BBb Helicon
Posted: Sun Jun 24, 2018 8:12 pm
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)
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)