Converting a tuba

[TYA]

Hi I am just wondering(sorry if this is stupid) but has anyone tried to convert a CC to an F tuba? This idea was brought up to me by a friend and I was just wondering if anyone has ever done it with any success? Thank you.

[Dan Schultz]

Hi I am just wondering(sorry if this is stupid) but has anyone tried to convert a CC to an F tuba? This idea was brought up to me by a friend and I was just wondering if anyone has ever done it with any success? Thank you.

The open bugle of an F tuba is about four feet shorter than that of a CC tuba. I guess anything is possible but I wouldn't think this conversion would be very practical.

[TheHatTuba]

Maybe a cimbasso or contrabone (or other contrabass conical instrument) but not tuba. Jim Self's Yamaha double CC/F that belonged to Mr. Johnson is probably the closest (and thats still pretty far off).

[TYA]

Maybe a cimbasso or contrabone (or other contrabass conical instrument) but not tuba. Jim Self's Yamaha double CC/F that belonged to Mr. Johnson is probably the closest (and thats still pretty far off).

Is it very hard to make a double tuba out of a CC tuba? I think those things are pretty interesting.

[TheHatTuba]

Maybe a cimbasso or contrabone (or other contrabass conical instrument) but not tuba. Jim Self's Yamaha double CC/F that belonged to Mr. Johnson is probably the closest (and thats still pretty far off).

Is it very hard to make a double tuba out of a CC tuba? I think those things are pretty interesting.

Darn near impossible. Mr. Johnson's were made of YFB-822's (NOT cheap) F tubas and had a valve to convert it to CC.
http://www.robbstewart.com/OtherProject ... etuba.html" target="_blank

[TYA]

Would it be easier to go down from a CC to an F. I have a beater CC that I would like to try something like this.

[TheHatTuba]

Would it be easier to go down from a CC to an F. I have a beater CC that I would like to try something like this.

Unless it goes down to the F1 (which is virtually worthless), your outta luck.

F bugles are ~12' while CC bugles are ~16', so taking out 4' from a CC bugle and keeping it that way (for your plan to have the CC as the main and the F as the double) would give you an F bugle with a change valve to CC permantly "on". It'd be MUCH easier (easy is the wrong word...) to take a F tuba like the one Mr. Schultz has for sale and mess with that. Not to mention the cost of the huge custom rotary valve that changes the slide lenths from (and these are rough guestimates):

F:
1st valve slide: 18"
2nd: 9"
3rd: 27"
4th: 45"

CC:
1st: 24"
2nd: 12"
3rd: 36"
4th: 60"

My opinion, it's easier and better to have a CC and a F.

[The Big Ben]

If you have an urge to play tuba mechanic, you probably would have more success turning an Eb into an F. Lots of old Eb horns out there.

[TYA]

O icic. I wouldn't mind learning how to actually construct a tuba(not like I the space or equipment to do it) I think it would be pretty interesting to do.

[Rick Denney]

Consider that a tuba has a continuous taper from just downstream of the valves (or main tuning slide) to the bell flare.

Where would you remove the four feet that would not leave you with large mismatches in the diameters of the tubing? How would you make those different tubing diameters match up?

The usual strategies for such conversions include removing any extraneous straight tubing around the valves, retapering the dogleg, retapering the small branches in the first loop downstream from the valves, and often replacing the bell stack with something shorter. Getting four feet out of those strategies requires that you start with something very narrow in profile.

There are great F tubas, large and small, already on the market. There is just no need to make conversions. I agree that if you just want to play with tools, start with an old, narrow Eb beater and hack away. Expect little. http://www.rickdenney.com/cutting_Eb_tuba.htm In the end, you'll learn what I learned: There is no shortcut to knowing how to do such things right. Those who can do this successfully can be counted on one (incomplete) hand.

Rick "who can turn junk brass into different junk brass with the best of them" Denney

[tclements]

Yamaha did it. It's called the YFB-822.

[TheHatTuba]

Yamaha did it. It's called the YFB-822.

These ORIGINALLY came from the bows of their comp. Eb and were cut to F if i remember right