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The bell diameter of my Alex 163 is 420 mm (about 16.5 inches). I just realized, the bell diameter of a new Alex 163 is listed as 450 mm (about 17.7 inches).

Does anyone know when this changed?

I haven't played a new 163 to know the difference, and honestly, think I've only played older 163s. Just curious what you all might know.

Somewhere between the mid 1980s and mid 1990s Alexander made several design changes to their tubas, particularly bell diameter and wrap of the 4th valve. Leadpipes got changed somewhere during that time frame as well. My CC Alexander 163 was dated to 1983 by Alexander and has the 16.5” bell and the “original” 4th valve wrap as does another 163 CC owned by a local colleague dated to 1984. After the mid-1980s when Giardinelli was selling them as fast as Alexander could build them, new Alexander tubas seemed to be nearly nonexistent.

Thinking about it now, I don’t think I even saw pictures of post-1980s Alexander tubas until Tony Clements took an interest in them and imported them in small numbers. I may be mistaken about the dates, but I think that was late 1990s-early 2000s when he was operating as Low Brass Werks. By that point Alexander had made the changes. Tony’s interest might have been the spark that caused Alexander to revisit the tuba designs but I can’t say for sure.

I have not been able to play a new generation Alexander either, but what I have heard from those that have owned them is that the changes made (including bell diameter) have the tubas sounding a bit less like a classic Alexander. As I said, no personal experience with that, so I’m repeating this secondhand...however, if it’s anything like the changes made by Miraphone over the years, I don’t doubt that what I’ve been told is true.