big 4-valve Reynolds

[Donn]

Is there a way to tell, how long something has been for sale on ebay? That thing looks mighty familiar, I'm pretty sure it has been there for three years but could be much longer. I remember it because at the time I was interested in this model, though a 3 valve beater would have been my choice.

Wonder why they didn't catch on. I believe plenty of US high school students got a chance to play one. The weird proportions might have something to do with it - either the towering upright bell like this one, or the more common way out front bell, reduced feedback to the player in either case. Do the tubas and sousaphones have the same tenon? I've wondered if that's basically a sousaphone bell, Reynolds' brilliant idea to reduce the number of different bells they had to make.

[TheGoyWonder]

for sale forever...or maybe they keep selling examples refinished to the same standard, and the listing is just a placeholder.
worth the price? who knows b/c most are beat up, depends mostly on grade of refurbishing.
These are heavy like all the other midcentury american tubas of similar build with 6 bows and detachable bell, close to 30 pounds. So you need a tuba rest, and given that the rest of the complaints go away.
They benefit from going to bigger receiver exit bore and a new leadpipe to fit, and still play decently as-is with very-deep mouthpiece to compensate.

[Ace]

The weird proportions are because the bell is not original which is prolly why its been up so long.

Looks to me that the bell says Reynolds on it. (?)

Ace

[Ace]

The Simonetti Historic Tuba Collection has a photo of the Reynolds Contempura BBb tuba, c.1962, that looks like the eBay link that Bloke posted. That confirms that Reynolds did make a tuba with the tall stack. But, I think the photo posted by Lost strongly suggests a revised or later Reynolds BBb. (?)

Ace

[bigtubby]

Regardless original bell and so on, one would be well advised to check out the condition of the valves and casings. Shiny pretty outside but likely worn out school horn on the inside.

[Donn]

Yes, it's the standard upright bell. If someone stuck a non-original bell on there, and had it engraved as if it were factory Reynolds, he made it that tall because that's how tall they were (and he put the bell flare seam ring on it, because they had those.) But likely that tuba already came with the upright bell, as that was not so rare with the 4 valve version.

I guess one would be well advised to check out a tuba like this in person in any case, at $3300, but I expect you'd find that it's in good shape. I don't have experience with this shop, but they're reputable, right?

[TheGoyWonder]

They can look oddly-proportioned in pictures by themselves...maybe illusion due to the eye being drawn to the bell collar or just biased to the center of the image. In context they look fine. maybe parts of it even conform to the Golden Ratio.

[Donn]

I don't think the proportions are so much an esthetic issue, it's just that there are a couple practical down sides, maybe not overwhelming all the reportedly good qualities but enough that you'd have to wonder what possessed them to do it. One being the diminished sound coming back to the player, that's a complaint I've seen from someone who had played one with an upright bell. Just guessing, another might be a sort of balance issue that puts a limit on the positions. My tuba pushed the scale to 34 lbs this morning, but it's easy to hold however - sideways, upright, anything in between - because it isn't so top heavy. The valve block on this Reynolds looks like it wants you to hold it more sideways, but the bell seems to be saying no.

[TheGoyWonder]

not-great ergonomics, not-terrible either. better than a top-action. More lean would help the right hand angle, but its happy-place is just a slight lean.

Hearing myself has never been an issue, although it is easier to hear other instruments than with a stubby-bell type. Handy when clarinets are 60 ft away or there's a snare drum beating way off in a corner.

Retrofit bell would be difficult b/c nothing else stays fat all the way down to the tail end of the bell. You'd have to look at large 5/4 or near 6/4 bells and see if some diameter exists they can both be cut to close lengths. The retrofit would be fatter and thus could be a little shorter.

[Donn]

... from someone who briefly owned one ... must have been taken away by force, eh?