What tuba models did Bill Bell have

Mikelynch · Post by **Mikelynch** » Sun Feb 10, 2008 10:12 pm

Mr. Bell used .687 bore Kings. One he owned first has a 15 1/2 inch bell. The one he played with the NY Phil has a 16 inch bell.

Although he has been pictured with .750 bore models (as on one of the covers for his album), so far as I know, he never owned one.

The Big Ben · Post by **The Big Ben** » Sun Feb 10, 2008 10:29 pm

Love those prices!

Some of these Kings- especially the top of the line gold burnished ones- would be past Yorkbrunner price in today's dollar.

Wouldn't it be a find to unearth one of those gold burnished horns that sat unplayed in a dry closet for 75 years...

Art Hovey · Post by **Art Hovey** » Mon Feb 11, 2008 12:01 am

Mr. Bell had a large collection of tubas in his studio, and occasionally would blow my father's mind by picking up one of them at random (in any key), ask for any mouthpiece from a drawer full of them and play whatever piece he was working on flawlessly. My father's tuba was a BBb Martin (the smaller one, with front-action valves and a recording bell) and Mr. Bell happened to have one there, so Dad didn't have to take his own horn on the train into NY for his lessons.
One of Dad's tuba students purchased a BBb York with 3 top-action pistons and fixed recording bell from Mr. Bell's studio.
A short time later Bell agreed to come out to play a solo with Dad's "No-Doubt World-Famous Monday Night Band". Instead of taking one of his own tubas on the train Mr. Bell chose to play the solo on that York. But for most of his solo work Mr. Bell favored a four-valved King Eb sousaphone which was kept in a locker in Grand Central Station. He told me that he recorded most of his "Bill Bell and his Tuba" solo LP on that horn.
He also had the King people make him a four-piston F tuba, which he used for the Vaughn-Williams Concerto. Around 1960 there was a wonderful advertising photo of the NY Phil brass section posing with their "Stone-lined" mutes in their instruments; Mr. Bell was holding the little F tuba with a huge tuba cup mute in it that didn't fit at all.

J.c. Sherman · Post by **J.c. Sherman** » Tue Feb 12, 2008 4:27 pm

Anyone have a clue where that F tuba went?

J.c.S.

Chuck Jackson · Post by **Chuck Jackson** » Tue Feb 12, 2008 4:38 pm

Anyone have a clue where that F tuba went?

Rumor has it that Ralph Hepola bought it. Supposedly he is a jazz player/freelancer who is a very fine tuba player.

Chuck"old memories may not coincide with the present situation"Jackson

bisontuba · Post by **bisontuba** » Tue Feb 12, 2008 8:04 pm

Hi-

Mike Lynch is the current owner of Bill Bell's F tuba.

Regards-

mark
jonestuba@juno.com

T. J. Ricer · Post by **T. J. Ricer** » Fri Mar 07, 2008 10:28 pm

Here's a shot of me with Bill Bell's King rotary CC (also owned by Mike Lynch)

--T. J.

It is really a great horn. . . nice clear, focused sound and the best main tuning slide throw I've ever used.

bisontuba · Post by **bisontuba** » Fri Mar 07, 2008 10:29 pm

Hi Mark-
Here are a couple pics of Bell from his 1931 Foundations to Tuba Playing book--the original edition which I have a copy of (it lists Bell as a member of the Cincinnati Orchestra and the Goldman Band). I think(?) the upright horn is the Martin, and I also threw in the one of him with a Sousaphone. Enjoy:

<img src="http://www.myphotolodge.com/is.php?i=15 ... =WJBaa.jpg" border="0">

<img src="http://www.myphotolodge.com/is.php?i=15 ... =WJBbb.jpg" border="0">

Regards-
mark
jonestuba@juno.com

eupher61 · Post by **eupher61** » Sat Mar 08, 2008 10:10 am

the old Belwin "First Division Band Method" has Mr Bell with the 4piston souzie and a 4 rotor upright, I don't remember if it's that CC or not--but likely it is.

bisontuba · Post by **bisontuba** » Sat Mar 08, 2008 12:46 pm

Hi-
The Belwin books show Bell with a four valve sousaphone (King Eb?) and his 4 rotary CC King det. bell up tuba.

Here is a pic of Bell that is well known of him with his Cerveny (I believe) tuba that I think (?) he used in the Cincinnati Orchestra-enjoy:

<img src="http://www.myphotolodge.com/is.php?i=15 ... =WJBcc.jpg" border="0">

Regards-
mark
jonestuba@juno.com

eupher61 · Post by **eupher61** » Sat Mar 08, 2008 2:57 pm

no need--just go to the Dave Gannet post, and to his eBay listing. It's there.

bisontuba · Post by **bisontuba** » Sat Mar 08, 2008 3:13 pm

HI-
I think you mean this one--this is from my LP cover of the NYPBE with Bell and his 4 rotary det. bell King tuba that he used with the NY Phil.-enjoy:

<img src="http://www.myphotolodge.com/is.php?i=15 ... _NY_Ph.jpg" border="0">

Regards-
mark
jonestuba@juno.com

eupher61 · Post by **eupher61** » Sat Mar 08, 2008 3:46 pm

no kicker on the album cover

jeopardymaster · Post by **jeopardymaster** » Sat Mar 08, 2008 3:55 pm

Those suits look like cast-offs from "Punch Drunk Love!"

jeopardymaster · Post by **jeopardymaster** » Sat Mar 08, 2008 9:55 pm

For some reason that song from "Pocahontas" is now stuck in my mind -- I think it's called "The Color of the Wind."

iiipopes · Post by **iiipopes** » Sun Mar 09, 2008 9:11 am

The Big Ben wrote:Wouldn't it be a find to unearth one of those gold burnished horns that sat unplayed in a dry closet for 75 years...

Sure! It's in the big closet down the hall to the right, right next to York #3.

Paul Scott · Post by **Paul Scott** » Sun Mar 09, 2008 9:54 am

Just a few observations. It seems clear that Mr. Bell must have played and definitely owned many, many horns over the course of his career. He was most closely associated with his King CC, King Eb sousaphone, a Cerveny (this was also used in Fillmore's Concert Band) and his small King F tuba. I believe he "co-owned" the sousaphone with another NYC tubist for a time, (George Black?) and the story was that it was sometimes kept in locker in Grand Central Station.

I am the current owner of the Martin that Fred Exner owned and I'm not sure that Mr. Bell used this horn with the Goldman Band. Apparently Mr. Bell was not fond of 3-valve tubas and this Martin BBb is a 3-valve made in 1936. Of course, I'd like to believe the story since I own it now!

I believe that the two instruments in the older photos are actually Bueschers, the only sousas I've ever seen that have that little guard sticking out of the side. I once played next to someone who had one and that thing could really jab you! The photos look like they were actually taken in the 20s when Bell was a bit slimmer and the dress-styles were different. I doubt that he used either of these horns, again because they are 3-valved instruments. If the photos were for a method book perhaps they wanted him to hold "typical" student instruments. The person/people who would truly know the answers are long gone.

Mikelynch · Post by **Mikelynch** » Sun Mar 09, 2008 10:59 am

Regarding the Goldman Band, I do know from Bill Rose that Mr. Bell borrowed his rotary valve King BBb to play on numerous occasions when he had band jobs, including with the Goldman band. But I have never identified the exact time period that occurred, or the reason.

Paul--is your Martin by any chance the one on the early album cover for Mr. Bell's album (the one where Harvey Phillips and the photographer can be seen in the reflection in the bell)?

bisontuba · Post by **bisontuba** » Sun Mar 09, 2008 1:12 pm

Paul-
Very interesting--thanks for the info! Might you be able to post a photo of the Martin--I'd love to see it.
And BTW, Mike has truly the greatest King on the planet--Joe Novotny's CC King that he used with the NY Phil.--the sound of that horn is simply incredible.

Regards-
mark
jonestuba@Juno.com

Paul Scott · Post by **Paul Scott** » Sun Mar 09, 2008 1:54 pm

I'll post a pic of Mr. Exner's Martin soon-it is a typical (looking) top-action 3 valve BBb Martin, (detachable recording bell). As I recall, the picture on the cover of the Bell album was a side-action-4 with a recording bell. I seem to remember a story of Bell borrowing a horn at the last minute from a music store for the photo-another one of those hazy stories. This is the "alternate" cover for Bill Bell and His Tuba-the more common one shows his King CC with recording bell.

I have also heard the story of Mr. Rose's King BBb that Bell borrowed for the Goldman Band. Apparently recording bells were required for the Goldman Band at that time.

TubeNet

What tuba models did Bill Bell have

Bill Bells Tubas

Bell's F

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Tuba schmuba

With apologies to Stephen Schwartz

Bill Bell's tubas

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