Hartford, CT CL: Reynolds 3v

[Donn]

This would be the slightly-less-than-full-size Reynolds that strongly resembles the Olds O99, if I'm not mistaken.

[TheGoyWonder]

No, the detachable bell type is always the big kind. The third valve wrap and no "trigger" makes it look kinda like the small kind. Guessing it's older than Contempora.

3 braces were removed to make it play better? Fascinating, I'm wondering about that.

[Donn]

The third valve wrap and no "trigger" makes it look kinda like the small kind.

You got me there, that was indeed what I was looking at, and this would be the oldest generation. I could be thrown off by perspective, but looks to me like at this point it's more like the King equivalent 1240 or whatever, where the detachable bell on the later Contemporas looks like they just used their sousaphone bell, hence an unusually near-right-angle bend. Wonder if the body is the same, or if that bell collar is smaller?

[TheGoyWonder]

It's probably the same tenon sousa to recording bell - a little over 6.5". Cool way to do it, making tubas and sousaphones that are fairly equivalent.

[Donn]

Well, economical maybe. Result: well liked by some but dorky looking bell front tuba, an upright version that's so tall it's kind of a problem, and maybe could have worked out better with a more conventional configuration.