POLL - aftermarket 15" BELL for compensating Eb tuba

[Bob Kolada]

Is the bell really the only difference between one of those little Booseys and the big 19" bell version?

[aqualung]

I already got a 15" bell for $450. And the nice thing is that there was an Imperial 3+1 already attached to it.

[olaness1]

A screw-on bell that would be made interchangeable with the original bell would be a nice idea.

[iiipopes]

A screw-on bell that would be made interchangeable with the original bell would be a nice idea.

On my Bessophone, I got to play the same tuba with a detachable bell and without. The mass of the collar and tenon interfered with the response of several notes, including 1st ledger line 1st valve Eb. I must say I am not so sure that detachable bells for concert tubas in the modern age are a good idea.

[T. J. Ricer]

That is an interesting idea, but French horn players have enough trouble keeping their threaded rings round and functional. I see far more serious damage done to tubas...not to mention the high cost of threaded rings that large, and the care that must be taken to install them without warping them.
Standard male and female slip collars, though, might be a reasonable option...??

I’d love to have the options of removable 15” 17” 19” and recording bells!

[olaness1]

Standard male and female slip collars, though, might be a reasonable option...??

Please excuse my ignorance, but what are these slip collars?

[ken k]

if I still had my B&H Imperial with the 19"bell, I would be interested.

kk

[Snake Charmer]

A 15" straight and a recording bell added to the standard 19" bell in combination with my 4-way Blokepiece (two different shanks and an extender ring) would create 12 tubas out of one. This would be really great! The slip collar sounds sensible, I don't have a bigger horn so I don't like the idea of giving away the impressive 19". Sometimes size matters...

[roweenie]

Can you share the overall dimensions - length and diameter at the small end?