Bore Size Chart

[MaryAnn]

Is there an existing chart somewhere that has tubas listed by bore size, independent of key?

[Untersatz]

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A few months back, someone posted the same question and one of the TubaNet guys started building a list of bore sizes and manufacturers. I don't know how far the list went and you might try searching here for it.

Here's the start of that list...

.656 (Conn small bore) = 16.66mm
.687 (King) = 17.45mm
.689 (Besson Eb, M-W Bell and others) = 17.5mm
.708 = 18mm (A lot of F tubas, some smaller BBb)(or .709, depending on which way you round off or up)
.728 (Yammy piston & others) = 18.5
.730 (Besson BBb comp, Martin, Buescher) = 18.54
.734 (Conn souzy) = 18.64
.748 = 19mm
.750 (a lot of different makers) = 19.05mm
.768 = 19.5mm
.770 (Conn 2XJ pistons & Miraphone rotors) = 19.56mm
.772 = 19.61mm
.787 = 20mm
.795 = 20.19mm
.807 (smaller Alex bore, I believe) = 20mm
.812 = 20.62mm
.827 = 21mm
.835 = 21.21mm
.846 = 21.5 mm
.866 = 22 mm

[Dan Schultz]

Hmmm... that list looks familiar. I've made a few additions and modifications since then:

.656 (Conn small bore) = 16.66mm
.660 Conn 15J = 16.76mm
.687 (King) = 17.45mm
.689 (Besson Eb, M-W Bell and others) = 17.5mm
.707 = M & M TU400
.708 = 18mm Miraphone 183. (A lot of F tubas, some smaller BBb)(or .709, depending on which way you round off or up)
.708 = 18mm - Miraphone 184
.728 (Yammy piston & others) = 18.5
.730 (Besson BBb comp, Martin, Buescher) = 18.54
.737 (Conn souzy) = 18.64
.740 = 18.8mm - Miraphone 185
.748 = 19mm
.750 (a lot of different makers) = 19.05mm
.750 = Holton short-action sousa and tuba
.768 = 19.5mm
.770 (Conn 2XJ pistons & Miraphone 186 rotors) = 19.56mm
.772 = 19.61mm
.777 = Conn 'jumbo' sousaphone
.787 = 20mm (Amati 20.2mm)
.795 = 20.19mm
.807 (smaller Alex bore, I believe) = 20mm
.812 = 20.62mm
.827 = 21mm (Cerveny)
.835 = 21.21mm
.846 = 21.5 mm
.866 = 22 mm (large Rudy)

[iiipopes]

I thought the standard Conn souzy bore was .734?
And older 186-7-8's were the .770, but the newer ones may be .772?
Add Reynolds souzys (and possibly Contempora tubas and Olds souzys) to .687.(?)
Add St Pete Eb to the 18mm.
Add St Pete BBb rotary 202 to the 21mm.

Please correct me.

[Dan Schultz]

I thought the standard Conn souzy bore was .734?
And older 186-7-8's were the .770, but the newer ones may be .772?
Add Reynolds souzys (and possibly Contempora tubas and Olds souzys) to .687.(?)
Add St Pete Eb to the 18mm.
Add St Pete BBb rotary 202 to the 21mm.

Please correct me.

No correction necessary. The difference of a couple of thousanths is a matter of what the book says compared to actual dimensions.... which I've seen vary waaaay more than that.

Thanks for the additional info.

Can anyone else add anything?

[ScottM]

Mirafone. 184 = .705
Mirafone 185 = .740
Mirafone 186 = . 778
This is per my Mirafone catalog from roughly 1974. Perhaps Roger Lewis can help with the bore sizes of the newer models and verify if these are still correct.
ScottM

[opus37]

The pre-1920's Martin Eb medium size = 0.620"
pre-1920's Martin Eb monster size = 0.687"

[Bob Sacchi]

.

[Roger Lewis]

Here's the scoop on Miraphone bore sizes:

F tubas
180 - .709
181 - 3.803 to .835
Firebird - .772 to .835
Bel Canto - .772 to .835
Petruschka - .772 to .803

EEb Tubas
Norwegian Star - .772 to .835
StarLight = .709

CC tubas
184 - .709
185 - .740
186 - .772
188 - .772
190 - .835
Bruckner - .803 to .835
1291- .772 to .835
1292- .772 to .835
1293- .772 to .835

BBb Tubas
184 - .709
185 - .772 to .803
186 - .772
187 - .772
191 - .835
1272 - .740 to .772
1291 - .835
289 Kaiser - .803 to .835
Siegfried - .835

[bigtubby]

The York Monster Eb and 'normal' sized BBb model 33 also had the .656" bore

Their 'medium Eb (the 15" bell) was even smaller, I think...

This concurs with my 1917 front action York Eb Monster but my 1905 top action is 16.80mm .661"

Some other tubas in my house:
Schuster & Co. "Army" tuba in BBb: 18.5mm .728"

La Sete unknown model generally Cerveny 686-ish: 19.5mm .767"

Cerveny 681 tuba in BBb: 20.2mm .787"

Cerveny "Tornister" tuba in BBb: 14.8mm .582"

Reynolds sousaphone in Eb: 17.5mm .688"

J.W. Pepper helicon in Eb: 16.5mm .649"

Jan Stary tuba in F: 16.5mm .649"

[thattubaguy]

The Alex 163 is 20.5mm, and the big job is 21.5mm.

[Sylvano]

What about the Rudolf Meinl tuba?

I can't recall but I think my 5/4 was 0.866".