Besson 3-valve compensators

[WC8KCY]

I'm contemplating replacing both my Holton eefer and IBICo sousaphone with a 3-valve Besson BB-flat compensator with a recording bell.

A couple of questions:

1. How accessible are the false/privileged tones on these?
2. Are the connections for a shoulder strap robustly constructed and well placed?

Thanks in advance!

[iiipopes]

Two short answers from a guy who used to own a bell up, and has played the recording bell variant:
1) Not.
2) Don't.

[WC8KCY]

Thank you so much, I was hoping an owner of one of these beasties would have something to say!

The search goes on...

[iiipopes]

Make no mistake: for intonation, I simply loved my BBb 3-valve comp with the upright bell. It was perfect. And I mean perfect; as tried against several of the high-end CC's and several different tuners. But I missed the occasional near-pedal tone, starting with Eb below open BBb, and I could not bring myself to add tubing. It also weighs as much as a tank with the thick brass. I sold it to a friend, so I can borrow it any time, and it is perfect for what he does - lighter fare that never needs anything below 1+3 F below open BBb, and travels well.

I missed the tone so badly, however, that I dredged an old hulk I had purchased for crash parts out of the morgue and had my tech put the bell on my Miraphone, hence, the "Bessophone" in my signature, and the accompanying thread: viewtopic.php?f=2&t=61956&p=515531" target="_blank

But I digress. Back to the situation at hand with the recording bell version of the Besson 3-valve comp: you just can't see around the Besson recording bell because it is too low and too large a diameter. I believe it is a full 24 inches, or souzy-sized, whereas most other recording bells, even when I had one on my Miraphone, are made with a taller stack and only extend out to about 20 to 22 inches diameter.

And because of the weight, it simply does not balance, so it's going to pull your shoulders forward and cause problems.

If you want a comp - and this one is practically being given to you, take it, trash the recording bell stack, or make a fountain or flower pot or modern art sculpture out of it, and find a good upright bell for it.

Being in your situation, I played my 186 with both bells for years, and finally got tired of the problems listed above. So to go with my Bessophone, I have a Reynolds 'glass souzy, which as bloke says, has King intonation and Conn tone. I'm set for the forseeable future.

[WC8KCY]

Thanks again for the insights. I never considered that the recording bell on these would seriously obstruct sightlines--and having a case of macular degeneration, that could have been a huge issue. Reviewing some photos of Besson's bell front basses, it should have been glaringly obvious that that bell is going to be in the way.

The lack of an induced near-pedal open E-flat is an absolute deal breaker. One of the ensembles I'm with routinely plays music demanding the ability to wallow around there down to pedal B-flat. That's no problem for my Holton eefer.

Anyhow, I'm off to see Dan Schultz tomorrow with my tuba and sousaphone to see what can/should be done with them.

[iiipopes]

Macular degeneration? If you are in a community band, and thinking about a standard 4/4 BBb tuba as a primary instrument, and your dominant or better vision eye is your right eye, then you might consider a front valve tuba that you lean to the left, whether piston or rotary: King 1241, Miraphone 186, etc. If your dominant or better vision eye is your left eye, then you might consider a valve-up tuba, like a Besson, Yamaha YBB321, etc., that sits to your right. If you need both eyes to focus on the music, then a standard souzy will let you have a full field of vision: Conn 14, King 1251, Olds/Reynolds O90/SU11, or if weight on the shoulder and back is an issue, their respective fiberglass analogs. These are only suggestions. Dan will fit you with the right horn for you. Say, "Hi!" for me.

[dave_matheson]

I own a Besson BBb 3 valve compensating recording bell tuba ... and love it ! Mine was built in 1959 by Boosey & Hawkes in London, and it has fabulous tone and pitch. Using a Wick # 1 mouthpiece ... this Tuba rocks.

Personally, I don't find "sight lines" to be any big deal at all. Yes ... the front facing 24" bell is BIG ... but I just sit at a bit of an angle in my chair and rotate the bell away from me (to my right) ... and I can see the conductor and my stand perfectly.

Yes ... it is HEAVY. "They don't make'em like that anymore", lol. Thick brass ... this puppy was built like a tank. It is a really strong, solid instrument. I find that it does have a center of gravity (because of the recording bell) that pulls the instrument forward (away from you) ... so as you're playing it, you need to give it a slight pull towards you. No big deal, it's a very minor annoyance at first, and you quickly get used to this eccentricity.

This Besson has a beautiful full rich sound. The Wick # 1 mouthpiece is perfect for it, and it can produce some serious VOLUME for loud passages. The built in "compensation system" attached to the 3rd valve really works !! No need for a 4th valve, this Tuba does it all for you ...

If you are lucky enough to find one of these Besson 3 valve recording bell Tuba's .... grab it. They are a bargain. Here's some pics of one that is for sale, that is just like mine ...

http://brassandwoodwind.ca/BessonTuba_325XXX.html

[WC8KCY]

Once again, thank you for all your insights. After visiting TubaTinker with my horns for some TLC and getting a proper neck from him for my IBICo sousaphone, I'm going to stand pat with my gear for a while.

It's frankly amazing what a difference a sousaphone neck makes. I was using a 20K neck with my IBICo sousy, and Dan furnished my with a much shorter one that he fabricated for a Conn helicon. Response and especially intonation, which weren't really bad before, are simply excellent now--far better than I would have ever dared to hope for. And, the horn is so much more comfortable to play. Thanks again, Dan!

[iiipopes]

Once again, thank you for all your insights. After visiting TubaTinker with my horns for some TLC and getting a proper neck from him for my IBICo sousaphone, I'm going to stand pat with my gear for a while.

Good call.

[WC8KCY]

Good call.

It wasn't an easy call. The Besson sousaphone in his shop is a wonderful player. I still think about trading in for it.