Recording bells....

Chuck(G) · Post by **Chuck(G)** » Wed Dec 08, 2004 6:56 pm

Wayne, are these the folks?

http://www.musik-glassl.de/

I don't remember a bell-front tuba, though.

hurricane_harry · Post by **hurricane_harry** » Wed Dec 08, 2004 8:48 pm

out of style?!? i don't know about the rest of you but i love the look of a good recording bell tuba. i'de kill a man with my bare hands to get one in a decent condition. MY BARE HANDS!

Lew · Post by **Lew** » Wed Dec 08, 2004 9:37 pm

Recording bells may have gone "out of style" in the 60s or 70s, but I know that when I bought my 2 piece King 2341 in 1993 the "bell front" model was still an option. There is probably no exact date for when they went "out of style," so Joe's estimate is probably as close as you'll get.

MichaelDenney · Post by **MichaelDenney** » Wed Dec 08, 2004 9:52 pm

My high school bought a new bell-front King 2341 in 1965. When I went to college the next year all the tuba majors were buying horns with upright bells--German rotary horns were the fashion and had been for at least a few years. All the same that 2341 had a vibrant sound and excellent scale.

Art Hovey · Post by **Art Hovey** » Thu Dec 09, 2004 12:53 am

I had a King one-piece recording-bell tuba all through high school and college. It was made some time in the '30's, so it was about 30 years old when I was using it. The bell still looked like new. Recording bells don't get mashed up the way upright bells do, because you have to lay the tuba flat on the floor when it's not in use.

Gongadin · Post by **Gongadin** » Thu Dec 09, 2004 12:55 am

Richard Perry · Post by **Richard Perry** » Thu Dec 09, 2004 1:12 pm

Thanks to those who posted with info about one-piece bell-front tubas. Good stuff to know!

Teubonium · Post by **Teubonium** » Thu Dec 09, 2004 2:07 pm

The U. of Iowa Symphony Band converted from bell-fronts to uprights during my years there. I played euph in that band and couldn't remember the details of the conversion, so I consulted the pictures in my yearbooks.

In 1959 there were 4 recording bells, no uprights. In 1961 there were 3 recording bells, 2 uprights. In 1963, there were 7 uprights, no recorders.

BTW, Chester Schmitz was one of those tubists in 1959 and 1961.

I have a King 1240 recording bell made in 1953. A great old tuba that I use for TubaChristmas and some outdoor gigs. I've had nothing but good comments about the sound (and looks) of this horn.

TubeNet

Recording bells....

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