BBb Helicon

Repair and modification discussion
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Tabor
4 valves
4 valves
Posts: 753
Joined: Thu Apr 01, 2004 11:34 am
Location: New England

BBb Helicon

Post by Tabor »

After picking up a wonderful sousaphone and playing it for a while, I decided that I was not quite happy with the helicon, and decided that when the opportunity arose, I would rework the helicon to be more like the Olds sousa.

Now that I did, I'm happy with it. The body/bugle is a modernish Conn 20k with an old 20 inch Conn Giant Eb bell, the valves came from an Olds sousa, with the pitch difference made up with some extra inner and outer tubing ala Reynolds (same as Olds) and some inner and outer nickel silver tubing to join the cluster to the bugle. I might put a few more finishing touches on it, like different buttons, and adding a 4th valve is always an option (but I kind of love the combination of sound and weight with 3)

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roweenie
pro musician
pro musician
Posts: 2165
Joined: Mon Mar 05, 2007 10:17 am
Location: Waiting on a vintage tow truck

Re: BBb Helicon

Post by roweenie »

Nifty!
"Even a broken clock is right twice a day".
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