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I've been playing my Martin Mammoth sousaphone in community summer band (adult group), and the director has expressed a PREFERENCE for the "forward" sound and projection compared to upright tubas. Looks like my tuba's recording bell may get more use in other seasons with this group.....

I primarily use a recording bell for outdoor venues when I am the only tuba player. I have tried to always have one available for this reason. I recently replaced my 3 valve Martin 6/4 tuba with a King Bill Bell model (more of a 5/4 in my opinion), but both of these and the various Conn 2XJ's I have owned over the years have worked well for these situations. I have also used my Conn 20K sousaphone to play Tuba Tiger Rag with one community band one summer.



I loved my Martin's sound, but rotator cuff problems make a top action tuba uncomfortable to play for any length of time, so I sold it and bought the King.

I don't have a recording bell tuba, although I would like to find an old Reynolds. I do have a couple of Reynolds Contempora brass sousaphones, and those are lots of fun. I use them when we play on the parade float. I have been lobbying with little success to my other two players that we use them when we play in our portable band shell. It is a trailer that opens up on one side, but the area at the back where we play is only about 7' tall. The sound from our upright tubas just bounces back at us, and with sousa's we could at least get the sound out of the shell and not go deaf in the process.
Steve

I say, use whatever sounds best. Period.

yup

Hi, AndyL ... owner of one the two active Martin 'mammoth' sousas. (I have the other!)

Heck yes I use a recording bell! ... for just about all of my Dixie gigs (unless I get a wild hair and use my helicon!) WHY NOT!

When I got back into tuba playing about 7 years ago I found a York Master 4-V BBb horn real cheap I used it in a community band and elsewhere. The stage we play on swallows up the sound from the upright bass horns so I though tit would work well. When I bought it I didn’t know what a great horn it was, but soon found out what a desirable horn It was. I’ve turned down twice what I paid for it. But I started playing in a quintet and needed a different horn to balance the sound properly. Matt Walters at Dillon had a Meinl Weston model 20 for sale at a price I could swing. He assured me I would be pleased with the horn. It looks good from 50’ but plays well and sounds great. Another thing is I enjoy playing the MW so much I feel like I’m ignoring my old faithful for the hot new neighbor!!!

Here's a link to the TubeNet "old archives" re: a recording bell Holton CC made for Arnold Jacobs to play at outdoor concerts:

http://www.chisham.com/tips/bbs/oct2003 ... 50477.html

I have a 6/4 Martin BBb with a detachable bell and use the recording bell quite often. Most of the restaurants/bars that I play with in our jazz band have low ceilings (and many have platforms that will bring the bell even closer to the ceiling). The recording bell also helps me "keep up" with an electronic piano if I'm being subjected to one, and/or if the miking isn't quite right. On those occasions when we play for a big dance floor I really appreciate why recording bell tubas were preferred in the 20's and 30's. Many of those halls have high ceilings but are really quite long-the recording bell really gets the sound out to the audience/dancers. A large bell front BBb tuba played lightly can really give a string bass feel, but with more projection. If I want to scare the band leader I also have a 30" recording bell that I can use in place of the 24" one!
I use the upright bell for smaller concert bands indoors, orchestras, brass quintet, etc.

Paul Scott wrote:I have a 6/4 Martin BBb with a detachable bell and use the recording bell quite often. Most of the restaurants/bars that I play with in our jazz band have low ceilings (and many have platforms that will bring the bell even closer to the ceiling). The recording bell also helps me "keep up" with an electronic piano if I'm being subjected to one, and/or if the miking isn't quite right. On those occasions when we play for a big dance floor I really appreciate why recording bell tubas were preferred in the 20's and 30's. Many of those halls have high ceilings but are really quite long-the recording bell really gets the sound out to the audience/dancers. A large bell front BBb tuba played lightly can really give a string bass feel, but with more projection. If I want to scare the band leader I also have a 30" recording bell that I can use in place of the 24" one!
I use the upright bell for smaller concert bands indoors, orchestras, brass quintet, etc.

Do you have some pictures you could share?