converting a 621 to be a removable bell 'travel' tuba

[pecktime]

I have a beat up Yamaha 621 cc tuba that I would like to get converted into a removable bell tuba for travelling. The bell would go in one box and the rest of the tuba in another. I was thinking to have the normal collar and 3 screws like the sousaphones and old Kings etc do it, but my repair guy mentioned having a screw-in bell like on a french horn.

Has anyone performed this operation before?

[pecktime]

good point, cheers.

[ArnoldGottlieb]

I was made aware of this horn near the potential ending of my traveling career. The horn plays great! Lines up with a tuner, and burys a 621 volume wise. I don't own one because I'm not touring for now, but if I do again, I most likely will. It is an amazing little horn that allegedly travels very well. http://bethmitchelltubastudio.com/BethM ... _TUBA.html" target="_blank

[roweenie]

This might sound crazy, but I find ideas like this to be interesting.....

Would it be possible to make the entire bell detachable at the bottom bow? All of the brace-work could be replaced with Conn-Selmer detachable braces (maybe even the mouthpipe too, depending on the tubing size where it meets the valve block). Then, you would face the puzzle of putting a tenon assembly at the bottom bow; maybe a baritone horn set up would be close enough?

Just thinking out loud.....

[roweenie]

 This wouldn't solve anything... A complete uncut bell + a body wouldn't take up any less space (nor fit in a smaller container) that the complete tuba.

This actually came to mind (after I had posted, of course... )

[Tubajug]

Plus you'd have the problem of the leadpipe "floating" out there without any support once the bell is off and you'd risk really messing it up.....

[roweenie]

Plus you'd have the problem of the leadpipe "floating" out there without any support once the bell is off and you'd risk really messing it up.....

I thought it was fairly obvious that a detachable mouthpipe would be necessary to make this idea practical.

Conn-Selmer makes a two piece detachable mouthpipe receiver brace; it's used on the new model 2341 King.





At the valveset end, you would use the same three-piece union C/S uses to make their King mouthpipe detachable, provided it would be a similar size tubing (as I had already mentioned earlier....)

the brace-work could be replaced with Conn-Selmer detachable braces (maybe even the mouthpipe too, depending on the tubing size where it meets the valve block)

[Tubajug]

Oh duh...haha. My turn to not think things through. I've seen the removable braces at the receiver, but didn't make the "connection" that the pipe would detach at the valve section too...it's late...

[PaulTkachenko]

I've done this to a few helicons now and my method works a treat and it's really cheap.

Unsolder the bell at the first join to the bottom bow and use 3 short roofing bolts to hold it in place. Reinforce with some plates on the inside of the bell if you like.

I'm not sure you gain much on a 621 by doing this. Now on a helicon... see attached.

[pecktime]

I would gain a few things with a removable bell 621.

1) size -the main body of the tuba could go in a large suitcase. the bell in another case. lets me do away with the annoying Yamaha case with it's tiny wheels.

2) stress on the tuba. with a separate bell, opportunities for enthusiastic airline employees to hurt the tuba goes way down.