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I need a tuning bit in a smaller size that a standard BBb bit. It's to use with an antique Eb tuba that has a receiver that's about bass bone size. Even better, if anyone has a weird bit that's BBb size at the receiver and Eb size at the shank, it'd be better. If you have anything like this for sale, please PM me or mail me at 2baa@bellsouth.net

It sounds like you have a high pitch-built horn. Dependinding on the make, makers also often built longer low pitch tuning slides for those horns that are interchangable, and you may be able to snag one of those. Remember that if it IS of high pitch vintage, the valve slides will also need to be pulled out a tiny bit to be in over-all proportion.

This isn't just an old horn, it's an 1864 Hall & Quimby Eb with side rotors. It tunes in at about A=451. The group I'm using it in tunes to 443 because we have a couple of modern instruments that can't go much higher, but this beast has to pull its main tuning slide out about 5 inches to reach that. Because of that and its thin brass and strange construction, the partials go all over the place. The third partial, usually flat on most horns, is unbelievably sharp, and the open G is unusably flat. I have to lip in all directions like mad even using alternative fingerings. I'm hoping to add a little length before the main slide, and if I can get a standard-to-small tuning bit, I'll use a mid-sized long-cup Helleberg (like a Lee Stofer Helleberg). I don't think it'll be a cure, but it should help.

Nice horn! Well worth the effort!!

For my Conn DB baritone, I had to remake the main slides for both sides (to keep the originals original). I was fortunate enough to find a couple of mains about the right size to modify. You may be able to find someone to do something similar if you can find a slide about the right size, and extend it.

As far as Eb bits, you have to be lucky there, too. Conn used the same size bits and neck for both their Eb's and BBb's, for example...