came to mind (after I had posted, of course... )

Plus you'd have the problem of the leadpipe "floating" out there without any support once the bell is off and you'd risk really messing it up.....

Tubajug wrote:Plus you'd have the problem of the leadpipe "floating" out there without any support once the bell is off and you'd risk really messing it up.....

I thought it was fairly obvious that a detachable mouthpipe would be necessary to make this idea practical.

Conn-Selmer makes a two piece detachable mouthpipe receiver brace; it's used on the new model 2341 King.





At the valveset end, you would use the same three-piece union C/S uses to make their King mouthpipe detachable, provided it would be a similar size tubing (as I had already mentioned earlier....)

roweenie wrote: the brace-work could be replaced with Conn-Selmer detachable braces (maybe even the mouthpipe too, depending on the tubing size where it meets the valve block)

Oh duh...haha. My turn to not think things through. I've seen the removable braces at the receiver, but didn't make the "connection" that the pipe would detach at the valve section too...it's late...

I've done this to a few helicons now and my method works a treat and it's really cheap.

Unsolder the bell at the first join to the bottom bow and use 3 short roofing bolts to hold it in place. Reinforce with some plates on the inside of the bell if you like.

I'm not sure you gain much on a 621 by doing this. Now on a helicon... see attached.

I would gain a few things with a removable bell 621.

1) size -the main body of the tuba could go in a large suitcase. the bell in another case. lets me do away with the annoying Yamaha case with it's tiny wheels.

2) stress on the tuba. with a separate bell, opportunities for enthusiastic airline employees to hurt the tuba goes way down.